Nashville Predators: Ranking the Central Division’s Top Lines for 2019-20
Minnesota Wild
Top Line: Kevin Fiala, Eric Staal, Jason Zucker
It’s been a gradual decline for the Minnesota Wild in recent memory. Everything hit rock bottom last season when they missed the playoffs while also coming in last place in the Central Division. This upcoming season doesn’t look any more promising.
Their top line is anchored by Staal at center. His best days are long behind him in the NHL, and there was a hefty dip in production last season. He had a decrease in goals from 42 to 22 despite playing in 81 of 82 regular season games. His assists numbers dipped some to, as did many of his offensive numbers. Perhaps he still has some left in the tank, but it can’t be much more than fumes.
Then we have a former member of the Nashville Predators, Kevin Fiala. It was hard to see him go as a Predators fan, but it had to be done I suppose. He may have found a good home in Minnesota as he’s going to be counted on as the main generator of offense. He certainly has the talent and skills to do so. It will be interesting to watch him on Minnesota’s top line with Staal.
Jason Zucker rounds out this trio, who has played all eight of his NHL seasons with Minnesota. He had somewhat of a breakout year in 2017-18 with 64 points, but then reverted back to average production with 42 points. Not nearly enough of a top line winger. He has to produce much more on Minnesota’s top line if they’re going to avoid last place again.
Winnipeg Jets
Top Line: Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler
Full disclosure that this is being written without knowing what’s going to happen with Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine’s contract negotiations. Both are not locks to be re-signed by the Jets at this point. Until then, it’s all speculation and we’re going to go with what the Jets for sure have for their opening night roster.
The gap between Minnesota’s top line and the rest of the division is still staggering. It gets a lot more challenging to rank these after that, but I’m going with Winnipeg next. I’m not impressed at all with their offseason. They haven’t gotten any better after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St.Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs.
However, the Jets still have Blake Wheeler, who is a superstar in his own right. He now has back-to-back 90-plus point seasons, and I don’t see him slowing down much. He put up 71 assists last season and now has seven-straight All Star selections. He’s the engine that carries the Jets, but how much can one man do?
The Jets do have a couple nice pieces around him on the top line. Scheifele has been steadily climbing the NHL ranks for a few years now. He’s looking to build off of an 84-point season, which is a career high. He’s a quality top-line center.
Then you have the 23-year-old Ehlers, who has four NHL seasons under his belt. He’s only moving to the top line if Connor doesn’t re-sign, which would be disastrous for Jets fans. Can’t put the Jets higher than sixth in the division until the Connor negotiations get worked out.
Colorado Avalanche
Top Line: Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Joonas Donskoi
Have to start by saying we don’t completely know what’s going to happen with Mikko Rantanen‘s contract negotiations. A report from the Denver Post recently said they’re “not close”. Much like Winnipeg’s situation, this would be a major blow to Colorado’s top line that can be lethal at times.
The Avalanche still have one of the best centers in the NHL, Nathan MacKinnon. He’s taken off like a rocket the last two seasons, posting 97 and 99-point seasons. He came in second place in the Hart Trophy voting in 2017-18. They’re always going to be lethal as long as they have this guy quarterbacking the top line.
Gabriel Ladeskog comes in at left wing, and is a high-quality offensive weapon in his own right. He’s trying to build off his career-high season in points with 75. He’s a smart player that contributes heavily on the Colorado power play unit. He’s a former Calder Trophy winner and has lived up to that initial rookie season.
It gets dicey without Rantanen in the mix. Possibly Joonas Donskoi gets moved up to the top line until the Rantanen deal can get done? Donskoi is new to the Avalanche as he’s played his first four NHL seasons with San Jose, posting 30-plus point seasons in three of the four. Obviously without Rantanen, this line becomes a lot more manageable and ordinary for opposing defenses. They’re possibly the best line in the division with Rantanen firmly back in the lineup.
Chicago Blackhawks
Top Line: Alexander Nylander, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane
The Blackhawks aren’t going to stay down forever. They have a nice prospect pool that’s going to help them return to relevancy very soon. As for their top line, it has two familiar faces in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. You can’t underestimate veteran leadership and elite offensive players that have been doing this for a long time.
