Jason Arnott wanted to come back to New Jersey. Privately, he'd been asking about a return to the Devils for the past several months -- dating back well into last season. On Saturday afternoon, Arnott's wish came true: The Nashville Predators sent their captain back to the Garden State for young winger Matt Halischuk and a second-round pick.
At 35, Arnott slots nicely into the No. 2 center role behind top pivot Travis Zajac. I figure he'll have his old pal, Patrik Elias, working on his left side. The two skaters combined with Petr Sykora to form the productive "A Line" during the club's championship run in 2000.
To see what the trade means for the Devils, what the club might do next this summer and why the rival Flyers are smiling, you must be an ESPN Insider.
E.J. Hradek
Senior Writer, ESPN The MagazineABOUT THIS BLOG
E.J. Hradek
E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.
In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.
Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.
