Poile looking to improve Preds as deadline nears

Published Feb. 7, 2011 6:32 a.m. ET

foxsports

Corey Masisak
Courtesy of NashvillePredators.com
February 7, 2011

In five of the past six seasons the Nashville Predators have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs -- no small feat for a franchise that has consistently spent less than many of its rivals.

But the Predators have also been unable to make the second round of the playoffs in any of those seasons, or any in the club's brief history. For general manager David Poile, this month will be about assessing the viability of his current roster and what he needs to do, if anything, to try and push Nashville past that proverbial barrier.

"We're in good shape. I think we've played well to this point and we still have a lot of injuries as many other teams do," Poile said. "We have quite a few significant games before we get to the trade deadline.

"Do I want to improve my team? Absolutely. Are we going to try? Absolutely."

The Predators began Saturday in fourth place in the Western Conference and only seven points back of first-place Detroit in the Central Division. Still, their position is precarious. Five points separate Nashville from 12th-place Colorado, and teams can move up or down multiple spots on just about any night.

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