Nashville Predators: Grading Ryan Ellis’ Breakout Season
By Chad Minton
The Nashville Predators had a ton of factors play into their Stanley Cup run, but none reached the impact of what Ryan Ellis brought.
Great defensive player, ability to score, Predators don’t make playoffs without him.. Defensemen. Nashville Predators. RYAN ELLIS. A
When the Nashville Predators decided to trade away Shea Weber to the Montreal Canadiens, very few guessed that Ryan Ellis would be the one to fill his shoes. This isn’t to say that P.K. Subban, whom the Predators acquired in exchange for Weber, was a letdown. Subban just impacted the game much differently than what Ellis stepped up and did.
Ellis had a career year and was a major factor into the Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He set career highs in goals, points, power play points and time on ice. In addition to all of the career numbers, it turns out he was the ultimate warrior down the stretch. His status going into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final was in doubt due to injury, but he fought through it to suit up and put up over 20 minutes of time on ice.
Ellis’ Offensive Spark
Anything Ellis put in the net you can basically count as a bonus last season. Finishing with 16 goals was largely unexpected. That total is just four goals shy of what Weber managed in his previous season with Nashville.
Safe to say Ellis stepped up big time on offense, and the Predators don’t make the playoffs without his late season surge. In February, Ellis notched five goals and four assists while the Predators were in the midst of a wildcard battle. He did his part.
His postseason was equally as impressive, tallying another five goals and helping the Nashville Predators push through the Western Conference onslaught. To top it off, Ellis’ seven-game point streak in this year’s playoffs was the first by a defenseman in nearly 20 years, per Adam Vingan of the Tennessean.
If Ellis keeps trending in this direction on the offensive side, the Predators will continue to have one of the best defensive scoring units in the NHL.
Ellis the Next Captain?
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the possibility of Mike Fisher retiring. He’s the current captain, but who will take over if retirement does end up happening?
Ellis is in the conversation. He was able to play Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final despite dealing with an injury. A less than 100 percent Ellis was still a better alternative than not having him on the ice at all. The Predators ended up losing that game, but that was a captain-like effort.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette was impressed with Ellis’ effort while dealing with injury, per 102.5 The Game in Nashville:
Lavy on Ellis: "I thought he was awesome. A really courageous effort by him. That's Ryan Ellis right there. A gutsy performance."
— 102.5 & 106.3 The Game (@1025TheGame) June 12, 2017
There are a handful of other worthy candidates to become the new team captain if Fisher does decide to retire. Ellis should still be choice No.1.
His Season Grades
His offensive outburst this season put him over the top for me. We knew the defensive grittiness was there. Blocking shots and hitting has always been his strengths. By adding that lethal one-timer on power plays, The Predators were able to be a comeback team.
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Outside of Pekka Rinne, can you really argue for anyone else to be team MVP? You’re going to have a tough time arguing against Ellis. He gets A’s across the board for offense, defense and leadership. Again, the Predators may have even missed the playoffs all together without Ellis.