As we reported back on June 7 – and then again two days ago after Nashville General Manager David Poile told 104.5 The Zone that he had made a signing but couldn’t announce it until July 1 – the Predators have signed Swedish winger Jonas Andersson.
Fans who don’t have Twitter will likely be up in arms about Andersson being Poile’s “mystery signing” as the expectation was a bigger name than a 1999 second round pick that never panned out. It was obviously not going to be a current NHL player as Nashville would’ve been accused of tampering so that left only Europeans and KHL players. Alexander Radulov was ruled out because he still has one more year on his contract with Ufa Salavat and, apparently, he believes in honoring contracts now. As a result, some were speculating Peter Forsberg or maybe even Jaromir Jagr would be the mystery player but both of those guys were unrealistic for a cash-strapped low-budget franchise like the Nashville Predators, even despite their age.
So, sorry to burst your bubble Preds fans, but Andersson is the “mystery signing.”
Here’s the link (un-translated) from the Swedish paper SportBladet announcing the transaction.
Also, here’s the release from the Predators,
NASHVILLE PREDATORS SIGN JONAS ANDERSSON TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT
– 1999 pick expected to play his first North American season in more than seven years –
Nashville, Tenn. (July 1, 2010) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Jonas Andersson (YOH-nus AN-duhr-suhn) to a one-year contract worth $675,000.
Andersson, 29 (2/24/81), was one of Sweden’s top players at last month’s World Championships in Germany, tying for second among all skaters in goals (6) and tying for the team lead in points (6g-0a) while earning a bronze medal. The 6-3, 212-pound right wing posted 20 points (7g-13a) in 30 games during his first season in the Kontinental Hockey League with Dynamo Minsk in 2009-10 after spending the previous four campaigns in the Finnish Elite League (2005-09). In 2008-09 with Karpat Oulu, he tied for second in the Finnish League in goals (24) and shorthanded markers (3), while ranking fourth in the league in points (57), en route to being named a 2009 First-Team SM-Liiga All-Star. He led Karpat to the Finnish League final in 2008-09, and helped the club win its fifth league title in 2007-08.
Selected 33rd overall (second round) in Nashville’s second Entry Draft in 1999 – the same draft that saw Martin Erat welcomed to the organization – the Stockholm, Sweden native last played in North America during the 2002-03 campaign when he posted 11 points (7g-4a) in 49 games with Milwaukee (AHL) before missing the second-half of the season, and all of the 2003-04 campaign due to injury. He has seen action in five National Hockey League games – all with Nashville during the 2001-02 season – making his debut with the club on March 19, 2002 at St. Louis.