Ribeiro on signing with Predators: 'I want to prove that I can still play, that I am a good person'

In a one year span Mike Ribeiro - who was critical to revamping the Arizona Coyotes power-play, managing a respectable 47 points during the 2013-14 campaign - went from being one of the most highly sought after unrestricted free agents in the league, to having limited options. 

Ultimately Ribeiro was down to just a small handful of suitors, none of whom were offering term. He was ultimately forced to sign a cheap, one-year contract from the Nashville Predators in mid-July. 

In late June, Ribeiro was the target of a surprise ordinary course buyout and was put on blast by typically mild mannered Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney. 

Maloney described the Ribeiro signing as a "mistake," adding: "Mike had some real behavioral issues we felt we could not tolerate going forward."

It's exceedingly rare to hear an executive describe a player's tenure in that manner. It's nearly as rare as seeing a budget team like the Coyotes shell out nearly $12 million to terminate the contract of a player who remains an effective point producer in the NHL...

With the way his past year has unfolded, Ribeiro has a lot to prove in Nashville. He knows it too. 

"I want to prove to everyone that I can still play," Ribeiro said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday. "That I am a good person"

Ribeiro also addressed Maloney's critical comments at length. "That's his opinion," Ribeiro said. "I'm a healthy person and I'm ready to help the team this year. I just want to prove people wrong."

The skilled 34-year-old center also offered an excuse of sorts, suggesting that being separated from his family played a major role in his behavioral issues in Glendale Ariz..

The Predators are gambling that Ribeiro can continue to produce offense like a top-line player, but without the baggage that cost him his job (and several million) with the Coyotes. They're not gambling much, of course, as they've given Ribeiro just a one-year contract worth a tick over $1-million, but it's a wager that other NHL teams clearly weren't lining up to make.

"This is a fresh start," Poile said hopefully of Ribeiro and fellow signee Derek Roy on Tuesday. Of course, it's also potentially a "last chance"

The question now is, can Ribeiro seize the opportunity?