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NHL trade: Predators acquire Vernon Fiddler from Devils

By Dave Stevenson

Nov 15, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Vernon Fiddler (38) skates against his former team the Dallas Stars during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Vernon Fiddler (38) skates against his former team the Dallas Stars during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Nashville Predators made their second minor trade of the season, acquiring Vernon Fiddler from the New Jersey Devils for a 2017 fourth round pick.

Nashville Predators general manager David Poile is a man never afraid to pull the trigger on a trade. He has been aggressive over the past two seasons as he hopes to put together a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. With Mike Ribeiro getting waived, the Predators are replacing him with another center. They have traded a 2017 fourth round pick to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for center Vernon Fiddler.

"Fiddler, 36 (5/9/80), has appeared in 857 NHL games over parts of 14 seasons with Nashville, Phoenix (Arizona), Dallas and New Jersey. He has recorded 260 points (103g-157a) in his career, including three points (1g-2a) in 39 games with the Devils this season. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned an assist on a third-period goal on Dec. 3, 2016, against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena."

Though he is no stranger to Nashville, he hasn’t played for the Predators since the 2009 season. This will be his first tenure with the Preds without Barry Trotz as his head coach. With recent moves, Nashville needs center depth. Fiddler doesn’t bring much to the table on offense, but he should give them a great guy to win faceoffs.

He has merely a goal and two assists in 39 games for the Devils this season. However, Fiddler also has a 52.6 percent win percentage in the faceoff dot. He has a history of winning them, as he has never lost more than he has won over a full season.

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It’s likely Fiddler could be seeing a lot of defensive zone starts for the Predators. With the Devils, over 70 percent of his faceoffs were taken in his own zone.

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