Nashville Predators: Five Takeaways from Five Preseason Games
Pekka Rinne or Juuse Saros?
I didn’t expect to get a firm answer from this debate just from the preseason. However, I think we’re unfortunately in store for a drop-off from Pekka Rinne. It doesn’t mean he won’t single-handedly win some games, but I don’t see another Vezina Trophy performance. It’s going to be Juuse Saros‘ net before too long.
The roles are going to reverse for these two. Saros is going to become the primary goaltender while Rinne will provide as a quality backup that can confidently be relied on. This is an ideal situation to be in for the Predators and one that many teams would love to be in. There’s no controversy here as Rinne is a class act that wants what’s best for the team. That’s giving Saros the majority of the starts. I’m not so sure that ends up happening, but that’s what I would do. Obviously, Laviolette knows more than me about this whole coaching hockey thing so I’ll trust he makes the right decision.
For what it’s worth, Rinne has 64 saves on 73 shots faced in three preseason games so far. I don’t expect to see him in the preseason finale as Saros will probably see most of the action. Saros has looked a little sharper with a 24-save shutout in the preseason-opener against Florida but did look shaky against Tampa Bay giving up three goals on 21 shots faced.
Forsberg ready to erupt
It’s hard to get more excited about a player than Filip Forsberg. His development is uplifting to see as a fan. He’s rounding out into an all-around player. We’ve always known about his puck handling and scoring ability. Now he’s becoming more physical and setting other players set up for scoring opportunities.
We’re even seeing mild chatter about Forsberg being an outside shot for MVP. I love the chances of him setting new career highs in all of the major categories this season. His confidence is blooming and he’s ready to be the main catalyst of this team in their quest to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Forsberg has looked focused and ready to go this preseason. His hat trick in the second preseason game against Florida was fun to see. He has plenty more hat tricks in his near future. He’s building more chemistry with Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen on the top line. These three have looked great this preseason and will obviously be the driving force of the offense. They’re in for another successful season for the Predators.
Still waiting on Tolvanen’s first NHL point
Eeli Tolvanen is a big storyline for this preseason, but he hasn’t provided much to go off of. He’s still waiting on his first point with the Predators after three regular season games last season and four preseason appearances. It’s a matter of time before he hits a hot streak, but we’re patiently waiting for that to happen.
Tolvanen does have eight shots on goal over four preseason games, and he’s also contributing somewhat in other areas. His development is a tricky situation. If he doesn’t come along as quickly as the Predators would like, is he worth taking up a roster spot? Furthermore, can the Predators afford to wait for him to find his footing in the NHL? Windows don’t stay open very long in the NHL, and the Predators have to take advantage of what they have right now.
The biggest disappointment from this preseason is not seeing more from Tolvanen. No points in four games of action is a little discomforting. The Predators have a solid top two lines that make them contenders, but they’re really in search of more contributions from the third and fourth lines. Tolvanen can be the that spark, or maybe someone else. There’s one more preseason game remaining to see if Tolvanen can give us reason to believe he’s ready for the regular season.
Predators are chasing the Jets
It’s not a big gap, and you can argue that the Predators are the better team. The Jets prematurely sent the Predators home in the second round of the playoffs. A Predators team that I believe was the best Predators team in franchise history. Even better than the one that came within two wins of the Stanley Cup. This team has the potential to be just as good.
However, the Jets also have a stacked team with a Vezina Trophy contender in Connor Hellebuyck. They match up with the Predators well and are going to be one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL. What worries me is if the Predators have enough scoring threats to keep pace with the Jets in a seven-game series. I can’t say that they do heading into the season. We’ll see these teams go head-to-head just four games into the regular season. That will be an early measuring stick for the Predators. They certainly have to end the preseason on a high note after a rough patch the last three games, including a 4-1 loss to Carolina at home:
"The speed of the game, too, they were playing in fourth and fifth gear, and we were stuck in mud.”#Preds | #CARvsNSHhttps://t.co/s0jMKmifxG
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) September 26, 2018
It’s a long, grinding season. Just because the Jets are better now, doesn’t mean they’ll be better in April. The Predators are too talented to miss the playoffs. What happens after that is impossible to predict now. I expect a more competitive Central Division from top to bottom, meaning the Predators probably won’t top their 117 points from 2017-18. The unknowns from the third and fourth line gives me a little bit of hesitation to put them ahead of the Jets as we head towards the regular season.
Need more from Fiala and Sissons
My top two players who need to take steps forward in production are Kevin Fiala and Colton Sissons. These two guys have all of the promise in the world to become regular contributors to the offense. They can solve the growing concern of taking the load off of the JoFA line.
We’ll start with Fiala, whom I think has the most potential to increase his goal production more than anyone else on the roster. He’s coming off of a 23-goal season, which is respectable. Now his next step is to cross that 30-goal mark and become the team’s third-best scorer behind Forsberg and Arvidsson. He has all the tools and has shown flashes that he can do that. This preseason he’s looked pretty good, with four assists and a goal of his own in Forsberg’s hat trick game.
2018-19 Predators Projected Lineup. dark. Next
Then there’s Sissons, who can contribute in many different ways. He’s got a toughness factor to him that provides to the bottom two lines. I see him fitting in nicely on the third line, but it’s time that he takes a step forward. Nine goals isn’t going to cut it for the 2012 draft pick. He failed to register a point in the Jets series and ended the regular season on a ten-game pointless drought. His latest preseason action he got the start and nearly buried a breakaway goal. Hopefully, Sissons can up his production to 15-20 goals and finish over 40 points.