Predators use trades with Rangers, Devils to fill roster holes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators have made a pair of trades, adding size and toughness trying in an attempt to fill the void created by the absence of a trio of players.

That doesn’t mean general manager David Poile is necessarily finished trying to improve the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners. There is still three weeks before the NHL trade deadline. And no matter how happy Poile is with his roster after trading for a pair of veteran forwards in Brian Boyle from New Jersey and Cody McLeod from the Rangers on Wednesday, things can always be better.

Poile plans to keep making calls, listening and paying attention until the deadline Feb. 25.

“I think just look for the right deal,” Poile said. “If we can improve our club, we’re going to do that. I’m comfortable with what we have in our depth and filling the holes that I thought we had or got created by the three players that we’ve lost in the last couple weeks. But if we can improve our team in the next three weeks, we will certainly do that.”

The Predators lost defenseman Anthony Bitetto to a waiver claim to Minnesota on Jan. 25, trying to sneak him to the AHL for some playing time.

Then forward Austin Watson was suspended indefinitely Jan. 29 under the NHL’s substance abuse program, and Poile announced Wednesday that forward Zac Rinaldo will have season-ending surgery for an injured shoulder.

Nashville center Kyle Turris has missed 17 straight games but could return Thursday against Dallas or this weekend in a back-to-back, home-andhome series with St. Louis. Forward Miikka Salomaki also may be closing to a return from an injury.

Poile swapped the Predators’ second-round pick in June’s NHL draft for Boyle and will send the Rangers a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft for McLeod.

That was prompted by a worst case scenario of Watson possibly not returning this season.