The Tennessean

Ryan Hartman spent five hours hanging a new TV in his new home in late February.

Mission finally accomplished, he aimed his missing-tooth smile toward his girlfriend.

"I said, 'Watch, all this work and I'm gonna get traded tomorrow,'" the Predators forward said Wednesday, two days ahead of the team's preseason home opener against the Lightning on Friday (7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena).

Blackhawks brass must have been eavesdropping.

The next day, Feb. 26, Hartman was looking for a new home in Nashville after learning Chicago had dealt him and a fifth-round pick for Victor Edjsell and first- and fourth-round picks in the 2018 draft.

On his way to practice that day, before he knew he'd been traded, another sign struck Hartman — the troubled tire on his vehicle finally went flat. He subsequently summoned an Uber to bring him to MB Ice Arena to learn of his fate.

The Blackhawks, the team he had dreamed of playing for, had dumped him, and he Hartman didn't even have a ride home.

"I had an issue with my tire all season," Hartman said. "Someone told me during the year it was going to happen at the worst time. Sure enough, that morning I get a flat."

Hartman emptied the contents of his locker stall into a bag and soon was on a flight to Nashville, what he described as "mixed emotions" settling in. He was leaving behind good friends such as Vinnie Hinostroza, who played on the same youth hockey teams with Hartman in Chicago.

"I never experienced that side of the business," Hartman said. "It was different. It was hectic."

It was a fresh start.

Hartman was going from a last-place team to a first-place team.

With time came reflection. In no time, Hartman began to fit in.

In his first game with the Predators, Feb. 27, Hartman scored the winning goal with one minute left of a 6-5 victory against Central Division foe Winnipeg.

Starting over again

Hartman, who turned 24 on Thursday, finds himself starting over again, but this time in a familiar place as Predators' camp continues.

During the summer he signed a one-year contract worth $875,000 and a shot at the Stanley Cup.

"Went to a team that’s going to be contenders to win a Cup every year for a long time," Hartman said. "There couldn’t be a better place to continue my career."

He had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his ailing shoulder, too, and is back to full contact for the first time since last season.

Hartman said he feels 100 percent now, as opposed to the end of last season, when the shoulder was "really unstable."

Austin Watson's 27-game suspension after pleading no contest to domestic abuse this summer figures to result in more playing time for Hartman.

Trying to take advantage of opportunities is nothing new for the 6-foot, 181-pounder, who had two goals and an assist in nine playoff games last season, following three goals and three assists in 21 regular-season games after the trade.

"It’s been like that for me at every level, from a young age," Hartman said. "Do what the coaches tell you. If you're going to do it, be good at it. Make sure you’re going all out, whatever is asked of you.

"I like to earn what’s given. I like to be a guy that can be used at any time in the game — if that’s special teams, end of games, starting games, whatever.

Reach Paul Skrbina at pskbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.

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