Ch-Ch-Changes: Predators Make Another Trade, Send Jason Arnott Back To Devils

You thought the Nashville Predators were done today when they sent Dan Hamhuis to Philadelphia? Oh, how wrong you were.

General manager David Poile sent the Preds captain, Jason Arnott, back to New Jersey today in exchange for forward Matt Halischuk and a second-round pick in 2011. It's clearly a cost cutting measure, as Arnott was the leader of a Nashville club with a serious void in that department. It clears 4.5 million in cap space, though, and when you combine this move with that of Hamhuis, the Predators look to be seriously re-tooling things this summer.

Moving Jason Arnott frees up $4.5 million in salary this season, which could conceivably open the door to either retaining RFA-to-be Denis Grebeshkov, or making another acquisition later on.

This move certainly re-opens the debate about who should serve as the next captain of the Nashville Predators. Should it be Shea Weber? Ryan Suter? Expect more on that during training camp this fall.

Best of luck to Jason Arnott, though, who stepped into a leadership void in 2007 and led the Preds to an unexpected playoff berth in 2008. He was often criticized by local fans for a perceived lack of effort or leadership, but the one thing we've always heard about the Predators is that they have a solid locker room and a deep commitment to team play, which has to, in part, be credited to the team leadership.

Arnott heads back to a Devils club that is suddenly paying two players over 35 a combined $9.5 million. Arnott played five seasons in New Jersey from 1997 to 2002 before heading to Dallas and eventually Nashville in 2006.

Does this move make it obvious that Ilya Kovalchuk will be heading elsewhere in free agency this year? Well, at the very least, it doesn't help the Devils chances of re-signing him.