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TRADE: Preds acquire Andrei Kostitsyn from Habs…

It’s official: the Nashville Predators have acquired Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens.

The Preds send a second round pick in 2013 plus the conditional pick they got in the Hal Gill trade back the other way. So, in essence, the Montreal and Nashville trade now becomes Gill and Andrei Kostitsyn for minor leaguers Blake Geoffrion, Robert Slaney and second round picks in 2012 and 2013.

Two key players without a single dent in the current roster.

The rumor of Andrei, 27, coming to Nashville has been around for over a year and now the reuniting of the Kostitsyn brothers will finally come fruition. Sergei Kostitsyn‘s negotiating rights were acquired by the Predators in the summer of 2010 and the much-maligned forward resurrected his career in Music City. His 23 goals last season led the club.

His $3.5 million deal expires on July 1 and he’s a shoot-first guy. Yes, he’s not the big name forward everyone is looking for, however, the former first round pick is a four time 20-goal scorer and that means depth scoring.

Nashville now holds the distinction of making the first deal on the NHL’s 2012 NHL Trade Deadline day.

The official press release is below.

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Nashville, Tenn. (February 27, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired forward Andrei Kostitsyn from Montreal in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft, in addition to the conditional 2013 fifth-round pick Nashville acquired from Montreal along with Hal Gill in a trade 10 days ago. Kostitsyn is expected to meet the team for its game in Carolina tomorrow.

Kostitsyn, 27 (2/3/85), has 24 points (12g-12a) in 53 games for the Canadiens in 2011-12. The brother of current Predators forward Sergei Kostitsyn has suited up for 379 NHL games since the start of the 2005-06 campaign – all with the Habs – amassing 99 goals and 210 points. He is a three-time 20-goal scorer, notching career highs in both goals (26) and points (53) during the 2007-08 campaign. The 6-0, 205-pound right wing has also helped Montreal advance to the postseason the past four years, amassing 19 points (11g-9a) in 41 career playoff games.

The Novopolotsk, Belarus, native was drafted 10th overall (first round) by Montreal in the 2003 Entry Draft held at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators look to finish off their final extended homestand of the season on a high note when the L.A. Kings make a stop in Smashville tonight (7 p.m., FS-TN, 102.5 The Game, Dollar Dog Night). The Predators then hit the road for the rest of the week, making stops in Carolina on Tuesday (6 p.m., FS-TN, 102.5 The Game) and Florida on Saturday (6:30 p.m., FS-TN, 102.5 The Game), while the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament takes over Bridgestone Arena. Limited tickets are available for remaining Nashville Predators home games; to purchase, visit nashvillepredators.com, ticketmaster.com or call 615-770-PUCK (7825).

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matthieu Masquelet // Flickr (used with permission)