Penguins trade James Neal to Predators for Spaling, Hornqvist

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded forward James Neal to the Nashville Predators on Friday night.. The deal, confirmed by the Predators, will send Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling to Pittsburgh in return for the high-scoring winger.

Neal registered 27 goals and 34 assists in 59 regular season games for the Penguins. Over his three-year tenure in Pittsburgh, the former second-round selection in the 2005 draft scored 88 goals.

Neal's under contract for another four years, through 2017-18, at a NHL salary and cap hit of $5 million. He has a modified no-trade clause, beginning in 2015-16 through 2017-18, in which he supplies a list of eight teams he'll approve a trade to (according to Cap Geek, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Hornqvist recorded 22 goals in 76 games last season, while Spaling notched 32 points in 71 games.

Hornqvist, 27, is also under contract through 2017-2018, at a cap hit of $4.25 million, and also has a modified no-trade clause, according to Cap Geek. 

Spaling, 25, is a restricted free agent. He made $1.5 million last season.