Nashville Predators Puck Drop: It’s The End Of An Era

Welcome to The Puck Drop, a weekly roundup of all things Nashville Predators. We look at news stories, social media posts, and everything else regarding YOUR NASHVILLE PREDATORS.

This week’s big news was the announcement that Pekka Rinne has retired after 15 years in the NHL. It was a sad day for Predators fans, but we are all happy for him and his family as they enter this new phase of their lives.

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Rinne, the 258th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, had a long career and, unlike many players in the NHL, stayed with one team the entire time.

Rinne admitted in his press conference that he only had two options on the table, play one last season in Nashville or retire. He chose the latter.

Admittedly Rinne probably could have found his way to another team to try to secure a Stanley Cup, but with his love for the Predators and Nashville as a whole, that was never an option.

While the Stanley Cup has eluded Rinne over the years, the Predators couldn’t have asked for a better goaltender. More importantly, they couldn’t have asked for a better human being on the planet to be on their team.

"“I’ll always be a Nashville Predator.”– Pekka Rinne"

Rinne’s on-ice accolades, including the Vezina Trophy, King Clancy Memorial Trophy, and 19th on the all-time goaltender win list, are too vast to mention, but it is his work off the ice that stands out the most.

His biggest charity is the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund. Rinne started this foundation with former Predator and current Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber. This 365 Fund has raised over $3.3M to help children and their families battle this horrible disease.

Congratulations to you and your family, Pekka. We will all miss you tremendously. Thank you for everything that you have done for the Predators and the city of Nashville. We can’t wait to celebrate you when the Predators hang your number from the rafters of Bridgestone Arena.

The Nashville Predators Say Goodbye To Pekka Rinne

As you can imagine, there were several social media posts from the team and around the league wishing Rinne a happy retirement. Here is a small sample of those posts, including the tribute video from the Predators, the video tribute for his final game in Bridgestone, and a link to the letter penned by Rinne himself announcing his retirement.

The 2021 NHL Entry Draft Is Almost Here

On July 23, the Predators will welcome a new group of prospects into the system. Nashville has eight picks in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. They will make their first selection at number 19 in the first round.

Hopefully, the Predators will get some good prospects into the system and set themselves up for future success.

And remember, Rinne was the 258th overall pick in his draft class. So you never know who will have an impact on the team down the road.

A New Contract For Cole Smith

GM David Poile announced on Thursday that the Predators had signed Forward Cole Smith to a new one-year two-way contract. The contract will pay Smith $750K on the NHL level and $70K on the AHL level.

Smith made his NHL debut for the Predators in the season opener. He spent the rest of last season in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. In 23 games, he tallied 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists). Prior to last season, Smith played in five games for the Florida Everblades, where he tallied 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists).