Two signings and a few goodbyes

So this year's free agency action helped to somewhat erase the memory of free agencies past ::cough::Paul Kariya leaving::cough:: For once, I feel as though us Predators fans can breathe a sigh of relief. There shouldn't be too many surprises this off-season and as I've stated a few times in the past couple of months, it's the non-surprise I'm looking forward to.

First off, let's pause to say goodbye to the players that moved on to embrace a new team for next season.

#4 Ville Koistinen - Ville signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers, worth $2.4 million. I said in my season wrap up that I wouldn't be sad to see him go and honestly, I'm not really. I am glad that another team took interest in him because he wasn't a bad player; he just didn't fit in our system as much as we originally thought. It was definitely apparent throughout the season that Koistinen was an expendable defenseman for us. I hope, for his sake, that he will play a much larger role for the Panthers next season than he did for us.

#5 Greg Zanon - I'm going to start off by saying that I was a little surprised that we did not keep him around. Yes, we have a lot of defensemen in our system that are just itching at the chance to play at an NHL level BUT Zanon was quite solid for us this season. After seeing the deal he brokered with the Minnesota Wild, I think the money involved was a big factor in his departure. Good for him, however. He is more than deserving of that kind of contract. So long, Greg. I'll miss your fabulous shot-blocking abilities.

#38 Vernon Fiddler - Fids departure sparked a little debate among some Predators fans (myself included). I was of the belief that Vern was an expendable part of our team because there are plenty of guys that can bring the same style/level of play to the ice as he did, and for less money. I tweeted that the two-year, $2.2 million contract he signed with the Phoenix Coyotes was more than enough for a player like him, believing that he wasn't worth that much for us to keep around. While he was making close to a million dollars with us last year, I still think he was slightly overpaid for the numbers he put up. Just as there are plenty of defensemen waiting in the wings, there are just as many forwards looking for their shot on NHL ice come October. Fiddler will certainly be missed for his off-ice presence in the community and his candor in the locker room BUT when it comes right down to it, hockey is a business. We had to shed some dollars in order to bring back the play makers who can contribute more than good penalty-killing and the occasional goal. In this year's free agency, Vern was a casualty of that war. Goodbye to you, DJ Fiddles. I'll miss your sweet, little backhanded dump in...even if that is your only trick in the book.

Now that the sadness is out of the way, we can focus on the two signings that didn't look so promising just a few hours before the 11:00am start time of the free agency season.

#26 Steve Sullivan - I'll admit that my heart might not have been able to withstand the sorrow of losing a guy like Sully. After he managed to fight back against all odds and get back out there, I knew he had to stay a Predator for just a little while longer. There might have been a slight bit of confusion, miscommunication and controversy (with a little help from Twitter) however, and even Steve had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be moving on from Nashville for the next few seasons. Seeing his twitter "HOME NOT FOR SALE!!!!" late in the day on Wednesday, my heart leapt for joy as I realized that could only mean good things. During his interview with 104.5 The Zone later that afternoon, it seemed as though there were a few other teams interested in Sullivan but none really made an offer he couldn't refuse, money-wise. Whether or not he gave us a hometown discount will probably always be open for conjecture but you know what, I don't really care. Sully was/is an integral part of our team in the locker room and on the ice. His ability to overcome seemingly unbeatable odds will surely serve to add more character to his game. And he can easily be someone to look to for inspiration, especially for all the young players that we'll probably add to the roster in the coming season.

#29 Joel Ward - Like Steve Sullivan, Joel Ward and his agent planned on testing the market come July 1st. Not that Ward was ruling out a return to Nashville, but I'm sure he would have gone elsewhere if the price was right. Fortunately for us, our price was right. With the loss of Vern Fiddler, I think Joel will be a great first line penalty killer. And what's more, he has proven over the last season that he can score those timely goals that lead to the difference between a win and a loss. Ward played on the third line pretty consistently last season and I think he has the ability to move up to the second line next season, if he can find the right chemistry. In any event, his signing was definitely a nice way to start off the day on the 1st.

There are a few more Predators that became free agents again on Wednesday but with so many young guys who could possibly start off the season on our roster in October, I don't really see the need to re-sign older players who might be on a decline more so than a peak.

And speaking of young guys, the Predators Development Camp, or Hockey Baby Camp (as I like to call it) will start Monday, July 6th. The first of the on-ice sessions open to the public will be Wednesday, July 8th at 10:00am at the Centennial Sportsplex. I love getting the chance to catch a glimpse of the recent draft class as well as re-familiarize myself with some of the other young players in our system. I'm going to try to make it to both weekday on-ice sessions and I will definitely be at the session on Saturday morning. I am looking forward to seeing Colin Wilson again because I selfishly would love to see him in a Predators jersey next season.

Hope everyone is having a great summer and an equally wonderful Fourth of July! And while this is not hockey-related, my prayers and condolences go out to the Steve McNair family, as well as the family of the female who was found with him earlier this afternoon. The news of his passing definitely struck a sour chord in the city of Nashville on this otherwise happy Independence Day.