At the end of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, there were questions on whether or not Yakov Trenin would re-sign with the Predators in the offseason.
After a visit home to Russia, there was speculation that Trenin would move to the KHL and play for SKA Saint Petersburg. Last season, Trenin never found solid footing with a Predators team that had its chaotic moments.
After some negotiations between his agent and the Predators, Trenin signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Predators worth $1.45M. A pretty smart signing by Poile and the Predators if you ask me.
This signing was good news for Predators fans as Trenin has become a fan favorite in his limited NHL appearances. The bad news is as time passed, his spot on the roster came into question with every new offseason signing that the Predators announced.
Although Trenin will be getting paid the same amount for AHL games as NHL games, make no mistake, he wants to be on the Predators roster.
When training camp opens, Trenin will need to display his physicality, which will hopefully be the Predators forte next season. He made a name for himself as a formidable player. Now he must capitalize on this or find himself out of a roster spot.
With the changes that have been made to the team, Trenin should fit in nicely in the new system as a fourth-line forward.