Nashville Predators Offseason: Quirky Thanksgiving Edition
The centerpiece
This…may spark some debate. But I’ve got Roman Josi as the Turkey. Why? Because he’s the star of the meal. He holds it all together.
As a former grocery store employee (shoutout Franklin, TN…I won’t say which chain/location because I’m not trying to get sued before the holidays), I cannot begin to tell you how crazy this time of year can be for those in the grocery business. I have seen, I kid you not, two grown women with an otherwise kind/pleasant demeanor, full on fist fighting over a turkey. Were they fighting over the last turkey? Nope. It just happened to be the biggest/best turkey left.
I defy you to tell me that teams wouldn’t be fighting over one another to have Josi on their team if they could. He may not be the last turkey (defenseman), but he’s the BEST turkey. Just droppin facts, folks.
The underrated dish
This one may come as a surprise to some, but the mashed potatoes are Rocco Grimaldi. Why? Because he brings more to the team than what may show up in the stat box.
Mashed potatoes are, in this writer’s opinion, very underrated. There are so many variations. Maybe you like them straight up, just a little salt and pepper, maybe a little butter. Maybe you like to add a little cheese to them, because cheese makes everything better. Regardless of how you take your mashed potatoes, they are an unsung hero of the meal.
That’s Grimaldi. He may not lead in goals or assists, but he grinds it out every game. You would be hard pressed to find a player who approaches the game with the same level of enthusiasm as he does. He’s versatile and shows up. No matter how the game may be going, you can count on him to bring tenacity and energy to whatever line he’s on. As Deadpool would say, “Maximum Effort”. The same way Rocco boosts morale of the team with his under-appreciated effort, mashed potatoes do the same for a Thanksgiving feast.
Making everything better
Gravy…let’s be honest, it can make a meal so much better, or just sort of…be there. It’s versatile (can go on Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, etc.), but it doesn’t always enhance the meal the way you’d hope it would. The thing about gravy is, you never know what kind of gravy you’re going to get. It won’t make the meal any worse, usually, but it also isn’t guaranteed to make it better.
For better or worse, the gravy for the Predators is Ryan Johansen. We pay top dollar for him, hoping he will be the difference maker on the top line, but lately it isn’t a guarantee. Are we going to lose games because of Johansen? I would say no, not necessarily. But is he going to deliver and be the piece we need to get the dub? That is harder to predict. Like gravy, you never know what Johansen you’re going to get on a given night. It can be frustrating, but still – a crucial part of the meal, even if he (it) underdelivers.
The “out there” dish
Green bean casserole is quirky. It’s different. It’s underrated. No matter how many green bean casseroles I try, they always vary from cook to cook, and even then, each cook may find it hard to reproduce the dish the way they did the year before. It’s different. The thing is, no matter how it’s made, what’s added to it, or any and all of it’s nuances, it’s an underrated dish that’s always welcome on my plate, and always produces.
Viktor Arvidsson is our green bean casserole. His style of play is unique, and he’s often the jokester on the team, but he always produces, and we need him on the team, because when healthy he’s such an important piece to our offense. He’s often underestimated, but in spite of that, he’s still so good. Say what you want about his quirks, but would the team be the same without him? During the stretch where he was injured, it clearly was not. Say what you want, but your plate needs green bean casserole, for all its uniqueness and quirks, and the Predators need Arvi for the same.
Not for everyone
Obvious, right? The ginger is the orange-colored dish. I know, low hanging fruit. Thing is, it works. I know people who LOVE yams. They think, as a dish, it can hold its own on the table. I also know people who detest them, or at least think they are WAY overhyped. I like to think they’re somewhere in between on that spectrum, and Ryan Ellis is our yams.
Ellis can show flashes of greatness as a defender, and the Predators defense isn’t the same without him. At the same time, he can also make (or not make) some decisions that leave you scratching your head and asking why he would do what he did. For all he (and yams) brings to the table, it’s just not for everyone. Like yams are always on the table, Ellis is always one of our penalty shooters though it’s less than 50/50 he will convert. For his career he has more giveaways than takeaways, and that feels like an accurate description of yams. People insist they be a part of the meal, but their contribution to the meal can sometimes be questionable, and many people feel many different ways about them.
