Nashville Predators: Predators Centers vs The Best of the West
By Steve Cook
Minnesota Wild
Eric Staal: 28 goals, 37 assists, 52.2 FF%, 3.8 CF% rel
Mikko Koivu: 18 goals, 40 assists, 50.9 FF%, 0.8 CF% rel
Joel Eriksson Ek: 3 goals, 4 assists, 42.0 FF%, -12.0 CF% rel
Matt Cullen: 13 goals, 18 assists, 49.9 FF%, -2.7 CF% rel
I have a difficult time getting excited about Minnesota as a Cup threat. Bruce Boudreau, yo. Nevertheless, they’re a popular pick among hockey writers to threaten this year. They have talent all over the ice…but center’s also a position of weakness for them. Eric Staal is solid, but there isn’t much beyond him. Staal, Koivu & Cullen are grizzled vets while Eriksson Ek is a 21-year-old sitting under the learning tree. They’ll be pesky, but I really don’t see any type of advantage here for the Wild.
Side note: Am I the only one that has no memory of Matt Cullen with the Predators? While looking him up for this piece, I saw he was with Nashville in 2013-2014 & 2014-15 and was gobsmacked. I don’t remember this happening.
The Wild’s strength comes from other parts of the team, much like the Nashville Predators.