Predators Open Trade Deadline Day, Reunite Kostitsyn Brothers

Trade Deadline Day 2012 has officially opened with the first trade heading into the 3 p.m. final curtain. The Nashville Predators, in hopes of upping their offensive game going into the final stretch of the season, have reunited a couple of brothers. Andrei Kostitsyn moves from the Montreal Canadiens to play once again with his brother Sergei, and the Habs will get a 2013 second round draft pick and the conditional selection they previously dealt to the Predators in exchange for defenseman Hal Gill.

This is undoubtedly a risky move for the Predators. Kostitsyn has been an underwhelming player for the Canadiens in recent years, failing to meet the mid-to-high 20-goal mark he achieved back during the 2008-09 season. Although far from the only reason, it is a significant one why the Canadiens are sitting last right now in the Eastern Conference. There is no guarantee his production will change just because he's back with his brother considering that experiment failed during their days in Montreal together.

But, we all like to play the change of scenery card. And that could be something Kostitsyn needs - a change in culture. The Predators are rarely one of those high-scoring teams in the NHL, making a player with even 20-goal potential highly valuable. If he can just stay within himself without having to face the same pressure that comes from wearing a Habs uniform, it could result in some more pucks going into the net for him.

And for such a relatively low cost, Kostitsyn is a low-risk pickup. He can just be let go at the end of the season as an unrestricted free agent should things not work out.

For Montreal, this was simply a way to dump a bit of salary from an underperforming players while adding a pick or two to their pile. The Habs are 10 points out of the final playoff spot with under 20 games to go and little hope to leap over the other teams in front of them. Looking forward to the draft and next season is really the way to go. With Kostitsyn set to go on the market this summer and no reason to re-sign him, it only made sense to get a pick or two in his place.