NASHVILLE - As the Predators' playoff hopes are in jeopardy thanks to recent poor play on the ice, GM Tom Poraszka did his part off the ice to try to take away some of the potential distractions among members of the team and hopefully light a fire.
On Friday afternoon, the Nashville Predators came to terms with two players, defenseman David Hale and backup goaltender Mika Noronen. The two were both scheduled to become Restricted Free Agents at season's end but extended their terms as members of the Nashville Predators for two more seasons.
David Hale, a native of Colorado, was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft as the 22nd overall selection. Hale became a Nashville Predator when the Predators' current General Manager, Tom Poraszka, dealt Hale along with Anton Kadeykin, and the recently traded Adrian Foster to Nashville for David Legwand.
"In New Jersey, I was reluctant to move Hale but we had different needs there. We were trying to win it then and there, David [Hale] was expendable. I've been glad to have him back on my side and we were very pleased that we could sign him to an extension," said Tom Poraszka at the press conference for the double-signing.
Hale, 24, has played 28 games for the Predators this season earning 4 points and a +/- of -1. With the recent continuous fight for a playoff spot, David Hale has seen very little time on the ice. In fear of losing him to the waiver wire, the Predators held onto Hale on the Pro roster despite having him as a healthy scratch for several consecutive games. With the trade deadline past and the waiver clearance requirements released, Hale has been sent down to the farm and will see regular time on the top pairing for the Milwaukee Admirals. Aspirations for Hale are that he will potentially fill out a third pairing role next season for the Predators, who anticipate the loss of Boris Mironov this offseason.
Mika Noronen is one of the many goaltenders part of the recent plethora issued from Finland. As Finland begins to compete with Quebec for the rights to hailing itself as the goaltender factory of the world, Mika Noronen looks to help the bid of Finland by improving on his current role as backup and potentially moving into a number one role.
The former 1st round selection of the Buffalo Sabres in 1997 was acquired by the Predators shortly after the birth of the OTHL in exchange for Chuck Kobasew and a couple draft picks. He has been a steady backup for the Predators since, occasionally showing flares of excellence, leaving Predators' management with a hope that the 26 year old Noronen can come into his own and challenge Tomas Vokoun for the number one role.
"He's an excellent goaltender and probably one of the best backups in the league. We're very comfortable having him behind Tomas, it leaves us with a little bit of redundancy and safety in net," commented Poraszka, "we're happy to extend his term here and hopefully at the expiration of this contract, he'll warrant more money by performing well."
Noronen has appeared in 21 games this year, including a recent stint of consecutive games due to a stipulation in the league rules that would not allow number one goaltender, Tomas Vokoun to play more than 72 games this year. He holds a 4-6-2 record on the year with 1 shutout, as well as a respectable 2.67 Goals Against Average and .908 Save Percentage.
With two of their big pending Free Agents now tied up, the Predators can look to signing the biggest two; 2nd line left wing, Scott Hartnell and defenseman, Dan Hamhuis. Hartnell's aggressive budding power forward play has earned him a place among the elite hitters of the league, with 202 hits on the year, placing him 3rd in the league as the only forward in the top-10, and only behind Keith Carney and Derian Hatcher. His hardwork has also been evident on the scoresheet with 20 goals and 24 assists on the year, including 6 power-play goals and 2 game winners. Hamhuis, meanwhile, has been a dependable rock on the Nashville defense, a pleasant surprise from a young defenseman with a lot of pressure and responsibility on a weaker defense corpse. His 6 goals and 26 assists put him 3rd on the club in points among defensemen with 32.
However, Poraszka may have larger worries than locking up his young free agents, as the Predators are 3-6-1 in their last 10, they have watched their lead on the Phoenix Coyotes diminish from 9 to 3 points in a span of 3 games. The Predators currently sit in 8th place in the Western Conference, with 81 points in 78 games, two points up on the Colorado Avalanche, 3 points up on the Phoenix Coyotes and 5 on the Edmonton Oilers. The Predators and Oilers have a game in hand on the Avalanche, while the Coyotes have a game in hand on the Predators and Oilers. Up next on the menu for the Predators are the slumping Canadiens, followed by the Senators, Islanders and division rivals Detroit Red Wings to wrap up the season. With 8th place and a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs on the line, the Predators will have to rely on the big names of Tomas Vokoun and Vincent LeCavalier to bail them out of the recent funk.
As a result, neither Hale nor Noronen will likely see much time in the rest of the 2005-06 OTHL Season unless the Predators manage to clinch a playoff spot early or suffer injury problems. However, both players expressed their delight over obtaining some security in their contracts and extending their time with the Predators.
"I'm happy to be back, the Predators organization has treated me very well and I can only hope that I can return the favour by exceeding their expectations," said David Hale in response to questions regarding his contract extension.
Noronen meanwhile, also commented that while he enjoys being a part of this organization, he hopes for a promotion, "The Predators organization is a great one to be a part of and I think it will be a threat to many teams in the coming years, I hope I can have a more significant role in that."
Terms of the contract were officially released by the OTHLPA, both David Hale and Mika Noronen have signed for an additional 2 years, and have received raises to upgrade their annual salaries to $850,000 and $825,000, respectively.