2014-2015 Review

The Nashville Predators once again proved to be an elite team on defense. They only allowed 2.5 GPG, good enough to be one of the ten best teams in that department. Pekka Rinne was once again an elite goalie, with an impressive stat line of 2.18 GAA and 92.3 SV%. Shea Weber was again one of the most dominant defenders in the NHL, playing 26 minutes per game and scoring 15 goals from the blue line. Filip Forsberg was a pleasant surprise for the Predators, netting an impressive 26 goals to go along with 63 points. The Predators had the unfortunate situation of playing against the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the first round, eventually losing to the Blackhawks in six games.

New Additions

Cody Hodgson

At one point, Hodgson was a top prospect for the Buffalo Sabres. In 2013-2014, Hodgson scored 20 goals to go along with 44 points and seemed to show that he was close to becoming an impact player. Last year, however, was a complete disaster for him. In 78 games, he could only manage 13 points and a -28+/-. Nashville is hoping a change in scenery is what Hodgson needs.

Key Losses

Victor Stalberg

Nashville had a very boring offseason. Most of their moves were just to resign what they already had, but apparently Stalberg was not a part of their future plans. He has had injury concerns in the past, and has only managed to get to 40 points once. He did manage to have a pretty good postseason, getting three points in six games.

Biggest Strength

Goaltending

Pekka Rinne yet again proved he is an elite goaltender. He was second in the NHL in wins, getting credit for 41 of the teams 47 wins. His 2.18 GAA was also third in the league, behind only Carey Price and Devan Dubnyk. He was also tied for seventh with 92.3 SV%. This all came as a big relief for a goaltender that had struggled with injuries the two years before. Expect him to continue to put up big numbers, as he is one of the best goaltenders in the league.

Biggest Weakness

Lack of Star Forwards

While Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro were extremely successful, each having 60 point seasons, the list of significant contributions among Nashville’s forwards was small. The third and fourth point getters on the Predators were defenders Shea Weber and Roman Josi. After them, the only other two players to get over 40 points were Craig Smith and Colin Wilson. The fact is that the Predators do not enough scorers to ever be a top 10 scoring team. They are going to have to depend on their defenders again pulling double duty and contributing on both offense and defense.

Bottom Line

The Nashville Predators are a bubble team to make the playoffs. They will again have an impressive defense, with Shea Weber leading the charge. Pekka Rinne will again put up elite stats and prove he is one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. The only problem is going to be the forward group. Shea Weber and Roman Josi will again help with the scoring, but they can only do so much on the blue line. The team will have to hope that Forsberg and Ribeiro put up even better numbers if they plan on their offense getting any better.

Fantasy Slant

Most Overrated: James Neal

While Nash was impressive in Pittsburg, its unfair to think that he will have that kind of success in Nashville. In the seven years he has been in the NHL, he has only played over 70 games three times. Therefore, while people may say that his 37 points last year are explained by him only playing 67 games, those 67 games are actually close to what he averages a season. Therefore, you cannot expect him to put up that much better stats this season.

Most Underrated: Roman Josi

Josi had his breakout season last year. With his 15 goals and 55 points on the blue line, he proved himself as one of the most promising two way defenders at age 25. As Weber’s line mate, you can expect him to play lots of minutes for the Predators, so expect him to continue to improve.

Biggest Surprise: Calle Jarnkrok

The former Red Wings prospect has not gotten much of a chance yet to prove that he will be a top 6 forward. At the age of 23, Jarnkrok only played 12 minutes per game in his one full season in the NHL. With him getting a positive +/-, it would seem fair that he would get more time.