Wade Belak Traded to Predators for Nick Tarnasky

[Peters_4_Prez]

SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Jacques Martin announced today that the club has acquired F Nick Tarnasky from the Nashville Predators in exchange for RW/D Wade Belak.

“Nick is a hard working, tough and responsible player who will fit well on our club,” said Martin. “He is an individual that will add speed, grittiness and a physical presence to our line-up each night.”

Tarnasky, 24, played in 11 games for the Nashville Predators this season recording one assist with 17 penalty minutes. For his NHL career, he has appeared in 180 games (Nashville 2008-09 & Tampa Bay 2005-08) scoring 11 goals with 10 assists and 179 PIM. Last year, he played in 80 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning recording 10 points (6-4-10) with 78 PIM.

The Rocky Mountain House, Alberta native was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning with their 11th choice (287th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Belak, 32 (7/3/76), has appeared in 15 games for the Panthers in 2008-09, recording 25 penalty minutes. Since 1996-97, the Saskatoon, Sask., native has played 457 career NHL games for four teams (Colorado, Calgary, Toronto and Florida) posting 29 points (8g-21a) and 1,133 penalty minutes. The 6-5, 230-pounder signed a two-year contract with Florida on May 2, 2008, putting him under contract through the 2009-10 season. He was originally Quebec’s first choice (12th overall) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

[Springinotic078]

Finally Nashville is going to toughen up!

[Snipes19]

Awesome trade for the Preds! They deal Tarnasky for a REAL enforcer. Belak is a great fighter so I'm glad that he will be in the Central Division now, because aside from the Blues, the rest of the division is weak so at least this will give Cam Janssen somebody to fight. The Blues and Preds is a good rivalry - but Nashville just needed an enforcer to spice it up - and now they have one, so the games between the Blues and Preds should be much more interesting now. In the past it was a great rivalry since the Blues had King and the Preds had Hordi - but now that King is hurt and Hordi went to Vancouver, the games between these two teams have been kinda boring this year, but now Janssen and Belak will be able to throw down a few times to make it more exciting.

I don't know why Florida did this though... because now they have no enforcer.

Oh well. Hopefully Belak gets to play in Nashville because he deserves to.

BrianTheAdsFan hasn't been around much lately - but I bet he will be happy when he hears this, and maybe he will start posting more.

Thank you Nashville for finally picking up an enforcer to replace Hordichuk. Took you guys long enough.

[FurnaceFace]

sweet deal !!! This could be real good i think wade belak is gonna tear it up , he just needs the ice time and opponents which there are alot of out here in the west. im thinking this is wades break out year, from the slump he has been in the past little while. Good for Nashville adressing the toughness issue since vancouver stole darcy hordichuk.

[Colt Seavers]

No doubt Belaks overall presence will be sorely missed. Nashville finally gets an enforcer that should create a little more room for their top lines.

[Killah_punk]

Good pick up for Nashville, i wonder what Belak thinks about the trade, i thought he didn't want to leave Florida. Hopefully the Preds will use him on a regualr basis. I was surprised to see Belak was former first round draft pick and was taken 12th overall in the draft.

[Grittzkey]

I like the trade for both teams, Tarnasky might not be an enforcer, but he is a fighter and is willing, I think its a solid move overall.

[devils29]

Don't like the move from Florida's side but I like it for Nashville. Guess Josh Gratton wasn't good enough a player for them to call him up (before he was traded) and now they trade for Belak.

[Knucklechucker]

I was seriously hoping he came back to Toronto.
ohwell.

[Shawn33]

Good for Belak, hopefully he'll get some decent playing time there.

[The Crow]

Good trade for both teams, Belak a decent heavy while Tarnasky being a good energy guy and better player

[CapsFan99]

now the rivalry is set!!!

Nashville plays Toronto alot still.

[CapsFan99]

Can Florida get any worse?

[skacore]

Originally Posted by CapsFan99

Can Florida get any worse?

Yeah... they could have traded Wade Belak for Lussilen Kukkilenen or Mattias Torsensson

[CapsFan99]

Originally Posted by skacore

Yeah... they could have traded Wade Belak for Lussilen Kukkilenen or Mattias Torsensson

or Tootoo