Nashville Predators: The important forgotten line that must be addressed

All the talk this offseason centered around the offensive lines. Then, injury turned focus to the defense. But, the Nashville Predators have another concern.

I get it. The need for patching up the forward positions was important for the Nashville Predators’ this offseason. That is an obvious area of concern. The injury concern for Ryan Ellis changed the narrative over the last few weeks. Needless to say, that was justified.

However, there is another area of concern that no one seemed to talk about. Maybe it is not a major deal, but no detail should be left to chance. And, with positions left open, the Predators need to address the power play combinations.

Last season

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If there were one word to describe the power play lines for the Predators last season, it would be average. With 49 power play goals, the team ranked 11th overall in the NHL. However, they were sixth in power play opportunities with 259 chances. That means they converted on 18.92 percent of their chances, good for 16th in the NHL. Overall, it is not poor, as the league average was 19.1 percent. So, we can call it average.

As for players on those units, the most frequently used combination included forwards James Neal, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, with defensemen Roman Josi. This combination was used 13.3 percent of the time. Often, Mike Fisher would take Arvidsson’s place, or Ellis and P.K. Subban would provide a more defense-friendly unit. Of course, Peter Laviolette likes to changes things up on lines. Twelve different Predators averaged over a minute of time on the ice during a power play.

The concern? Same as the others. No Neal. No Fisher. And Ellis is injured.

Never fear

From a production standpoint on the power play, Nick Bonino fills Neal’s vacancy. With six power play goals last season, Bonino would be second on the 2016-17 Nashville Predators. Add to that five assists, and his total points on the line were just under that of Neal. And, Neal averaged a minute and a half more time on the power play than Bonino. Apples to apples, Bonino is comparable to Neal. Again, only thinking production.

However, from a style standpoint, Bonino looks more like Mike Fisher. If the Predators want to put pressure their opponent, placing another shooter on the power play would be beneficial. The options? Craig Smith (who was used 7.3 percent of all power plays), Calle Jarnkrok (7.1 percent), and Kevin Fiala (2.1 percent). Of those, Fiala is the most dangerous shooter.

According to an article by On The Forecheck on July 11, when Fiala was on the ice, the number of shots produced by the Predators was higher than when not. His ability to skate and shift on the ice will provide valuable chances on the power play. With Johansen making the passes, Fiala can take runs at the goal, opening the ice for him and the rest of the team. Granted, he notched zero points on the power play last season, but he average 49 seconds of time in this situations.

What about Ellis?

Really? Should we be concerned about Ellis’ place on the power play? Not really. Yes, he tallied 11 points, but the depth at defense is fully capable of filling the need. Mattias Ekholm played on 14 percent of the power plays last season, but Laviolette will likely employ a more offensive minded unit. If two defensemen are needed, look to Subban and Josi to see the most time together.

If the Nashville Predators take advantage of their power play chances, they will compete for the Central Division. Of all 2017 playoff teams, the Predators were 12th in converting power play chances. Who was worse? The Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and San Jose Sharks.

Next: Top 5 Differences from Last Season

Any progress on the power play will go a long way for the Predators.