Report from Preds Development Camp and Trades Since

Jen and I went to Preds Young Player Development Camp yesterday.  This is a time when the Predators work with their players who aren't playing on the NHL level yet and assess the areas that they would like to see them improve.

Players that we looked at in particular are as follows.  Zach Budish, the 6'3" 223# forward that the Predators signed in the second round a couple of years ago,  has recovered from his second knee injury.  The first occuring while playing football in high school and the second being a moped accident while at college.

Mattias Ekholm, 6'4" defenseman from Sweden, looks like a very promising prospect who may get some playing time with the Predators this coming season.

Jen like the playful exhuberance of a defenseman named Anthony Bitetto.  It will be difficult for him to make the Preds roster as there are numerous Preds ahead of him namely Ekholm, Roman Josi, Teemu Laakso, and Ryan Ellis.

There are a few prospects who were invited to the camp but not yet signed by the Preds.  Two we noted because of their names.  Scott Valentine is a big forward who I don't expect to make it because he was slow and gassed after some of the exercises.  Another was Joel Champagne. I heard someone say that you can't celebrate the Cup without Champagne.  Jen, of course, wants his sweater.

Two trades have taken place in the last 36 hours involving the Preds.  The first was Andreas Thurreson from the Preds for Brodie Dupont from the Rangers.  This was basically a decent substitution player from the Preds for a physical up-and-coming 4th liner from the Rangers.

The second trade comes with a little more questioning from Preds fans.  Preds sending Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Cody Franson to Toronto for d-man Brett Lebda and physical prospect Robert Slaney.  This seems like a big negative for the Predators because the Preds are losing a second line d-man with a lot of scoring ability and a top six forward while only recieving a so-so veteran d-man and an unheralded prospect.  What the Preds are really gaining is cap space since Lombardi missed most of last year due to a concussion so the they can sign Shea Weber and make some more acquisitions.

Preds fans are just hoping that all of this is in GM David Poile's magical plan that he creates each year that has the "experts" counting the Preds out and yet they still somehow make the playoffs.