Nashville Predators: Five Reasons The Predators Will Dominate This Season

The Nashville Predators are in a great position. Their offense is dynamic and their defense is versatile. This team is a true contender.

It’s come to my attention that I may be writing too many negative pieces about the Nashville Predators. Let me get one thing clear, I love the Predators, I just have a funny way of showing it. So in an effort to be a little more fun and happy-go-lucky, let’s talk about why the Predators are going to dominate the NHL.

The Predators have only gotten better since their Stanley Cup Final appearance. They’ve addressed their weakness at center. They’ve addressed their weakness on their third defensive pairing. The Predators look poised to show the NHL that last postseason was not a fluke. And frankly, I don’t think any other team has the upside the Predators have. The offense has some serious firepower and the defense is great on both sides of the puck. With all this joy and happiness in my heart, let’s talk about why the Predators will win the cup.

5. The Ekholm/Subban Shutdown Line

P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm combined to become one of the best shutdown lines in the NHL last season. Both players boasted elite shot suppression numbers and were extremely smart with the puck. The “second line” for the Predators defense made exiting the defensive zone look like an art form. During the playoffs analyst Jeff Marek proclaimed about the Predators defense “puck goes in, puck comes right out”. And if you watched even one game, you’d know this phrase to be true.

It’s hard for the opposition to score goals when they can’t generate any extended zone time. Subban and Ekholm will make sure that happens. We should call them the eraser line because they’ll erase the offensive production of whoever they’re playing against.

4. The New Guys

I struggled with what to call this slide. These are players on the Predators who have less than two years of experience on the team. For this we’re focusing on Kevin Fiala, Scott Hartnell, Nick Bonino, Pontus Aberg.

Kevin Fiala played most of the last season in the NHL and wasn’t exactly impressive until the playoffs. Fiala played fourth line minutes with some less than quality linemates, so if he gets the top six minutes he deserves, expect those stats to go way up. Twenty plus goals and fourty points is a reasonable goal for the speedy sophomore.

Scott Hartnell is an aging power forward and the signs of wear and tear on his body are evident. But he isn’t giving up. Thirty-seven points in seventy-eight games is incredible for a thirty-five year old. Especially when you consider that Hartnell was playing fourth line minutes. Expect Hartnell to make his biggest impact in front of the net on the power play. Hartnell could easily score twenty-five points on the third line and power play.

Two time cup winner Nick Bonino brings center depth that the Predators desperately needed. He’s a decent playmaker that can score when needed too. He’s an excellent penalty killer that’ll immediately bolster that already elite unit.

Pontus Aberg had an exciting playoffs. Now he’ll look to continue his impressive performance through the regular season. I consider him to be Viktor Arvidsson lite. He may never put up close to sixty points, but I’d say thirty is not unfair. I’m not sure where Aberg will fit in the line-up, but I expect him to end up on the second line by the end of the season.

3. A Scoring Third Line

Depth scoring was one of the things that sank the Nashville Predators in the finals. Players were forced into roles they were not familiar with when Johansen and Mike Fisher went down. Having Colton Sissons playing on the first line is not a recipe for success, but that won’t  be an issue anymore.

After an extremely effective offseason, the Predators look better than ever, mostly because of their depth. The addition of veteran winger Scott Hartnell could help bolster that lines offensive production.  The other third line spot will likely belong to either Craig Smith or Pontus Aberg, which is fantastic news for the Predators. Smith had a down year last season, but he can still put up points if he’s paired with some offensively gifted players.  Aberg is coming into the season to prove that the playoffs were not a fluke and he can consistently provide the scoring he did. Having Nick Bonino or Calle Jarnkrok center that third scoring line also bring an element of defensive responsibility.

2. A dynamic scroing defensive pairing

Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis have transformed into the most formidable offensive defense pairing in a decade.  Ellis and Josi give credence to the phrase, a good offensive is the best defense. Much like the Ekholm/Subban pairing, they do a great job of suppressing shots by not allowing the puck into their zone.

Ellis is one of the best shot takers in the league. He consistently takes low risk/high reward shots that often hit the net while creating rebounds. Ellis’ ability to step up on the offensive blue line is another key piece of the offense that allows the Nashville Predators to maintain control.

Josi plays an interesting game for a defenseman. I’ve never seen a defender who loves playing below the opponent’s goal line as much as Josi. What makes Josi an elite defenseman is his vision on the ice. Only a few other players see the ice like Josi does, especially from below the goal line. His confidence in his skating and playmaking is what makes Josi an extraordinary offensive defenseman. This defensive unit could easily combine for one hundred or more points this season.