The Nashville Predators made their second significant re-signing of the off-season on June 16th while the Atlanta Thrashers made their first.

The Preds announced the re-signing of defenseman Ryan Suter to a four-year, $14 million contract whilst the Thrashers re-signed veteran backup goaltender Johan Hedberg to a two year deal.

Financial terms weren’t immediately available on Hedberg’s new contract but he said it was for "about the same" as the $1.15 million he made last season. As for Suter his new contract will count as $3.5 million per season against the Predators cap.

It’s not surprising the Predators retained 23-year-old Suter, whom they drafted seventh overall in the 2003 entry draft.

He’s gone on to become an integral part of the Predators defense corps in his first three NHL seasons, making steady improvement with each passing year and earning more ice time and responsibility as he does.

It was rumored that Suter, who was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1st, might become a target for an offer sheet this summer but Predators GM David Poile made it clear months ago that the young blueliner would be off the market by then.

The only bad sign in all this for Predators fans is this deal will take Suter up to age 27, when he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agent status, and should he continue his development Suter could by that point be among the league’s top defensemen.

In which case, the Predators, a perennially budget-conscious franchise, might not be able to afford to retain him come 2012, unless the NHL can somehow negotiate another CBA that attempts yet again to corral rising salaries or improves the revenue sharing system to allow struggling clubs like the Predators to retain their best players.

For the immediate future Suter will be staying with the Predators, and Poile will turn his efforts now to re-signing RFA blueliner Shea Weber and UFA goaltender Dan Ellis.

Hedberg’s re-signing could be considered as the Thrashers making a save choice by sticking with the reliable backup to starter Kari Lehtonen.

Over the past two seasons the popular Hedberg has come through when called upon by the Thrashers whenever the injury-plagued Letonen has been sidelined or in need of a rest.

His stats for last season (14-15-3,3.46 GAA and .892 SP) aren’t particularly impressive until one remembers that the Thrashers team defense was among the worst in the league last season and on many nights their goaltenders, who combined faced nearly 2800 shots, were left to fend for themselves.

That Hedberg managed to win almost half of his games last season behind that porous defense is a noteworthy accomplishment.

It also suggests that management aren’t ready yet to elevate Ondrej Pavelec, who went 3-3-0 with a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 7 games last season with the Thrashers.

Pavelec did have a strong performance this season with the Thrashers’ AHL affiliate in Chicago, where in his rookie professional season he backstopped the Wolves to the 2008 Calder Cup championship.

The young Czech netminder is only one year removed from Junior A hockey so management may be leery of rushing him too quickly, thus necessitating the need to keep Hedberg in the fold.