Turris Arrives in Nashville Ready to Contribute to Preds

Kyle Turris described the past few days as a "whirlwind." And rightfully so.
What started as contract negotiations in Ottawa ended with a trade to Nashville, and as Turris stepped off the plane in the city he'll call home for the next six-plus years of his life, it meant the official start of the next chapter of his career.
It's been a solid one thus far - one that's seen him score at least 24 goals and 55 points in three different campaigns - including a career-high 27 goals last season. Couple that with his reliability without the puck and the potential to match up against any top center around the League, and the incentive for Predators General Manager David Poile to get a deal done was high.

It came to fruition on Sunday, and when Turris arrived in Tennessee on Wednesday, he couldn't help but smile during his first media availability with the Predators logo behind him.
"I'm just looking forward to getting on the ice and getting chemistry with the guys," Turris said. "It's an exciting style of hockey that I'm looking forward to being a part of."

That first chance will come Thursday when the Predators hold an 11:30 a.m. CT practice at Ford Ice Center, not only an opportunity to make new friends, but reconnect with old.
Turris listed fellow Preds Ryan Johansen, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban and Miikka Salomaki as teammates he has skated with before, either at various levels with Team Canada or in Finland where he played with Salomaki during the 2012 lockout.
The familiarity makes it that much easier to acclimate to new surroundings before Turris hopes to make his debut on Saturday night in Nashville against the Penguins, quite a chance to make a good first impression.
"I'm going to work hard, try and contribute offensively, create lots of opportunities, but also be strong defensively," Turris said of his all-around game. "It's such a good team here I just want to help contribute to the team success."
The entire hockey world saw what a long postseason run can do to the city of Nashville, and Turris was among those who marveled at what transpired last June.
"You saw the success last year," Turris said. "For me to have the opportunity to be a part of that and have another run this year, it's something I'm really looking forward to."