The Tampa Bay Lightning need goaltending help. The Nashville Predators need to reload. They both helped their causes on Friday.
The Lightning traded Sebastain Caron and three draft picks on Friday to the Predators for Anders Lindback, forward Kyle Wilson, and a seventh round pick in next week's NHL Entry Draft. Nashville will receive two second-round picks in next week's draft, along with a third-round pick in the 2013 draft.
The Lightning had draft picks to spare, as the official NHL Draft order released on Friday called for Tampa Bay to pick 37th, 40th, and 50th overall. It is not yet clear which two of those picks the Lightning will send to Nashville in exchange for Lindback, Wilson, and the 202nd overall pick.
Nashville can definitely use the picks, having given up its first-round pick, the 21st overall, before the trade deadline in order to get Paul Gaustad from Buffalo. The Predators have a busy summer ahead, with five restricted free agents and eight unrestricted free agents to sign, including captain Shea Weber (restricted) and widely sought-after defenseman Ryan Suter (unrestricted). The time is definitely coming for Nashville to reload, and these picks should help that.
Tampa is well-stocked for the future, having been ranked sixth by The Hockey News in its "Future Watch" issue, but goaltending issues plagued the Bolts all season in 2011-12, with Mathieu Garon the team's most successful netminder at 23-16-4 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. The acquisition of Lindback, a restricted free agent, should help significantly. He posted a 2.42 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 16 appearances for Nashville in 2011-12, serving as the backup to Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne. Wilson, who has four goals and nine assists in 39 NHL games with the Capitals, Blue Jackets and Predators, is a decent depth forward with a bit of scoring punch, who will contribute in the minor leagues and as needed at the NHL level.
It's hard to pick a winner in this trade without knowing what happens with the draft picks, but for now, it seems like a real win-win, with both teams addressing important needs.
