Busy day of dealing for Nashville Predators
NASHVILLE — As NHL free agency opened Saturday, the Predators took care of an area of concern and added to an area of depth, signing center Nick Bonino away from the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins with a $16.4 million, four-year contract and acquiring defenseman Alexei Emelin in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. Bonino was a key player for the Penguins during the past two postseasons, contributing a total of 25 points to help them hoist the Stanley Cup twice — including against the Predators last month. He averaged 33 points during two regular seasons in Pittsburgh. The trade for Emelin cost the Predators a 2019 third-round pick. But it gives them an even stronger defense behind the top four of Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. The Predators need Bonino in part because they also traded center Colin Wilson to the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-round pick in 2019. They drafted Wilson No. 7 overall in 2008, and he had 95 goals and 237 points for the Predators, but they cleared some salary-cap space by parting ways with him. He will count $4 million against Colorado’s cap the next two seasons. The Predators also brought back forward Scott Hartnell with a one-year, $1 million deal, adding depth up front for a franchise that lost James Neal to Vegas in the recent expansion draft. Nashville also added goaltender depth, signing Anders Lindback and Matt O’Connor to one-year deals.
BASEBALL
› NEW YORK — Houston Astros rookie David Paulino was one of three pitchers handed drug suspensions Saturday by Major League Baseball. Paulino was the only one who is currently in the majors. The commissioner’s office announced he received an 80-game ban after testing positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid. His penalty began with Saturday night’s game against the New York Yankees. Cleveland Indians right-hander Joseph Colon and San Francisco Giants righthander Joan Gregorio were suspended for the rest of the season. Colon and Gregorio are in the minors, but each was on his club’s 40-man roster.
SOCCER
› EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Dom Dwyer scored in his international debut and Kellyn Acosta added his first international goal in the 52nd minute as the United States men’s soccer team beat Ghana 2-1 Saturday in an exhibition ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Dwyer — a 26-year-old forward born in England who gained American citizenship in March — put the Americans ahead in the 19th minute with an acrobatic volley. U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan saved Asamoah Gyan’s penalty kick in first-half stoppage time to leave it 1-0 at halftime, and Acosta converted on a low free kick from just outside the penalty area that went through the wall and in on a bounce past goalkeeper
Richard Ofori in the 52nd minute. Gyan scored for the Black Stars in the 60th minute with a free kick that beat Guzan and went in just under the crossbar.
› COLUMBUS, Ohio —
Hector Villalba scored twice, while Alec Kann had an assist and earned his fourth shutout as Atlanta United FC beat the Columbus Crew 2-0 Saturday night. Atlanta struck in the 27th minute when the Crew defense didn’t get a touch on Kann’s goal kick and Villalba beat goalkeeper Zach Steffen to the ball. Villalba picked up his eighth goal this season in the 64th minute. Atlanta (8-7-2) moved past Columbus (8-10-1) and into fifth place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.