"Even with the uncertainty of the status of their restricted free agents, there will be no difference in how the Nashville Predators operate in the next couple of days.

Nashville intends to attack today's free agency deadline as it does every season.

"We believe that we're going to sign them in due course," General Manager David Poile said. "That was always our intent so I don't think we're going to do anything to go in a different direction because of the situation."

The situation is this: On Wednesday night, the National Hockey League Players' Association filed a grievance, saying the Predators had not qualified their restricted free agents — Sergei Kostitsyn, Nick Spaling, Matt Halischuk, Cal O'Reilly, Linus Klasen, Andreas Thuresson and Chris Mueller — by the 4 p.m. Monday deadline.

A restricted free agent needs to be qualified in order for the team to hold his rights. The issue will go to an arbitrator, who will determine if Nashville qualified the restricted free agents by the deadline. If he deems it did not, Nashville's restricted free agents could become unrestricted free agents. This would mean the Predators would gain no compensation if an opposing team were to sign them to a contract.

"These guys have received qualifying offers, and they're going to be treated as restricted free agents from our standpoint," Poile said.

A decision on the players is not expected in time for today's 11 a.m. deadline for the start of free agency. Despite Poile's contrite statements, it could alter Nashville's plans.

During the offseason, Poile has said how he would like to acquire more offense. He would lose offense if Kostitsyn, the Predators' leading goal scorer last year, hits the open market. In order to prevent Nashville from losing Kostitsyn, the Predators could sign him before the free agency deadline. But this could mean overpaying for his services."