The Nashville Predators have started their offseason moves by bringing back a familiar face.

They've re-acquired forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils and sent Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick back to the Devils in return. It marks the second go-around of Haula with the Predators after playing 51 games with the club during the 2020-21 NHL season.

The Devils had acquired Haula on July 13, 2022, from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Pavel Zacha. He was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Draft with the 182nd pick, where he played the first four seasons of his NHL career before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

With Vegas, he signed a three year, $8.25 million contract and helped it reach the Stanley Cup Final in its first NHL season. His time with the franchise ended in 2019 when he was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for prospect Nicolas Roy and a conditional fifth-round draft pick.

Since then, he's played stints with the Florida Panthers, Predators, and Bruins before the 2022 trade to the Devils. Haula also has one season remaining on the three year contract he signed with the Devils in 2023.

He's scored 153 goals 184 assists in 759 NHL games, while adding another 16 goals and 21 assists in 78 postseason games.

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Predators GM Barry Trotz declares everyone must improve

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Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Following a disastrous 2024-25 NHL season that began with heavy expectations but ended nowhere close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Predators general manager Barry Trotz admitted that the leadership group that starts with him and head coach Andrew Brunette have to execute better.

“I have to get it done, Andrew has to get it done and the players have to get it done,” Trotz said via Pred Lines. “Buy in has to come from three levels, coach, management, players. I felt like we were on the same page but it didn’t come together quick enough last year. But we’ll make sure that it does. I always believe in putting your spine into it and make ti better. That’s my message. I had a couple meetings with multiple players to make sure we’re clear. We need to demand more from our key people, we’ve got more to give.”

It's going to be a critical offseason for the Predators and Trotz, and the first move of will likely be several has already gone down.