Nashville Predators: What To Expect This Season From The Defense

(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
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(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Even with the lengthy injury to Ryan Ellis, the Nashville Predators have an elite defense. Here’s what you should expect from them in 2017-18.

Even though the Nashville Predators are morphing into a high-powered offensive machine, the defense is still elite. Ryan Ellis‘ unfortunate lower body injury tempers those expectations greatly, but the Predators are so deep at the position that they can weather this storm.

Ellis can hopefully return by January, per NHL writer Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. That leaves enough time for him to make an impact on the stretch run of the season, so all is not lost here.

Due to the loss of Ellis, the Predators have a monkey wrench thrown into their plans. With him out, here are season predictions on the remaining key defenseman on the roster.

(Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images) /

 Roman Josi

A couple more special years from Roman Josi and he’ll supplant Shea Weber as arguably the best player in franchise history. I think that highly of him, and it is likely he’ll go into the 2017-18 season as the new captain. Of course, you can read between the lines as Josi did the honors of putting the sword into the field for the Tennessee Titans’ season-opening game:

Josi makes absolute sense as he’s approaching a decade with the Nashville Predators organization. Especially when you consider his leadership off the ice. Whether he’s the next captain or not, Josi is in for another big season. His offense will continue as he’s relied on more by the Nashville Predators.

Expect Josi to be in the conversation for the James Norris trophy for best defensive player. He will set a new career high in goals around 20, and play a huge role in lifting the offense.

(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

 P.K. Subban

You can say that P.K. Subban‘s first season in Nashville was mildly disappointing. It left fans wanting more. With as much star power as he brings, it’s understanding to desire a little more from him. Looking past just his pure statistics, he deserves a lot of credit for the Stanley Cup appearance, and he’ll settle in more during his second season for the Nashville Predators.

Subban shifted from a pure offensive defenseman into a two-way defenseman who had responsibilities. Subban’s impact was not just the points he put on the board. But also the points he kept off the board. I think Subban will have the leash brought off him this season. Especially as the defense tries to make up the points they lose in Ellis.

However, this doesn’t mean Subban will suddenly become some elite scorer because he’s never been that. Instead, expect him to contribute in more scoring chances. He’ll play a more consistent style of hockey that’ll benefit everyone. His assist numbers will make a huge spike upwards, and his fandom will continue to grow to epic proportions across all sports.

(Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images) /

 Alexei Emelin

On of the big newcomers to the team is Alexei Emelin. He’s a physical veteran that brings stability to the third pair. Emelin’s facing the pressure of filling Ellis’ shoes for at least half the season. And that’s no easy task. I expect Emelin to play on the No.1 defensive pairing with Josi. A top-ten player in hits with 241 last season will be a welcomed addition. But it’s hard to say if the transition will go smoothly.

As nice as it is to have Emelin to plug-in, he’s not going to score goals like Ellis. That leaves another scoring void that the Predators have to replace. Especially on the power play. Emelin will play well enough to keep this defense respectable, but fans will definitely miss Ellis’ presence.

Perhaps GM David Poile saw this Ellis absence coming along as it played a factor into signing Emelin, per Cutler Klein of Penalty Box Radio:

Expect Emelin to muster good possession scores as well as over 200 hits. His play style will allow Josi to take more risks and try new things while Emelin is there to cover him. He’s a stop-gap who will do anything that is asked of him. Expect his presence to also affect the penalty kill.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

 Mattias Ekholm

First of all, no one on the Predators roster that is more underrated than Mattias Ekholm. The hardcore fans know he’s a workhorse, but it drops off after that. He’ll be more in the spotlight this season with Ellis out. He could start anywhere on this defense and make a good impact.

Ekholm is an advanced stats darling. He does things you don’t see on the stat sheet that help the Predators win night in and night out. He’s a magician on the breakout and he’s tremendous on the forecheck. He’ll need to keep up his play, and there’s no reason to think he won’t.

We’ll grow to appreciate Ekholm even more as he’ll have to elevate his game to keep the defense flowing. He’ll keep doing the dirty work, to keep the Predators running like a well-oiled machine. Expect at least 20 assists and over 25 points over the course of a full season. Ekholm is vital to the defense’s success.

(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) /

 Matt Irwin

Matt Irwin is no longer a spring chicken as he turns 30 on November 29th. He’s a reasonably skilled defender who is perfectly fine in each zone. His health is a big question as he hasn’t played a full season in his career. He’ll likely have a bunch of partners including Alexandre Carrier, Samuel Girard, Anthony Bitetto, and Yannick Weber. Irwin will be able to hold his own and not be a liability, but he won’t impress too much either. He’s a prototypical third pairing defenseman who can eat non-stress minutes and penalty kill time. He won’t have to play like a hero, but his steady presence on the third pair will be critical. Expect a cool 20 points and a bunch of blocked shots from Irwin.

(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) /

To round this out

The Nashville Predators will be just fine on defense. Ellis’ injury stings badly, but all is not lost thanks to the defensive depth. This might even be celebrated in the future as some prospects will get valuable ice time because of it.

This team was build around defense. General Manager David Poile brought together elite players and talented prospects. And, we know that if something starts to go awry, Poile will not wait to fix it.

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Therefore, Nashville Predators fans should be excited about the defense and the upcoming season!

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