Pekka Rinne Could See Name Appear Around The Deadline

Thanks to our friends at The Fourth Period for this article on potential movement by the Nashville Predators around the NHL trade deadline.


It's uncertain which direction the Predators will take at the trade deadline, but the Nashville Tennessean reports the team could be quite active.

According to the paper, the Predators have to decide whether they will add to their lineup for a playoff run, or trade away some of their potential unrestricted free agents like defenseman Dan Hamhuis and one of goalies Dan Ellis or Pekka Rinne.

The Tennessean suggests the Predators aren't likely to acquire any big name players, but coach Barry Trotz sees the advantage of making a move.

"We could use a tweak or two," Trotz told the paper. "We're actually scoring more goals than people thought we'd score, but we're giving up a little more than what we want ... So maybe a veteran penalty-killer or a real good faceoff guy, or maybe a guy that's produced a little bit more (offensively)."

The Predators could be interested in such players as Carolina's Matt Cullen, Edmonton's Fernando Pisani, Toronto's Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Columbus' Raffi Torres.

Pekka Rinne on Thom Abraham Show: Opens Up About His Olympic Plans and The "Save, Pekka Rinne!" Song

Nashville Predators goalie opens up on the Thom Abrahams Show about his Olympic plans, whether the NHL should continue to participate in the Olympics, and the world wide sensation the "Save, Pekka Rinne!" song. To hear the interview in full please visit this link.

Pekka Rinne's 23 Saves Key In 4-3 Win Over Atlanta

Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who stopped 23 shots, had some key saves including on Maxim Afinogenov at the end of one of the power plays and Ilya Kovalchuk on a breakaway. Rinne, who has been alternating starts with Dan Ellis, said it was time for some big saves (Teresa M. Walker, The Canadian Press 1/30/2010).

Pekka Rinne Gets Consecutive Starts For Predators

Fueled by the need to reduce the wear and tear on legs during a compressed Olympic-year schedule, Nashville Predator's coach Barry Trotz started goalie Pekka Rinne for the second consecutive game. The "Big Finn" did not want to speculate too much about the decision, but commented, "I'm just happy to be playing. It's nice to get back there and build from the last game, and hopefully we'll get it going again as a team, too." The Predators have produced mixed results since creating the goalie rotation between Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne, but the move has undoubtedly kept the competitive edge sharp.