Nashville Predators: Ellis Ready to be Predators’ Next Great Leader
Ryan Ellis has been key to the Nashville Predators for a few years. Now is the time for him to emerge as a leader for a team that desperately needs one.
The Nashville Predators have one of the best defensive units in the NHL. Last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs showed the whole world just how good that group really is. One of those players who easily stood out was Ryan Ellis. It was not just because of his offensive execution, though. It was more so because of the way he helped lead his team when they needed someone to step up.
Ryan Ellis has always been considered a good leader while in Nashville. But he developed into an even greater leader during last years playoffs. However, you cannot just become a leader over night. For Ellis, he has demonstrated these leadership qualities everywhere he’s played. It has been eight years in the making, but Ellis seems as if he is ready to take on a new leadership role with the team, and the timing could not be better.
Junior Hockey Career
Ryan Ellis started his junior hockey career in 2007 in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires. He was a standout defenseman who ultimately spent four years in the CHL. Ellis played in 226 total games with the Windsor Spitfires and during that span he scored 314 points. His exceptional performances helped lead Windsor to back-to-back Memorial Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010. Similarly, he made the OHL All-star teams from 2009-2011.
Ellis has a very well decorated OHL career, but just as impressive is his international career. He played one season with the U17 World Junior team in 2008 where he won a gold medal. Then, from 2009-2011, Ellis played on the Canadian World Junior team. All three years he played for team Canada, they medaled. In 2009 they won the gold medal, and in 2010 and 2011 Canada won silver.
Ellis played 25 international junior games and scored 34 points. In his final season with the World Junior team, Ellis scored 10 points, leading all defensemen. This led to him receiving the award for best defenseman. He also made the All-star team in 2011 alongside future teammate Ryan Johansen. It was pretty apparent from the start that Ellis was comfortable being a leader wherever he played.
Ellis also won a gold medal with Canada in 2016 playing on their World Championship team, just adding to his international resume.
NHL Career
Ellis’ professional career began in 2009 when he was drafted 11th overall by the Nashville Predators at the NHL Entry Draft. However, he did not play a game within the organization for two more years. In 2011 Ryan Ellis finally started his professional journey with the Milwaukee Admirals, but it was short-lived as he saw a substantial amount of playing time in Nashville. In fact, he played in more games for the Predators in the 2011-12 season than he did with Milwaukee. Ellis scored his first NHL goal on January 7th, 2012 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ellis’ career would only go up from there.
The 2012-13 season saw Ryan Ellis once again split time between the Admirals and the Predators. He played in 32 games for both clubs, but failed to really make an impact on the scoresheet for either teams. He only scored 14 and six points respectively. That didn’t matter, though; as the next season Ryan Ellis got promoted to the Predators full-time, and he never looked back. He scored 27 points in his first full season with Nashville, and everyone began to understand just how good Ellis was going to be. That is why General Manager David Poile locked him up to a 5-year contract worth 12.5 million.
Since signing his contract, Ryan Ellis has been nothing short of amazing. Just when you think he has reached his peak, he gets even better. His point total has increased every season, topping out at 38 points in 71 games last season. That was good enough to put him at 8th on the team in points. And none of this mentions the fact that he is a stellar defenseman, as well. Ellis has definitely proved his worth and will warrant a huge contract when the time comes.
2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The fans that follow the Nashville Predators have known about Ryan Ellis’ talents for a long time. However, it was not until the Stanley Cup Playoffs where Ellis began to receive the attention from a national audience. Before that, everyone’s focus was primarily on P.K. Subban or Roman Josi, and deservedly so. But when the time came in the playoffs for someone to step up and lead by example, Ellis welcomed the opportunity.
There is no doubting how important Ellis was to Nashville throughout the playoffs but his biggest moment came against St. Louis in game four. Ellis had already been dubbed the hottest player on Nashville at the time, and game four justified his role as a rising leader on the team even more. With the game still tied at zero in the third period, Ellis blasted home a rebound to put the Predators on the board. This was such a huge moment. It seemed all night that nobody was able to get one past the Blues’ goaltender, Allen, but when the Predators needed someone to step up Ellis was there.
Ellis continued his fine play for the duration of the playoffs despite battling an injury towards the Finals. He scored five goals and 13 points, good enough to tie for third on the team. Ellis has been a fan favorite to Nashville Predators’ fans for some time now. And his performance in the playoffs last season made him even more beloved. He proved he will go to hell and back for this team, and he is only just getting started.
Possible Captain?
So what is next for Ryan Ellis? He is only 26 years old, yet he has already matured into one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He exhibits poise under pressure, and has the rare ability to be able to compete with controlled emotion. As mentioned before, he will give his all for Nashville, no matter what. He battled a serious lower body injury towards the end of the playoffs, yet he refused to give in. When the team needs him, he is there. He exemplifies what it means to be a true leader, and he will be ready to expand on that role next season. So, now the question remains: Who will be the Nashville Predators Captain at the start of the 2017 season?
When it comes to a captain vacancy, the person to fill that void encompasses the traits of a leader. Everyone has their own definition of what a leader is, but regardless of how you define it, I am positive Ellis will fit it. Does this mean he should be the next captain, though? In my opinion, Ellis would make a fantastic captain for the Predators. If we were allowed to vote, he would get mine. However, there is somebody else on the roster just as deserving, if not more.. That person is Roman Josi. Josi has certainly paid his dues, and he embodies everything I have already discussed in regards to Ellis.
One thing is for sure, the captain position will be in good hands, regardless of who is bestowed that honor. In the event Ellis does not receive the role of captain, he will most likely be given an “A” to be sewn onto his sweater. Ellis still has a long career ahead of him, and no matter where he winds up playing years from now, eventually he will get to flaunt the captain’s “C.”
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When that day finally comes, I just hope that Ellis is still playing for Nashville.