The Nashville Predators have addressed the lack of experienced depth on the blueline by signing free agent defenseman Scott Hannan to a one-year contract. This provides some backup on the left side, where the depth chart currently has a lot of youth outside of Hal Gill.
Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed defenseman Scott Hannan to a one-year, $1 million contract.
Hannan, 33 (1/23/79), has amassed 197 points (33g-164a) and 522 penalty minutes in 908 regular-season games and 15 points (1g-14a) and 89 penalty minutes in 82 playoff games with San Jose, Colorado, Washington and Calgary since the 1998-99 season. The 6-1, 225-pound blueliner enters the 2012-13 season having played more games than any NHL defenseman in the last 10 seasons (798). Hannan dressed for 75-or-more games for the 11th consecutive season (78), and averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons (20:21) with the Calgary Flames a season ago.
The folks up in Calgary seem to have been pretty happy with how he fit in last season, and I think he makes a nice fit here. He can play a basic, reliable type of game and can hopefully soak up some of the tough minutes allowing guys like Roman Josi to be put in a position where they can succeed.
As for Jonathon Blum? The pressure to earn a roster spot may have just gotten a bit tougher, but a seven-man unit of Shea Weber, Kevin Klein, Scott Hannan, Hal Gill, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Jon Blum looks likely. At least with Blum, there’s a comfort level there that he can play either side, so he may serve well as the 7th D.