The Predators signed Scott Hartnell to a one-year, $1 million contract Saturday.

What the Predators Receive

The 35-year-old veteran returns to where it all started, and while in a clear statistical decline, he's still a serviceable two-way winger that can fill in up and down the lineup. Hartnell is also difficult to play against because of his physical and rambunctious style. He's never been a flashy offensive player, but battles and can pair well with skilled scorers. Hartnell also brings experience, leadership and excellent character to the table. His power-play acumen could also be a huge addition for Nashville.

Fantasy Breakdown

Hartnell's best fantasy days are in the rearview mirror, but he still owns a nice cross-category profile. Through three seasons with the Blue Jackets, the veteran posted 64 goals, 146 points, 458 shots and 275 PIM while playing a solid possession game (51.1 Corsi For percentage). He fell out of favor with Columbus head coach John Tortorella last season and played just 12:04 per game — his lowest total since entering the league in 2000-01.

Assuming the Filip Forsberg–Ryan Johansen–Viktor Arvidsson trio remains in tact, the two middle lines are wide open in Nashville. The Predators have more than enough depth and skill to have three capable offensive lines, so Hartnell should return another solid fantasy season across all categories. He'll likely also see an increase in power-play time next season after averaging just 1:24 per game in 2016-17.

As noted, his addition should also be a nice boost for the power-play unit he plays on. Nashville finished with an 18.9 power-play percentage last season, which was good for 16th in the league, and its 6.1 goals per 60 minutes with the man advantage ranked 19th.

Hartnell's arrival likely hurts the fantasy prospects of Vladislav Kamenev, Miikka Salomaki and Frederick Gaudreau. All three will be on the roster bubble, whereas Austin Watson, Colton Sissons and Craig Smith will also all likely slot behind Hartnell to start the campaign. It's unlikely that the career trajectories of Pontus Aberg and Kevin Fiala are impacted, though. The two young wingers are going to see top-nine roles. Remember, too, that Scott Hartnell checks out as a Colin Wilson upgrade at this stage, so there aren't a lot of fantasy ramifications with him now in the fold.