Neal on trade to Predators: 'I need to step up and be a top guy on this team'
Newly acquired forward James Neal addressed the media Monday for the first time as a Nashville Predator, opining about hit time in Pittsburgh and looking ahead to the opportunity before him in the Music City.
"Obviously things are changing here, we're going to be a more offensive team," said Neal - who was at Matt Niskanen's wedding when he found out about the trade - referring to the style of play likely to be implemented by new head coach Peter Laviolette, adding "I need to step up and be a top guy on this team.”
Neal also said "There obviously are things that happened in my game that I regret,” pointing to recent brushes with the NHL's Department of Player Safety, but qualified that by adding "I've changed as a player."
In terms of the end of his tenure with the Penguins, Neal admitted he was the victim of necessary change:
"When you don't win or underachieve, change is going to come." - Neal
— JoshuaCooper (@JoshuaCooper) June 30, 2014
At the same time, he appears to be excited about the challenges that lay ahead of him in Nashville:
Neal - “To have the opportunity to be a leader, to be a go-to guy, is something you always want to be"
— Kristopher Martel (@ThePredatorial) June 30, 2014