(SB Nation, Travis Hughes) – The Nashville Predators added another forward on 2012 NHL Trade Deadline day, acquiring Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick from the Buffalo Sabres. According to TSN, a first-round pick is heading back to the Sabres.
It was reported earlier in the day that Sabres general manager Darcy Regier had asked for a first-round pick for Gaustad, who’s played in Buffalo since breaking into the league as a regular in 2000. It seemed like a big price tag, but Gaustad immediately brings the Predators an extra weapon at forward. He’s versatile in that he can play any forward position, and winning faceoffs is perhaps his biggest asset. He’s also a power play contributor.
The Predators are clearly going all in. They’ve held on to big pieces in Ryan Suter andShea Weber while beefing up both up on defense with Hal Gill and up front with Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn.
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