Nashville Predators: Eeli Tolvanen is Ready To Help

The Nashville Predators power play was god awful last season, which is why Eeli Tolvanen would be the perfect addition to next year’s roster.

The Nashville Predators prospect had a solid first season on North American ice, scoring 15 goals in the AHL and adding another goal in a four-game stint in the NHL, showing off his true potential.

The 20-year-old possesses an absolutely filthy wrist shot that could absolutely help the Preds this season, which Nashville fans even got to see when Tolvanen scored his first NHL goal on December 1st against the Chicago Blackhawks.

As you can see in the video, Eeli Tolvanen was able to get off a beautiful backhand shot that absolutely stunned Cam Ward to score his first NHL goal.

He was able to get this beautiful shot off within seconds of receiving the pass from Craig Smith, with his back facing the net, and somehow still score that goal.

Tolvanen has a full arsenal when it comes to shooting; a solid wrist shot, slap shot, and other fancy maneuverings that can beat any goaltender he faces, so I think he could be a potential impact player on a Nashville Predators offense that desperately needs him.

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The Preds went 0/15 on the powerplay during their first-round series with the Dallas Stars, so there is something that desperately needs to be changed on that unit.

Puck movement was an issue and they weren’t shooting the puck, which is why adding a guy like Eeli Tolvanen to the mix would absolutely help the Nashville Predators powerplay.

Putting him on this powerplay gives the Predators an easy option to pass to and a guy who can put the puck on net and make something happen when the Preds have the man advantage.

The Nashville Predators power play was also poor during the regular season too, as they were dead last in the NHL with a 12.9% power play efficiency, so adding a guy like Tolvanen to the mix can definitely help a Preds team that looked absolutely dead offensively.

The Predators were also a very mediocre goal scoring team, ranking 19th in Goals For/Game with 2.88 and totaling 236 goals this season. Adding an elite goal scorer like Tolvanen to the roster could definitely raise that number.

Tolvanen is good enough to where I can see him score 20 goals in his rookie season, he already looked good during his first stint in the NHL, so it should be time to give him a full-time roster spot.

He could work well on a line with Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund, two pass-first playmakers who struggled to find success with their assigned linemates last season, especially during the postseason, but Eeli Tolvanen could be the guy to bring life to both of those players.

Putting a guy with an absolutely beautiful shot with guys who are known to amass large assist numbers is a recipe for success, so giving Tolvanen a top-six role in his rookie season shouldn’t be a problem for the Nashville Predators.

Tolvanen is a guy who can fill a lot of the holes the Preds need to be filled, and it won’t come at any cost for the team, so maybe giving him a full-time role on the team wouldn’t be a bad idea.