Whether you like him or not, Kane is one of the best wingers in the game. The organization around him struggled in recent memory, but that’s not at all his fault. He’s remained an elite offensive weapon and doesn’t appear to be losing any steam.
Kane had 44 goals last season, just two short of his career high. As the team around him gets better, he’ll get better as well. No player can do it all on their own, which is why we love hockey. So the Blackhawks have Toews at center, who remarkably just put up his career high in points in year 12 of his career.
As for now, Alex Nylander will be on the left wing opposite Kane. He’s a former top-ten draft pick in 2016, and comes via trade over the offseason from the Buffalo Sabres. Interesting trade that didn’t get a ton of publicity. Nylander is looking to start fresh with a new organization, and what better way than to play alongside Toews and Kane? He’ll have plenty of opportunities to boost his offensive numbers.
Nashville Predators
Top Line: Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson
Collectively these three play beautiful hockey together. However, injuries plagued this unit last season and kept us from seeing top results. The last-place Predators power play was also a mystery, and this unit deserves some blame for that.
Starting with Ryan Johansen at center, he can be frustrating at times. He’s great at finding open wingers and setting them up. However, his own offensive game really needs to show improvement to elevate him to the next tier of NHL centers. He had just 14 goals last season, which isn’t good enough for me.
Forsberg and Arvidsson missed lengthy amounts of time with injuries. It definitely disrupted the chemistry of this team mid-season. Both guys could be in store for career-high seasons in offensive production. That absolutely have what it takes to put up the gaudy numbers that we see from other top lines within the division.
I can’t put the Predators top line above a few other teams because there’s times when they do seem to disappear. You also can’t overlook how bad the power play was, which in turn kept their offensive numbers down lower than what you would like to see.
This could all change this season, but as of now the Predators are going to be relying on balanced scoring from all four lines to get them deep in the playoffs. Contract negotiations that other teams are facing also has the Predators’ top line higher than what it would be with every team at full strength.
St.Louis Blues
Top Line: Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko
The defending Stanley Cup champions got insanely hot in the second half of the 2018-19 season and never looked back. They did it with a balanced roster from top to bottom, but you can’t overlook what they have up top.
We’ve come to know Vladimir Tarasenko very well in the Central Division. He can strike at any moment if you lose sight of him. He’s also flirted with that very top tier of elite scorers in the NHL. I personally don’t put him in that category, but he’s awful close. He was very productive on the power play with 12 goals and ten assists last season.
Brayden Schenn anchors the center position for this top line that helped rip through the league from January on. He’s going into just his third season with the Blues, but has obviously already made a name for himself as he helped bring home the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Jaden Schwartz is another veteran on this top line who is reliable and consistent. He doesn’t have crazy, outlandish numbers, but he comes up big in big moments. Just take last postseason when he put up 20 points in 26 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup. This unit collectively is savvy with veteran leadership and very reliable as they’ll look to continue their hot streak from last season.
Dallas Stars
Top Line: Alexander Radulov, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn/Roope Hintz
Dallas gets the top notch thanks to Colorado and Winnipeg’s uncertainty with their contract negotiations with top players. With that said, Dallas looks very dangerous here as they have a couple options to go with. It’s unclear how the Stars will sort out their top two lines, mainly where do you put the young phenom Roope Hintz at?
Hintz broke out in the playoffs with five goals, with two of them coming against Nashville to tie the series at two games apiece. Dallas went on to clinch that series in six games. He can end up being on the top line opposite of Radulov, more moved to the second line. Either way, he seems like a secret weapon that’s only going to get better.
You have the more proven commodity of Jamie Benn who could end up back on the Stars’ top line. This guy is a bulldog who plays physical and has plenty of offensive firepower to his game. He’s got a proven track record of scoring big goals and playing with a chip on his shoulder. If I’m the Stars, I keep him on the top line. Either way, the Stars have two solid, but very different, options to go with every night.
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Finally, there’s Tyler Seguin. Another proven veteran who has made a living out of putting up 70 to 80 points per season. You can take it to the bank he’ll do that again this season on a team that’s my favorite to win the division. Seguin brings an edge to this top line and makes the Stars tough to beat both physically and mentally. They’re the top line until new contracts are worked out with other teams in the division.