Nashville Predators Executive Vice President/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the club has signed defenseman Ville Koistinen (VIHL-ee KOY-stihn-ehn) to a one-year contract and signed forward Ryan Maki (MACK-ee) to a two-year contract.

Koistinen, 25 (6/17/82), played his first pro North American season this past year with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals and notched 41 points (9g-32a) in 59 games.  The Oulu, Finland native earned a spot in the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic and tied for eighth among AHL blueliners in scoring.  Following the season, Koistinen played for Finland at the 2007 World Championships and was voted as the team’s best player in the 4-2 gold-medal-game loss to Canada.

Originally signed as a free agent by Nashville on May 18, 2006, Koistinen led Finnish Elite League defensemen in scoring (8g-26a-34pts in 56 games) and assists in 2005-06 with Ilves Tampere.  The 5-11, 187-pounder played parts of six seasons with Ilves Tampere’s Finnish Elite League team before joining the Predators organization.

Koistinen’s contract is a one-year deal that will pay him $475,000.

Maki, 22 (4/23/85), completed his senior season at Harvard (ECAC) in 2006-07.  He finished second on the Crimson with 12 goals and third on the club with 23 points (12g-11a) in 32 games.  The 6-1, 203-pound forward joined Milwaukee (AHL) at the conclusion of his college season and appeared in two regular-season and two playoff games with the Admirals. 

In 129 career games over four college seasons (2003-07), Maki recorded 36 goals and 36 assists for 72 points.  He was originally Nashville’s fifth choice, 176th overall (sixth round), in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Maki’s contract is a two-year deal that will pay him $475,000 each season at the NHL level.  He will be paid $40,000 at the minor-league level throughout the length of the contract.