Nashville Predators Pros and Cons: Postseason Review

Con : Ageing Leadership

This con strikes every team in the NHL. At the end of each season, the players are a year older than when the season ended the last time. “The Circle of Life” some animated films call it.

Captain Shea Weber has been a force at times this season- particularly when unloading his unparalleled slapshots on the powerplay. But the wear and tear of a brutal playoff schedule culminated in a disastrous second round Game 7 performance for Weber. And Game 7 is when you need a Captain to be at his best, not worst.

Finally surpassed by younger linemate Roman Josi in team value, the Captain’s standing as an elite defender has been called into question by many- his grit and power notwithstanding. And while Weber has served as an imposing force for years, he played the part of the victim in San Jose.

Contrarily, veteran goaltender Pekka Rinne looked nothing short of brilliant at times this postseason, holding his own window open seemingly at pure will. Also, veteran Alternate Captain Mike Fisher played arguably some of the best hockey of his career in the second round, centering Nashville’s most threatening line and marking six points in seven games.

And an upside to this “Circle of Life” analogy?

Next: Pro: The Kids Are Alright

Pro : Valuable Youth Experience

In addition to a core of 25-year-old and younger players (including stars Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Roman Josi) the Nashville Predators regularly went into postseason battle with four rookies on ice, some nights five. Forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Miikka Salomaki, Colton Sissons, and defender Anthony Bitetto all gained significant playoff experience as rookies, while winger Pontus Aberg tasted his first ever NHL action under the brightest lights, playing in two games.

For a franchise who has historically been spoken of as ‘not having playoff experience,’ Nashville now owns a slew of up-and-comers who have weathered the tension of 14 playoff contests, including the pressure of four elimination games (holding a 3-1 record in them, no less), and roughly another game’s worth of sudden-death playoff overtime action.

Rookie speedster Viktor Arvidsson has already proved himself up to the task with everything on the line, netting an elimination game overtime goal to force a second round Game Seven. The future undoubtedly looks bright for the gold jerseys, with the sensation of playoff hockey being impossible to replicate in practice and thereby invaluable for a team’s young players.

But the postseason appeared a little less valuable for a few others on the roster:

Next: Con: Houdini on Ice

Con : Vanishing Acts

Filip Forsberg, Nashville’s leader in both goals and total points during the regular season appeared to be swallowed whole by gaping cracks in the ice, completely disappearing from play when he entered the game. The rising Predators star scrapped together only 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) through 14 games, and registered a dismal -11 plus/minus rating.

Here is the time where the quote should be inserted about the best players needing to step up with the season on the line- San Jose got it out of Couture, Pavelski, Burns, and it made the difference in the series. But there are a couple of asterisks here for Forsberg:

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One, he has before proven his ability to perform under playoff pressure, netting a hat trick against Chicago in his rookie campaign last year. But more tellingly, news has surfaced that Forsberg was playing through injury during Nashville’s playoff run (as addressed in this article), which was almost certainly a factor in his declined play.

Center Mike Ribeiro on the other hand, served as a healthy scratch for two games after failing to perform up to standards. The 50 point scorer was 3^rd on the team in assists and 6^th in total points during the regular season, rounding out a deep center core as a threatening playmaker.

Whether it was matters of age or effort, Ribeiro only managed two assists through twelve playoff contests and had become a liability both on the defensive end of the ice and through committing costly turnovers. Though improving his play to a degree after his return from the scratches, the center has only one year remaining under contract, a combination of situations which serves to cast a shadow over his future position in Nashville.

But what does one call the opposite of a Vanishing Act?

Next: Pro: (Re)Appearing Act?

Pro : Colin Wilson

Yes, yes, this is tentative territory. Last year saw Wilson as a 20 goal scorer who notched 5 points in 6 playoff games (ala ‘Playoff Colin Wilson’) promoting a ton of hype for the forward who subsequently underwhelmed all of Smashville this past season, causing all of those who purchased a brand new “33” jersey to find a nice cozy space at the back of their closets.

Well, Nashville’s playoff run necessitated some cobweb clearing and a good wash cycle, because “33” was running cylinders nobody knew he had. This ‘Playoff Colin Wilson’ was not last year’s ‘Playoff Colin Wilson’- he was much, much better.

Last year’s version, though managing points, still only marked a -1 plus/minus. This year’s Wilson racked up an easily team-leading 13 points in 14 games on his way to a +8 rating. He established zone control, used his body like an All-Pro, and was consistently the team’s best player, even on nights when the Predators took a loss.

He looked like a seventh overall draft pick, and he had fans praising the fact that he wasn’t traded for Scott Hartnell at the trade deadline, after all. If Wilson has found his game at long last, Nashville’s forward core and future becomes exponentially brighter.

And the last Pro? Con?

Next: Pro/Con: The True Story

Pro/Con : Predators Remain Underdog

Nashville was a game away from forcing the mainstream hockey media to cover them and demanding that the hockey world respect them. But instead of reaching their first Western Conference Finals, they got blown out 5-0 by the Sharks in an ugly game that allowed major headlines to read what they had been itching to read.

So while San Jose rightfully earned their advancement, Nashville falls back down to the status of a team who “overachieved” this postseason, not being considered as a truly Cup-challenging caliber. And this is a stigma which Predator fans should be happy to allow others to believe.

With a strong core of youthful players gaining experience and developing their game, the highest scoring defensive corps in the league, All-Star goaltending with an All-Star prospect in the wings, and the best pack of forwards the franchise has seen to date, the Nashville Predators are set to prove themselves as a legitimate threat for years to come.

Next: Predators Offseason Outlook

This postseason offered some of the most exciting and memorable moments in Smashville history, but the future looks every bit as thrilling.