Erat's deal rejected by NHL

May 14, 2008 - 7:23 PM NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Martin Erat's seven-year, $31.5 million contract with the Nashville Predators has been rejected by the league, the Tennessean reported Wednesday.

Erat's agent, Mike Deutsch, told the newspaper the deal was voided because it violated the collective bargaining agreement.

According to the Tennessean, the parties addressd the problem by shifting some of the terms in Erat's contract.

Erat, who is representing the Czech Republic at the IIHF World Championships, signed a revision Wednesday and Deutsch expects it will be approved by the NHL this time.

"It took all of two minutes to fix and Martin has signed the new contract," Deutsch said.

A 1999 seventh-round pick, Erat scored a career-high 23 goals this past season and notched 57 points, matching his career best set in 2006-07. The 26-year-old Czech right wing also recorded his first hat trick and set a personal mark with six game-winning tallies.

Erat - a 2006 Olympian - registered a goal and three assists in Nashville's six-game loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

In 407 career games with the Predators, Erat has collected 85 goals and 168 assists. He is third on the franchise list in both assists and points.