Tue, Aug 2, 2005 at 12:00am

MARKOV TO NASHVILLE

The Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Danny Markov from the Philadelphia Flyers for a third-round draft pick in 2006.

What does it give the Nashville Predators
After parting to Mark Eaton, the Preds need a veteran stabilizer for their blueline. Enter Markov, who has bounced around throughout his NHL career but remains a quality all-around defenseman. In Nashville, he'll be asked to fill a more physical, stay-at-home role alongside the likes of Kimmo Timonen, Marek Zidlicky, Dan Hamhuis and rookie Ryan Suter. Markov is an excellent acquisition by GM David Poile.

What does it give the Philadelphia Flyers
With Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Chris Therien now in the fold, the Flyers had too many defensemen. For salary-cap purposes, somebody had to go. However, Markov was probably worth more than a third rounder. These days, players being dealt for picks is the way to go because of salary considerations. On a positive note, GM Bob Clarke has always done well when stockpiling mid-round draft picks.

Fantasy impact