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Nashville Predators: Predlines staff debates impact of younger players

By Corey Francis

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: Head coach Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators looks on from the bench during the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 4, 2018 in New York City. The Nashville Predators won 3-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: Head coach Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators looks on from the bench during the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 4, 2018 in New York City. The Nashville Predators won 3-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – APRIL 1: Goalie Juuse Saros #74 and Ryan Hartman #38 of the Nashville Predators celebrate the win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 1, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – APRIL 1: Goalie Juuse Saros #74 and Ryan Hartman #38 of the Nashville Predators celebrate the win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 1, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Do the hustle

In the 2018-2019 season, Ryan Hartman will have a greater impact on the Nashville Predators than Gaudreau, Tolvanen, or Rinaldo. Simply put, Ryan Hartman is a nuisance when he is on the ice. He skates hard everywhere, has a deceptively impressive shot, and infuriates opponents. While he has been known to take some careless penalties, like he did in the playoffs last year, he is more of a threat to others than he is a problem to Nashville. Hartman is similar to Viktor Arvidsson in the fact that he skates hard everywhere and gets under opponents’ skin. His hustle into the corners generates scoring chances, as shown by his 20 assists with Chicago and Nashville last season. He pesters other teams and draws penalties simply because of his hustle and passion when he’s on the ice.

Last season, he tallied 8 goals and 17 assists in 57 games with Chicago, and 5 goals and 4 assists in 30 games with Nashville, including playoffs. Hartman is no big scoring threat, and hardly a point of emphasis for other teams, yet he does make a positive impact. Alongside Colton Sissons and Nick Bonino, Hartman has a real chance to make an impact this season. That 3rd line is built off of scrappiness and hustle, things that Hartman excels in. On that line, Hartman has the chance to be a spark plug for the Predators this year, draw penalties, dig pucks out of the corners, and force errors from opponents. He isn’t the biggest threat out there, but his impact is one that is crucial to a team’s success.

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