Nashville Predators: Fiala must take advantage of chances Predators give

The opportunity to shine lays at his feet, Kevin Fiala just needs to make the most of it. Do the Predators have a player ready to take on a large role?

In life, you only get a few real chances to break through and show yourself at your best. However, those opportunities are less. Once a player coming into a league, how they perform in the first large role is how they are labelled. Their contracts will reflect that later. The Nashville Predators have opportunities open, and Kevin Fiala appears ready to go.

That is, if his injury does not hold him back. As it stands right now, that should not be an issue.

Coming into his second full season on NHL ice, what can we expect from Fiala? We witnessed exciting moments versus the Blackhawks in the playoffs, including the Game 3 winning overtime goal.

The talent

There is no doubt that Fiala has abilities that make him unique on the Nashville Predators. Of all the skaters on the team, he is one of the fastest. But it is his ability to twist and shift that allows him to move through traffic better than a motorcycle on I-24/I-65 in Nashville. More so, the puck appears to stay on Fiala’s stick like glue. The combination of these skills makes him a threat to breakaway from defenders and score. Constantly.

It is apparent that these skilled helped the Predators win Game 3. And, it is what they need this year as well. With Fiala on the ice, possessions in the offensive zones are expected. If you look over the advanced stats for the Predators, Fiala was tied for third in Corsi For (55.0%), fourth in Fenwick For (54.6%), and first of players with more than 40 games in Thru% (62.3% of all shots go on net).

All of this came from a player sixteenth in average ice-time per 60 minutes. When he is on the ice, the Predators control the puck.

The comparison

It is easy to get wrapped in comparisons, and then be disappointed. Often we build expectation on what the player will be based on how another performs. That is dangerous. But, you cannot look through Fiala’s stats and miss the obvious comparison. The one to a Nashville Predators teammate that just broke through last year.

Viktor Arvidsson. Just take a look.

Fiala’s first full season (16-17): 54 games, 11 goals, 5 assists, shot percentage of 9.6, 114 shots on goal in 730 total minutes. That equals 9.37 shots per 60 minutes.

Arvidsson’s first full season (15-16): 56 games, 8 goals, 8 assists, shot percentage of 5.8, 139 shots on goal in 694 total minutes. That equals 12 shots per 60 minutes.

In the 2016-17 season, Fiala was second on the team in shots per 60 minutes. He trailed only Arvidsson (10.75). But, to say the Fiala is the next Arvidsson is too much pressure for a 21-year-old coming off a major injury.

What to expect

All that said, if Fiala is healthy, he will be provided more opportunities to play. Current scuttlebutt suggests that he will be slotted in the second line with Nick Bonino and Craig Smith. The experience of Bonino should prove helpful to a young winger on his line. Add in the veteran Smith, and the line looks promising.

Just, is it 118 points promising? That is what the Nashville Predators are hoping to replace. The entire second line from 2016-17 is gone. Bonino was on a Stanley Cup Champion team, but was relegated to the third line with two superstars on ahead of him. With Smith and Fiala flanking, the line should produce some points.

But, it will lay on the shoulders of Fiala to bring the points. Projecting off his previous seasons, will see 16 minutes of ice time in at least 70 games. Probably more, but Fiala will likely get days off early because of his leg. With more time comes more shots. Should he stay on average, Fiala will score 20 goals.

I don’t expected him to be average, however. This is his chance, and he will make the most of it. And the team needs it. It will be a 45+ point season for Fiala, with at least 25 goals. He is a goal scoring threat. Yes, he can pass with accuracy, but on the line given, he will be the one to find the back of the net.

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So, Fiala. Lose yourself in the moment. You own it, and you better not let it go. You only get one shot, so don’t miss your chance to show. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.