From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Marcel Goc (MAHR-sehl GAWCH) to a one-year contract worth $775,000.

Goc, 26 (8/24/83), has already set a career high in goals (10) in 49 games this season, and is just three points shy (10g-9a) of a personal-best in points attained during his rookie season of 2005-06 (8g-14a). The 6-1, 202-pound center paces the Predators in face-off winning percentage (51.5 percent) while playing 14:08 per game, and has produced 16 points (8g-8a) in his last 25 outings after starting the season with three points (2g-1a) in his first 24 contests of 2009-10. Named to his third straight German Olympic Team on Dec. 30, Goc is the highest German ever selected in the NHL Draft (20th overall in 2001 by San Jose).

The Calw native has played 314 career games with Nashville and San Jose since 2005-06, posting 73 points (29g-44a) and 84 penalty minutes. Goc has also seen action in 37 playoff games (3g-5a-8pts), and made his NHL debut during the 2004 postseason.

There's no question that Goc's career has taken a major step forward with the Predators this season, earning a larger role than he'd enjoyed in San Jose previously. For a budget-conscious team, this is an excellent contract to lock up a Top 9 forward for next year, and comes on the heels of Kevin Klein's 3-year, $4.05 million deal announced last week.

Predators GM David Poile is obviously setting as many of his pieces in place before assessing trade possibilities heading into the Olympic break.

Marcel Goc

#9 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Aug 24, 1983