Moro's 'intangibles' keep him on roster

Defenseman Marc Moro's consistent play in the preseason earned him a berth on the Nashville Predators opening day roster.

Just how long he keeps that spot is up to him. And no one knows better than Moro how precarious a position in the NHL can be. He has twice spent time with the Predators the past two seasons, the last in January when was back for six games.

His first time here, in the 1999-2000 season he played in eight games and his "Mad Dog" nickname had fans waving bones each time he went to the penalty box.

"The first time I was here really stuck with me," Moro said. "It is one thing to dream about it and hope to be here. It is another to actually be here and know what it is all about.

"Having the fans behind me was an extra bonus. To have that taste of it made me work even harder to get back. Last year I got injured and there were some different things going on. It got frustrating, but having that experience before and wanting to get back to it kept me driving. I knew this was my year to either step up or shut up."

With defenseman Pavel Skrbek out indefinitely with a concussion sustained Friday night in a 2-0 preseason loss on the road to the St. Louis Blues, Moro's position on the team appears to be solid for now. In a day when so much news has been bad, Moro's elevation to the NHL roster is definitely a victory for the good guys.

"There is a lot of depth on defense in this organization and a lot of new players coming in," Moro said. "I knew if I kept working hard the shot would still be there for me. It has paid off for me now and hopefully it will continue to do that."

Moro is known for his scrappy play on the ice and his lack of shyness when it comes to dropping the glove, but he also wants to be known for his skills on the ice. He spent the offseason working on his quickness and his puck handling skills.

"I had to bring those skills up to the next level," Moro said. "My drive, determination and work ethic have always been there. I had a taste and I know what it takes at this level. I just worked everyday to try to get better."

Moro also lost a little weight over the summer thanks to assistance from Predators strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish and a personal trainer.

"I worked on specific speed training and it seemed to pay off," Moro said. "I got some ice time with a couple of players every day and we just worked on puck skills over and over again.

"It's like golf. The more you do it, the better you get at it and the more comfortable you get. I just wanted to do a little bit every day to make me feel more comfortable."

Moro is not known as a flashy player with great goal scoring skills. But he knew that if he kept doing things right in camp someone would eventually notice.

"I don't have a real fancy, goal scoring type of style," Moro said. "I've got to be the guy out there working hard and giving it my all day in and day out.

"That's one thing I hope they can expect from me and I expect from myself and that is to be consistent and to keep a high level of play going each and every day. As long as I do that, I think I should be O.K."

Moro has spent the past two seasons as captain of the Milwaukee Admirals, the top farm club of the Predators. Coach Barry Trotz likes the leadership qualities that the 24-year-old exhibits on and off the ice.

"Marc has all of the intangibles," said Trotz. "He is not the prettiest guy out there in terms of his overall game, but he is very effective. He is physical. You know what you are going to get from him every night.

"He makes guys pay a price if they want to come into the slot area or if they try to come into the defensive zone. He is good to his teammates in terms of sticking up and being a presence. Work ethic and character are high trait values of Marc Moro. He has that captain's leadership mentality. He just wants to win. That's a great thing."

WEEKEND ROUNDUP

The Predators 3-0 victory Saturday night at Chicago against the Blackhawks gave them a 3-4-0-1 record in preseason, their fourth losing record in preseason games. Goaltender Mike Dunham played two complete games against the Blackhawks in preseason and shutr them down both times.

General manager David Poile gave the Predators less than a 50-50 chance of being active in Friday's NHL Waiver Draft. The Predators did not make a move and did not lose a player in the draft.

As expected, the New York Islanders took goaltender Chris Osgood from the Detroit Red Wings. Former Nashville Predators forward Sebastien Bordeleau was selected by the Minnesota Wild from the St. Louis Blues.

Other players making changes were left winger Kirk Muller, claimed by Columbus from Dallas; defenseman Jamie Allison, claimed by Calgary from Chicago; defenseman Phil Housley, claimed by Chicago from Calgary; left winger P.J. Stock, claimed by Boston from the New York Rangers; right winger Glen Metropolit, claimed by Tampa Bay from Washington; center Josh Holden, claimed by Carolina from Vancouver; and goaltender Martin Brochu claimed by Vancouver from Minnesota.

Defenseman Alexandre Boikov was reassigned to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League to trim the roster to 25. Boikov sustained a concussion in an altercation Tuesday with Jeff Odgers of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Predators at Dallas

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