Nashville Predators: Fantasy Hockey Favorites Part 2
The Nashville Predators are chock full of players who could give your fantasy hockey team the edge it needs to be a champion- but who to draft first?
The Nashville Predators Fantasy Hockey Favorites Part 2 will address the team’s defense and goaltending- In Part 1 we covered the Predators best options among their forward players as Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and James Neal led the way.
When it comes to fantasy sports, drafting too heavily from your favorite team is often the downfall of many players who inevitably lose out to the less unbiased among us. Fortunately for Predators fans, this year there are plenty of opportunities to round out your fantasy squad with quality players from the hometown team.
So if you’re in it to win it but still can’t pass up on having a few of the Predators on your team, these are the players you need on go for on draft day:
P.K. Subban – Yahoo Rank 22nd
2016 Stats: 6 Goals, 45 Assists, 24 Powerplay Points, 102 hits.
The P.K. Subban and Shea Weber trade was the blockbuster move of the off-season and it gave Nashville its first true superstar player. A former Norris Trophy winner, Subban is one of the top offensive defenseman in the league and his high-risk-high-reward style is a perfect fit with Peter Laviolette‘s offensively minded coaching style.
Despite being limited to 68 games last season thanks to injuries, Subban still managed to pass the 50 point mark for the third consecutive year and was scoring at a career high pace when healthy. A change of scenery after a bitter divorce from the Montreal Canadiens will do wonders for Subban and any fantasy owners who draft him thanks to a strong supporting cast of players in Nashville and a coaching staff that is more than happy to let P.K. show off his offensive prowess each and every night.
David Poile: "I traded for P.K. Subban, the player and the person. ... I don't want him to change." https://t.co/Df79udoOLx
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) July 23, 2016
You would be hard pressed to find a better defenseman for your fantasy hockey team than P.K. Subban, who is already off to an impressive start with three points (2g,1a) in two preseason games, He is an offensive juggernaut in all scoring categories and is most likely headed towards a career year in Nashville this season and shouldn’t finish outside the Top 3 in scoring for defensemen. Grab him while you still can in the first few rounds as he is unlikely to drop much before he’s gone for good.
2017 Prediction: 15 Goals, 55 Assists, 25+ Powerplay Points, 100+ Hits.
Roman Josi – Yahoo Rank 57th
2016 Stats: 14 Goals, 47 Assists, 24 Powerplay Points, 59 Hits.
2016 was quite the year for Roman Josi. Arguably one of the most underrated blueliners over the past few seasons, Josi’s impressive regular season performance certified himself as an elite two-way defensemen after years of battling his way out of Shea Weber’s shadow. Now without Weber as his defensive partner, Josi will be expected to fill an even larger role this season as the Predators most reliable defender.
While Josi’s 61 points in 2016 were a new career high, he is fully capable of matching or exceeding those numbers again this season, especially if he ends up being paired with P.K. Subban at even strength or if the Predators can figure out their overtime struggles. If you miss out on Subban when the first wave of defensemen come off the draft board, feel confident in drafting Josi in the sixth or seventh rounds.
2017 Prediction: 15 Goals, 50 Assists, 25+ Powerplay Points, 50+ Hits.
Pekka Rinne – Yahoo Rank 34th
2016 Stats: 34 Wins, 2.48 GAA, .908 SV %, 4 Shutouts
Perhaps no other player in Nashville is due for a bounce back season more than Pekka Rinne. After a dominant 2015 performance, it looked like Rinne was back to being one of the league’s elite goalies after missing most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons due to injury. However, Rinne struggled for most of the regular season and didn’t find his groove until well after the All-Star game as the Predators surged towards the playoffs.
Eager to put an uncharacteristiclly bad season behind him, Rinne could be primed for another stellar year in net for the Predators. With a scarcity of elite starting goalies available, let alone those who are backstopping contending teams, Pekka could be your best fantasy option in the earlier rounds of the draft if you find yourself on the tail end of the goalie rush.
Next: EASports Predicts Preds Win Stanley Cup
Goalies are in for a heavier workload this season thanks to a condensed schedule and more back to back games being played than in seasons past, which may actually help Rinne out as he gets some extra rest while Marek Mazanec works the crease. Even with a few less starts it’s safe to expect Rinne to have a very strong bounce back year and finish in the Top 10 or higher among fantasy goalies.
2017 Prediction: 35+ wins, 2.35 GAA, .920 SV%, 5 Shutouts.