NHL Trade Deadline: Nashville Predators Acquire Andrei Kostitsyn for Picks

The Nashville Predators have acquired Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens for their second round pick in 2013 and the conditional fifth round pick received from Montreal in the Hal Gill trade.

Andrei Kostitsyn will join his younger brother, Sergei, in the Nashville Predators attack and will try to lift their offense.  Being with his brother and moving to a Stanley Cup contending team, AK-46 could re-spark his season and flow with the Predators' organization.

Nashville is in a solid spot and continue to surge, but the Predators were in need of another experienced threat on offense to contend with the heavyweights.

Speaking of the playoffs, the Predators picked up much-needed playoff experience in Andrei Kostitsyn, who has appeared in 41 playoff games in the past four seasons. The Canadiens have made the playoffs for the past four seasons with AK-46, and reached the conference finals in 2010. AK-46 has 11 career playoff goals.

Andrei Kostitsyn has 24 points so far with 12 goals and 12 assists in 53 games. In six seasons with the Habs, he scored 20 goals or more in three of them.

As we approach the trade deadline, this is the third trade for the Predators in the past few weeks, picking up Hal Gill to solidify the defense and now strengthening the offense by adding Sergei's older brother.

Having two brothers on the same attack proves to be effective, as we've seen with the Sedin twins in Vancouver.

The Predators are in action tonight against the L.A. Kings at home.