Nashville Predators: What to do with Hartnell out

Nick Bonino/Calle Jarnkrok

I’ve toyed with this idea for a couple of days and I actually like it. The line would look like Salomaki-Bonino-Jarnkrok. Jarnkrok and Nick Bonino would switch on face-off duties depending on where the faceoff needed to be won.

Bonino’s sample size is fairly small compared to most of the other players, so take his stats with a grain of salt. He currently has one goal in five games, not very impressive but it’s important to remember he was managing an injury. He owns a five on five Corsi of 47.32% and a Fenwick of 47.83%. Once again, less than impressive, but Bonino was playing in an ill-suited role. He’s clearly not a second line center, and it sucks that he’s paid like one. But that’s what it is and there’s no use in complaining too much. So let’s put him where he will succeed, the third line. He’d be a more offensively focused option and could have a bigger impact with third line minutes against third line competition.

I like the option quite a bit, but according to practice lines on Monday, Bonino was playing with the fourth line. He’d be the best fourth line center in the NHL and could thrive by exploiting weaker talent.

Next: Podcast: Passion, Pain, and Penguin Slayin'

No matter what the Nashville Predators do, they’re in good shape. They just have some decisions to make about what they want their third line to be. A scoring line or a shutdown line, I lean towards a shutdown line but that’s just me. Any way you cut it, the Nashville Predators are sitting pretty.