Nashville Predators: Studying Ramifications of Martin Erat Industry Contract Deal

It was a Wednesday in Nashville, as one of the very most well-known and longest-tenured Predators in Martin Erat was traded to the Washington Capitals in substitution for elite probability Filip Forsberg. It is no secret this business contract deal will affect the Preds' playoff aspirations in the short and long term. The deal was initially described by Pierre LeBrun of ESPN on Twitter. This kind of offer that divides the Predators franchise having its 2nd all-time point-scorer will have a massive impact on the team in 2013 and beyond. However it may be the long-term plan that standard manager David Poile had in mind when coming up with the deal. For starters, as a potential future star in the league Forsberg was selected 11th over all in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and has been highly touted. The Swedish indigenous is merely 18 years of age. Forsberg has a exceptional offensive sport with the ability to attack the goal. Add that to good speed for his 6'1" body and elusiveness in transporting the puck, and you have yourself a stud who may become one of the league's top scorers. That form of player has been a glaring concern in the past few months and has been out of grab the Predators since their inception. Head coach Barry Trotz and company have used a scoring-by-committee method that has helped them to reach the playoffs in eight of the final seven months. However it is become obvious that devoid of a game-changing forward has hampered the franchise's power to create a deep run. If Forsberg can form into that guy, this is among the best deal contract moves in NHL history. Perhaps today, it seems like a whole lot for future years in Nashville's case. Erat is 31, and while he is a big contributor to the Preds' offensive output, he is not getting much better and has two more years left on a $31.5 million deal. It's difficult to state that this package gains Nashville in the immediate future, as Erat was linked for the team lead in points (21) and Forsberg probably won't see this year to snow time. But according to Preds defeat writer Joshua Cooper of The Tennessean, Erat requested a trade due to the team's desire to repair with a younger staff in the coming seasons. Preds fans will not easily let go of Erat, who has been as large an integral part of the franchise as any person since he was drafted in 1999. But they will rest easy realizing that their group will be much improved in the foreseeable future. With a group that's many developing players, adding at the very top prospect in Forsberg is a great shift and one that will play a part in the Preds' resurrection in 2014 and beyond. - Follow me on Twitter

Link: [Soccer Live] WAC Sankt Andrä - SV Ried - Austrian Bundesliga