The local investors negotiating to buy the Nashville Predators face a deadline of noon (tomorrow/today) to file any lease changes to be considered by the Metro Council this month. Team owner Craig Leipold has made October 31st a drop-dead date for the entire deal. At that point he could walk away with a 10-million dollar, non-refundable deposit from the bidders.

The prospective buyers have been talking behind closed doors with Mayor Karl Dean about getting a more favorable lease at the Metro-owned Sommet Center.

Neither side has gone public with the sticking points, but an agreement would seem to be needed in the next few hours. Dean says if the city and the buyer group can’t land on a mutually agreeable lease by then, there are other options.

“There are a variety of ways you can go forward and right now we’re in discussions. I want the Predators to stay here. Tonight’s opening night. I hope they do every well. Hope they have a huge crowd there and we’ll just see where we go.”

Dean did not elaborate on how to bypass the council deadline, but Metro Council attorney Jon Cooper says the council could suspend the rules by a unanimous vote. Though rarely used, the Metro Charter also allows for the vice mayor or mayor to call a special meeting with 48-hours notice, so long as the public’s interest is at stake.