Nashville Predators: The Achilles’ heel of the Predators

The Nashville Predators look like one of the most complete teams in the NHL, but every team has an Achilles heel. Where do the Predators fall short?

The Nashville Predators bolstered their offense and defense over the offseason, but was it enough? As I’ve said in past articles, this current team is the best in Nashville Predators history. The offense addressed center depth issue by signing Nick Bonino, but otherwise stood pat.

The defense added Alexei Emelin to solidify the third pairing, but didn’t do much else. The third pairing has the potential to be a decent shut down line, depending on who Emelin’s partner is. I would tell fans to not expect any offense whatsoever though. Emelin’s advanced metrics tell us that while he’s a formidable shot suppressor, he won’t put up more than 10 points.

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The other piece of good news is that Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and more are just entering their primes. There are seemingly endless things to praise about the Nashville Predators, but they aren’t perfect. With all the talk about why the Predators will win the Stanley Cup this season, let’s take a minute to step back and say why they won’t.

Unproven commodities

Pontus Aberg and Scott Hartnell are verified NHL wingers at this point, but I’m not sure about everyone else. Colton Sissons and Frederick Gaudreau had decent playoff runs but they seem extremely suspect on defense. If they can each score ten points, then the Predators should count their blessing. Deeper teams like Tampa Bay, Toronto, New York, or Dallas could pick on these lines. And when it comes down to it, these lines could make or break games. I do like Calle Jarnkrok on the third line, but I hope he gets an opportunity on the second line as well. He adds some defensive responsibility to each line he’s on.

Also, I should mention that I don’t understand the hype on Austin Watson. He may have put up 17 points last season, but his possession stats are near the bottom of the league. And at this point the Predators need the fourth line to be defensively responsible. I think he’s a face puncher and nothing more. His spot should belong to Vladislav Kamenev.

Inconsistent goaltending

Pekka Rinne proved that he can still be an elite goaltender in the NHL. Unfortunately for the Nashville Predators, he also showed signs of aging and decline. I think the consensus among fans and the organization is that Rinne is not “the guy” going forward. It’s unfortunate because Rinne has meant so much to the organization over the years. I think his window of being a number one goalie is over, and I’m not sure Juuse Saros is ready.

Saros had a good first season in the NHL. If Peter Laviolette wanted to help his development, Saros should start at least twenty-five or thirty games this season. I’m not sure he has what it takes to lead a team deep into the playoffs yet, but hopefully soon. Like, in the next year or two, soon. For now though, goaltending will hold the Predators back.

Next: The Nashivlle Predators Should Sell High On Roman Josi

The Predators seem ready seize the Stanley Cup, but there are a lot of obstacles in their way. Weak third and fourth lines, questionable goaltending, and some deep teams along the way might pose a threat to their success.