The Predators have dipped into the past as they look forward to the 2025-26 season.

Nashville on Wednesday traded for forward Erik Haula, a 12-year veteran who spent the 2020-21 season with the Preds, totaling 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists).

In exchange, the Predators gave up prospect defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

The addition of Haula, 34, is a bit surprising, considering the Predators are overall looking to get younger.

But Haula can provide versatility (he’s played both center and left wing during his career), a veteran presence for some of Nashville’s younger players and an abrasive quality that the Preds had little of last season.

Haula played seven games for Florida during the 2019-20 season, when current Predators coach Andrew Brunette was an assistant coach for the Panthers.

He has a cap hit of $3.15 million in 2025-26, which is the last season of his three-year contract.

“We are excited to have Erik,” Predators General Manager Barry Trotz said in a statement.

“He brings great flexibility to our roster with the ability to play up and down the lineup in a variety of different roles. We are confident that he’ll be able to play alongside our young players, helping to accelerate their development.”

In 69 games with New Jersey last season, Haula totaled 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) and 39 penalty minutes while averaging 14:42 ice time per contest.

The 5-11, 191-pound Finnish native racked up 101 hits, the second-most of his NHL career. Haula has averaged 104 hits in each of his last four seasons. He also posted 35 blocked shots last season, which ranked sixth among Devils forwards.

Haula has totaled double-digit goals in six of his last seven seasons, though his most productive offense season was 2017-18 for Vegas, when he notched a career-high 55 points (29 goals, 26 assists). The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final that season.

Originally a seventh-round pick of Minnesota in the 2009 NHL Draft, Haula has played for the Wild, the Devils, the Golden Knights, Boston, the Predators, Carolina and the Panthers during his career.

In 759 career games, Haula has recorded 337 points (153 goals, 184 assists).

He has also made the playoffs 10 times in 12 seasons, recording 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 78 contests.