Preds to Loosen Purse Strings

Last summer, NHL free agents steered clear of the Nashville Predators.
With the ownership situation in limbo, players such as Paul Kariya jumped ship. That left the Predators to scramble late last summer to meet the league's payroll floor.
This summer, however, is expected to be different.
"I will be shocked if the Nashville Predators don't have the biggest increase in payroll - both percentage-wise and in sheer dollars - of any team in the NHL," David Freeman, who heads the Preds' ownership group, told the Nashville Tennessean.
"There's always been that chicken-and-egg question about who should go first: Should the team increase its payroll and then hope fans and sponsors follow suit? Or should the fans and sponsors put up the money, and then the team will spend the money?
"We are very clearly saying we're taking the lead. We're spending the money first."
The Predators reportedly have about $34 million US committed for next season, with players such as goaltender Dan Ellis, defencemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, along with forward Martin Erat, unsigned.
Predators GM David Poile expects to sign the latter three, no matter what it takes.
"I'm working with David Freeman and ownership as to what it's going to take to sign players we'd like to bring back, in conjunction with a budget that works for the ownership," Poile told the newspaper. "But again, (the payroll) is going to be up considerably. So under different scenarios, there may be room for free agents and there may not be room for free agents."

From the Ottawa Citizen