Paul Gaustad is worth a first round pick? To the Nashville Predators he is.
Paul Gaustad is worth a first round pick? To the Nashville Predators he is. REUTERS

In what might be the worst-one sided NHL trade before this year's deadline, the Nashville Predators gave up their first-round pick in 2012 in return for veteran center Paul Gaustad and Buffalo's fourth-round selection this year.

Gaustad is a nice piece, a veteran center who kills penalties, plays physically and wins a ton of faceoffs, but he is also a guy who has zero goals in 38 career playoff games. If Nashville is serious about making a deep playoff run, how does Gaustad help, especially for a first-round selection?

Gaustad is undoubtedly a tenacious player who won't back down when the going gets tough in the Western Conference playoffs, but the price was far too high for a rental player who brings nothing to the table on offense.

The Predators and General Manager David Poile are trying to make a run deep in the Stanley Cup playoffs, obviously, because that is the goal of any team, but this deal, along with the Hal Gill pickup could also be meant to show current captain Ryan Suter that the team means business going forward as they try to re-sign him.