Yesterday, the St. Louis Blues signed Marek Svatos, the former NHLer who had been playing in KHL, to a one-year contract worth $800,000. In signing Svatos to that deal, however, they were aware that he'd have to clear waivers before pulling on a Blues sweater and taking the ice.
The risk did not pay off, as the Nashville Predators have claimed Svatos off waivers. He immediately becomes property of the Predators as a result. Blues broadcaster Darren Pang broke the news on Twitter.
Svatos, who played six NHL seasons with Colorado before heading to the KHL prior to this season, has 96 goals in 316 career games. He's not Wayne Gretzky, but he'll certainly help the Predators with their current scoring woes.
As our Preds blog, On the Forecheck, wrote earlier this week...
Well, I guess Santa didn't leave the Nashville Predators any goals under the tree last weekend. In a scene that's all too familiar to local hockey fans, the Preds are desperate for scoring these days, and must get rock-solid defense with stellar goaltending to eke out wins until the walking wounded return to duty.
Just yesterday, OtF asked fans if the team should go out and make the exact same move they've made today. The vote was nuanced, with no clear consensus among the fans.
For more on the St. Louis side of this story, head over to St. Louis Game Time.