Montreal Canadiens in trade of players with Nashville Predators as trade deadline nears end – NHL News
The Montreal Canadiens have taken on board the Nashville Predators’ left wing, Blake Geoffrion, by sending a 2013 conditional draft pick, a minor league forward and a 2012 second-round draft pick to them.
Canadiens are one of few teams that have picked up pace in trade of their players in exchange or otherwise with other teams, as the trade deadline of February 27, 2012 is fast approaching to its end.
Predators will become eligible for the conditional draft pick only after Geoffrion makes himself available for atleast 40 games in the Montreal during the next National Hockey League (NHL) season.
The player has appeared for as many as 22 games for his present side, but has expressed pleasure over joining the Canadiens for having family roots in the city. His granddad, Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, has represented the Canadiens in the professional
hockey league in the past.
"Wow. What a day. It's bitter-sweet, going to miss my hometown of Nashville, but going to where it all started with my family...MONTREAL!!!" he tweeted.
Predators in the meantime have acquired veteran defenseman, Hal Gill, from Canadiens. Gill, a former Stanley Cup winner, is expected to become free agency on July 01, 2012.
"If it wasn't for Montreal, the unique situation with his family, the history, all that stuff, I probably wouldn't have traded him," Predators general manager David Poile said. "It's extremely tough to do because of his obvious ties to Nashville. It was
fabulous to have a local player here in Nashville."
The trade deadline is due to expire on February 27 and all the activity of trade and exchange of players on teams around the NHL has picked up the pace all of sudden.
A number of players are due to become free agency at different dates after the deadline, especially if their deals are not renewed by their sides before February 27.
This is yet again that the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators have come into contacts for exchange of their players. They have been involved in swapping the ownership hands of certain players from both sides to fulfil their objectives at a number
of positions in past.
For example, Predators GM, David Poile, said that they needed an experienced defenseman and now they have that option in form of Hal Gill, and his team certainly stands an opportunity of benefiting from his experience and depth of the game skills.
Gill had been a key in the performance of Canadiens most of the time and his joining of Predators is expected to give that edge to them.
Gill’s game exposure and experience is spread over the span of 15 years, during which he has played as many as 1047 games of regular season of the American professional hockey league. This reflects on the talent and skills he must have gained to his credit
while playing the league during all those past years.
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