A Predators team that had already lost a number of its top offensive performers from last season has suffered another blow. Right wing Steve Sullivan underwent a second offseason back surgery on Thursday and is expected to be out of action for three months. The Predators hope he'll return in early December and miss only the first quarter of the season. "If you told me that was all the time he'd miss and that he'd be healthy for us in the playoffs, I'd take that deal right now,'' Predators General Manager David Poile said Friday. "Last year I thought we were pretty close (in the playoffs) with San Jose. We missed Sully and Martin Erat, and we'd like to have all our top guys for the playoffs.''