Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Can we help you pack your bags?

The fallout from the Nashville Predators early exit from the NHL playoffs is still reverberating around Music City these days, with many of the Predator players siding with their coach and GM when it comes to their Russian situation.

A week or so back, Sergei Kotstitsyn, brother of Andrei and compatriot of Alexander Radulov, weighed in on the post season drama that enveloped the Predators, suggesting that the coach and manager had over-reacted to the curfew breaking of brother Andrei and pal Alex.

As we recall, the curfew breaking and subsequent suspension of both raised a few eyebrows in the midst of a hard fought playoff series with Phoenix, however if the Russians are thinking that the Predator players are on side, they had best think twice.

Undercurrents of disappointment in their fellow players seems to be the theme in Nashville, a team thought to be a key contender, now long since eliminated from the playoffs.  Gabriel Borque and Shea Weber both offered up their unconditional support to coach Barry Trotz and GM David Poile, suggesting disappointment and betrayal in the shenanigans  of their team mates and clearly less than impressed with their follow up comments.

As far as a close knit group as constructed for this playoff year, that ship very well may have sailed down the Cumberland River, never to dock in Nashville again.

We're not sure what the plans of the Predators might be for draft day later in June, but if my name was Kostitsyn or Radulov I would keep change of address cards very close at hand...

Toronto Sun-- Preds 'betrayed'
Sporting News-- Shea Weber's "a little bit betrayed" by Alexander Radulov
NBC Sports-- Weber felt  betrayed by Radulov
The Tennessean-- Nashville Predators' Barry Trotz isn't reason team was ousted...
The Tennessean-- Nashville Predators address team's future plans
The Tennessean-- Poile expects changes, but wants to keep core
The Tennessean-- Nashville Predators brass looks to keep nucleus together
National Post-- It's OK not to like Russian hockey players
Globe and Mail-- Preds' GM Poile left to pick up the pieces in Nashville
Globe and Mail-- Radulov, Kostitsyn and the NHL's dwindling Russian influence

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