Just following the departure of centre Jason Arnott, the Nashville Predators have continued their off-season dealings by trading away top defenseman Dan Hamhuis. Hamhuis is going to the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Philadelphia Flyers. In exchange for Hamhuis, Nashville obtains defense young defenseman Ryan Parent. Additionally, Nashville is also providing the Flyers with a conditional seventh round pick in the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
The conditional pick factor relies entirely on Hamhuis and the Flyers. Hamhuis becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and if the Flyers are unsuccessful in signing him for the 2010-11 season, Nashville will transfer the seventh round pick to Philadelphia. If Philadelphia trades Hamhuis prior to the deadline, the pick remains with Nashville.
According to Philadelphia’s general manager Paul Holmgren, the conditional pick is most likely a triviality. He said: "Our intention is to get him signed prior to [the deadline], and that is what our aim is at this point in time. The sooner that we get going on trying to get this done, the better."
Nashville selected Hamhuis with 12th pick of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Not including two seasons spent rehabilitating with the Predators’ American Hockey League affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, Hamhuis has played a total of six seasons for Nashville. Last year Hamhuis played 78 regular-season games for the Predators and scored 5 goals and recorded 24 points. He also added a pair of assists in Nashville’s playoff loss to the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Chicago Blackhawks.
In total, Hamhuis has played 483 regular-season games for the Predators with 32 goals and 161 points. Prior to last season’s 78 games, Hamhuis has featured in 80+ games for the Predators in his five other NHL seasons, and this durability is a major asset for the Flyers. His stability is a feature Flyers GM Holmgren is well aware of.
"Dan Hamhuis is a good all-around defenseman," Holmgren noted. "He's a guy who can play lots of minutes and he can play in a lot of different situations, from power play to killing penalties. He is another athlete we'd like to add to our team to continue to improve our defense."
Although Nashville is in the midst of what could be a successful rebuilding, Hamhuis is excited with the prospects of joining an immediate contender. Hamhuis said: “[I]t is sad to leave the Predators. I spent some great years with them and it is great organization to be a part of.” He then added: "I've heard nothing but great things about the city of Philadelphia and the Flyers.”
Philadelphia’s surprise playoff performance was built on a foundation of strong defense, and Hamhuim will further strengthen their successful backline. Hamhuim himself pointed out: “To join a core like that makes the Flyers one of the tougher [defenses] in the League.”
Ryan Parent is a player that has been on Nashville’s radar for a long time. Like Hamhuis, he too was a first-round pick for the Predators in 2005. He never got his chance to play for the team though, as he was immediately dealt to Philadelphia as part of a two-player, two-future-pick deal for Peter Forsberg.
Parent has played 102 games for the Flyers over the course of four seasons. He has one goal and seven points. He also scored a playoff goal during the Flyers’ miraculous Stanley Cup Finals run. His former GM Holmgren had nothing but praise for the up-and-coming defenseman.
"I think Ryan is a good kid. He is an extremely hard worker. We certainly thank him for his services and his time here," said Holmgren. "He has a lot of upside as a player and he is going back to an organization that obviously knows him because they drafted him."
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