Mueller may make a splash in Music City next season (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Good news from Smashville!

Forwards Brandon Yip and Chris Mueller have both signed one year contracts to return to the Predators’ locker room for one more season.

Yip, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on waivers in January, is a man who gives the Nashville fan base a breath of relief in the face of uncertainty in bringing back the big names. Though he is not a first or second line player (yet), Yip proved through the final games of the season that he belongs in the Preds’ lineup with his amazing play on the special teams.

While the two-way contract for Mueller may not cause quite the same stir as Yip, we have to look deeper to see why this could become a crucial signing.

Mueller played only three games with the Preds last season with no points gained. What he did manage to do was bring in an impressive sixty points during seventy-three games with the Preds’ AHL team the Milwaukee Admirals. If that type of play can be repeated at the NHL level, there may be a new star in Smashville in the coming seasons.

The next question is, what other rising stars will join them as we turn our sights to the 2012 Draft this weekend.