Nashville Rumours

Trade rumours have been circulating through various sources in and around Nashville. The Predators looked to have everything ready and set in terms of lineup for the upcoming season, however names such as Modano, Langkow, Brunette, and Kuba continue to come up as being rumoured to be available for trade. GM Cunti finally addressed the media: "Sure we're always looking to improve our team, but as it stands right now we don't see any changes being made."

On the other hand, it is well known that the Predators GM would like to inject the team with more youth, whether it be in the way of juniors, picks, or just young studs playing in pro. For this, we know that players like Modin, Pratt, Eaton, Lysak or some of the defensemen currently playing for Nashville's pro farm team are up for grabs. Currently there are no indications that GM Cunti has had any communication about any of those players mentioned.

Expected soon to be captain Mike Modano released a statement to the press, "Trade rumours are always part of the game. Everyone understands that this is a business and that things change. I've enjoyed my stay thus far in Nashville and I'd like to finish off my career here. I think that we've got a great club with a lot of character and guys like Joey (Thornton) will really help the team out."

When asked about his current bump from the top line down to the second line, Modano replied, "Joe is a great player with a lot of skill. I was involved in discussions with both Ken (Hitchcock) and Biagio about the best kind of line combinations. Of course nothing is ever set in stone and I'm sure we'll test out team chemistry come pre-season. I think having 3 good scoring lines where we can get a balanced attack from all three lines is one of the major key things to do in order to win in this league."

During some of the Preds practices, it was observed that Modano was playing on a line with Thornton and Brunette so a top line that included those three cannot be discounted either. We look forward to see how the Preds shape up against some of the other major players in the league!