Gudbranson Thrilled to Join Preds for Postseason Push

Just 11 days ago, Erik Gudbranson and his wife welcomed a baby boy into the world. Six days later, the veteran defenseman was dealt from Ottawa to Nashville at the trade deadline. A few days after that, Gudbranson was on a plane and departing the Canadian capital bound for North Carolina to meet his new team.
Other than that, life is pretty normal for the 29-year-old Ottawa native.
Gudbranson joined the group on Friday, and after taking part in Saturday's morning skate, he'll make his Predators debut Saturday night in Raleigh, as he and his new teammates face the Hurricanes.

"It's a busy first few days, obviously understanding what you're trying to accomplish and how you're trying to accomplish it," Gudbranson said of joining a new team. "Remembering names is a big one, but that takes about two, three days and then you're set, but it's been really nice. The guys have been super nice here, it's a little bit of an older team, guys that I've seen around the League for a long time, so that part hasn't been too hard. But just getting on the ice and getting that first skate out of the way is really nice."
The lone deadline acquisition for the Predators, Gudbranson is now skating for his sixth NHL team in his 10th NHL season, and the third overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft says the acclimation process is no longer as daunting having done it before. He's played with fellow Preds Ryan Johansen and Ryan Ellis for Team Canada, and the familiarity simply from facing off against others over the years doesn't hurt either.

"This trade compared to my first trade, I'm definitely a little less nervous walking into a new dressing room," Gudbranson said. "I've been through the process before and understand it, and this has been a super easy group to get to know. It's my first morning really meeting all the guys, and they've been super nice and it's been pretty easy to get to know them so far. And to have that extended morning skate in terms of on-ice stuff was really good just to get my legs under me and understand what we're trying to do and how we're trying to do it, and it's been good."
"[Preds Assistant Coach] Todd Richards met with Erik this morning and just went through the main system, tactical things that we have as part of our identity, and then, more specifically some of the things that are specific to defensemen," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. "Just how we want to play, rush defense and breakout situations, go over the penalty kill with him, so it's not really inundating the player with a lot of information, but it's the core components that you want to have in lines so he can be on the same page with the other players. It also does help the fact that he's played in the League for a while, played on some different teams and played for some different coaches and played all kinds of systems. He's a more veteran player, and sometimes it's a little bit easier in that transition. And that's about it - you get him in, he skated yesterday and was in the team state today, so we're looking forward to having him now in his first game here as a Pred."
Every hockey player wants to still be participating in the springtime, and the Preds have a chance to do that once more as they look to hold onto their postseason spot in the Central Division over the final 11 games of the regular season.
For Gudbranson, that's the most exciting aspect of joining the Predators, and he can't wait to do whatever it takes to help this group accomplish that goal and then some.
"Just [to have] a shot at the dance; it's hard to make the playoffs in this League," Gudbranson said. "It's really difficult, and this team is playing well, it's hot right now, it seems to gel and [they've] found their game and what they're good at and use it to their advantage. So, just to be in the mix is thrilling for me."