The Nashville Predators don't have the best history with goaltenders.

Before Pekka Rinne, the Predators' previous four starting goaltenders - Mike Dunham, Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason, and Dan Ellis - all either lost their job to injuries and/or an unexpected decline in play. Nashville obviously bet on that trend ending when they inked Rinne to a seven-year, $49-million contract. Unfortunately, Rinne battled through an injury this season and recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip recently. He's projected to need four months to recover, so he should be fine by the start of 2013-14 campaign. However, given the Predators history, there is some concern that this won't be the end of Rinne's problems.

Nashville GM David Poile said Thursday that number one netminder Pekka Rinne underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip recently.

His recovery is set at four months and he's expected to be at 100 percent in time for training camp. Rinne had an off year in 2013, which says a lot about how good he's been since he posted a respectable 2.43 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 43 games. The Finnish keeper was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in his two previous seasons and the procedure should help him get back on track.

In light of his injury issues, Pekka Rinne will opt out of the 2013 IIHF World Championships tournament, which is right around the corner.

While fantasy owners likely appreciated the fact that he gutted out this very tough season, you wonder why the Nashville Predators continued to trot out a hurting Rinne when the 2013 campaign was clearly lost. The team's made some puzzling decisions lately, though.