February 10, 2007
Predators Acquire Defenseman
Vitaly Vishnevski From Atlanta
Nashville sends center Eric Belanger to Thrashers
Nashville,
Tenn. - Nashville Predators Executive Vice
President/General Manager David Poile announced today that
the club has acquired defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski from
the Atlanta Thrashers for center Eric Belanger The
Predators acquired Belanger yesterday from Carolina for
forward Josef Vasicek.
Vishnevski, 26, has posted 12 points (3g-9a) and 31
penalty minutes in 52 games with Atlanta this season. The
6-2, 215-pound blueliner leads the Thrashers and ranks
among NHL leaders in hits (128). He finished seventh in
the NHL with a team-high 196 hits in 2005-06 with Anaheim
and has played in 70-or-more games over each of his past
five NHL seasons. He was acquired by Atlanta from Anaheim
on Aug. 17, 2006 after skating in all 82 of the Ducks'
regular-season games last season and helping to lead the
team to the 2006 Western Conference Finals.
"With Vishnevski, we are adding a big, strong, physical
defenseman with over 400 NHL games of experience and two
deep runs into the post-season," said Poile. "We have been
carrying 15 forwards on the roster for most of the season.
This gives us some veteran depth on the blue line and
gives our roster more balance."
Originally drafted fifth overall by Anaheim in 1998,
Vishnevski has registered 60 points (14g-46a) and 434
penalty minutes in 468 NHL games. He played four seasons
(1999-2003) with current Nashville forward Paul Kariya.
The Kharov, Ukraine native has represented Russia at the
2006 Olympics, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2001
World Championships. He helped Russia capture a gold medal
at the 1999 World Junior Championships and was named the
tournament's top defenseman.
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Related Stories:
Thrashers Acquire Forward Eric Belanger from
Nashville for Defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski
Predators Acquire Center Eric Belanger From Carolina
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