Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

We have a trade to announce: Nashville acquires Hal Gill from Montreal

Hal Gill, Joey Crabb

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joey Crabb, bottom, is tripped up by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, in Toronto. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

AP

The Nashville Predators made a very intriguing move in advance of the Feb. 27 trade deadline, acquiring defenseman Hal Gill from Montreal in exchange for Blake Geoffrion and Robert Slaney.

The teams will also exchange picks as part of the deal, with Montreal getting Nashville’s second-round pick in 2012 and Nashville receiving Montreal’s fifth-round pick in 2013.

“Gill brings our team a number of elements -- size, penalty-killing ability, depth on defense and playoff experience,” Preds GM David Poile told NHL.com. “He has won a Stanley Cup and played a combined 69 playoff games over the last four years, experience that significantly benefits our team.”

Some thoughts on the move:

-- There’s been plenty of talk about Poile showing players (read: Ryan Suter and Shea Weber) the organization’s committed to winning. Spending big for Gill -- a prospect and a second-round pick is no small price -- is a strong statement, especially after Nashville spent huge to retain Pekka Rinne and acquired Mike Fisher prior to last year’s deadline.

-- This is a PR dream for Montreal. Geoffrion is the grandson of Habs legend Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and the great-grandson of former Canadiens center Howie Morenz, one of the 12 original inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. No pressure, kid!

-- Adding Gill sure makes for a crowded blueline in Nashville, hey? The Preds are currently rolling with Suter, Weber, Roman Josi, Kevin Klein, Francis Bouillon and Ryan Ellis with Jack Hillen in reserve and former first-round pick Jonathon Blum in AHL Milwaukee.

-- Not to say Poile will flip a defenseman to acquire some scoring up front...but it sure seems more feasible now than it did prior to getting Gill. Right? Right? Bueller?

-- Finally...if you asked me (prior to this deal) for a list of 20 teams I thought would be interested in getting Gill, not sure Nasvhille would’ve made the list. But looking at it again, it’s a pretty slick move. The Preds are what they are -- a tight-checking, hard-working, hell-to-play-against defensive team. So why not play to your strengths, rather than try to reinvent yourself? It’s kinda like how the Baltimore Ravens keep adding/drafting defensive studs even though they’ve already got a great defense. That’s their identity.