According to Bryan Mullen of The Tennessean, the Nashville Predators do not expect to re-sign defenseman Dan Hamhuis. Discussed in trade rumors throughout the regular season, Hamhuis stayed with the Predators even though most predicted he would leave after the season.
With a cap hit of 2.5 million, GM David Poile will struggle to sign him for more than other suitors. Hamhuis holds a pedigree as the 12th overall pick back in 2001. His best season came in his second season, before Shea Weber arrived and during the rookie season of Ryan Suter. With Kimmo Timonen as his partner he produced 7 goals and 38 points with 70 PIM and could be capable of repeating those numbers with top pairing minutes and an offensive minded partner.
If Hamhuis finds himself in this role, expect at least a 5-10 point increase in production over his current averages. Over the past three seasons he posted 24, 26 and 27 points respectively– certainly not the best totals but certainly room for improvement.
