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

Poile: Dubnyk trade has nothing to do with Rinne

Devan Dubnyk

Following Wednesday’s Devan Dubnyk-for-Matt Hendricks trade, Nashville GM David Poile addressed speculation that Dubnyk’s acquisition was related to the health of injured No. 1 netminder Pekka Rinne.

And by addressing, we mean shooting it down:

Poile - this has nothing to do with Pekka and his recovery. This was all about winning hockey games with no timetable of Pekka’s return.

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 15, 2014

Poile - we’ve been trying for quite some time to acquire a goalie. Wish we could have done it earlier but are glad it occurred today. — Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 15, 2014


Poile - very much believe Pekka is coming back. There is still no timetable on his return and Dubnyk is great to fill in that spot.

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 15, 2014


Rinne, 31, underwent major hip surgery during the summer and returned to play just nine games before being hit with a serious bacterial infection, which has sidelined him indefinitely.

The Preds have been extremely cautious with his rehabilitation, pushing back a number of timetables and set dates to ensure the hip recovers fully and without issue. That said, the Preds announced last week that Rinne was cleared for the next stage in his recovery -- weight-bearing exercises -- and that they were “encouraged” by his progress.

Rinne wasn’t selected to represent Finland at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, meaning he’ll have the Feb. 9-25 break as time to rehab without missing any games. Nashville has 11 games remaining until the break, and Poile said they’ll soon decide which goalie -- Carter Hutton or Marek Mazanec -- will serve as Dubnyk’s backup.