A fan favorite
Mac N’ Cheese…it’s just so good, especially when the rest of the Thanksgiving meal is on point. The flavor is almost always there. The thing is, many try to get overly complex with their mac n’ cheese. Does it pay off? Sometimes. Some want the breadcrumbs, some want bacon in it, some even add other things to it. At the end of the day, the foundation is still macaroni, cheese, and some seasoning. But don’t over-complicate it.
You have to see what I’m getting at here. Filip Forsberg is the Predators mac n’ cheese. He’s good…REALLY good. On the puck you would be hard-pressed to find many with his stick handling ability. But sometimes you wish he wouldn’t make things over-complicated. When the complexity pays off, it’s a beauty. When the complexity leads to a turnover or easy save, it’s incredibly frustrating. Sometimes less is more, but we also want the highlight play of the game – we just don’t want it to be in a losing effort, and especially when more can be done with less. Do we love the lacrosse style goal when it goes in? Absolutely. When it doesn’t work, and he could’ve likely scored with a more straight forward effort, it’s incredibly frustrating. Still, Forsberg can clutch up in moments where it matters, and mac n’ cheese is no different.
The dish that’s just there
Corn: what nutritional value does it add? Not much. What does it take away from the meal? I would argue nothing. Corn is just there. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t outright dislike corn, but at the same time, I’ve never met a single soul who, when asked what they were looking forward to most about the Thanksgiving meal, says “I can’t wait to dig in to the corn.” It won’t make or break the meal, and in the same sense, Colton Sissons won’t make or break the team. He’s not leading the Predators in jersey sales, but everyone knows he’s on the team, ya know?
Is he a nice piece to have? Sure. He can hold it down on the third line, sometimes maybe the second line. We just shouldn’t expect Sissons to be more than what he is. He isn’t going to be a game changer. That doesn’t mean he can’t be appreciated. Still, when you go back for seconds, nobody is fighting over the corn. That would likely be the same if, perhaps in the upcoming expansion draft, Sissons were left unprotected. Would we notice he’s no longer on the team? Of course. Would we REALLY miss him though? That can be left up for debate. Ever team has a corn-guy, and Sissons is ours.
Unsung hero of the meal
You’re probably thinking this is a throwaway, but how wrong you are. You want to know the real unsung hero of the Thanksgiving meal? The aspect that contributes to every single dish? Your feast would be nothing without salt, pepper, and the seasoning that goes into every dish. If you aren’t adequately seasoning your food, you’re doing it so very wrong. Nobody likes a dry turkey, bland mashed potatoes, or mediocre mac n’ cheese. Seasoning goes with everything. Mattias Ekholm is our seasoning.
Need a solid defender on the penalty kill? Ekholm’s got you. Need someone to generate offense from the back end on the power play? Knock-knock, it’s Ekholm ready to contribute. You want a player with a solid game on both the offensive and defensive side of things? Ekholm is that guy. One of the opposing teams getting chirpy? You KNOW Ekholm will either send a message with a good check, or throw the gloves down and speak with his fists. My point is, Ekholm does it all, and often doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves. With that much versatility, Ekholm is the seasoning that can make any dish. We don’t talk about him enough, but like any dish wouldn’t be nearly what it is without salt, pepper, and seasoning, the Predators, in virtually all phases of the game, wouldn’t be who they are without Mattias Hans Ekholm.
A lot of hype
You wanna talk about hype? Cranberry sauce and/or relish it is. People talk it up, they have their own recipes on it, and they think it’s a game changer, but it’s just not. Could it make the meal better? Possibly. But let’s not get carried away as if cranberry sauce is going to make or break the feast. We’ve gotten it on the plate and yet it’s still not producing the way many claim it will or does.
Sadly, as of this writing, the Predators cranberry sauce/relish is Matt Duchene. He joined the team with so much hype – he was GM David Poile’s white whale of players to pursue, convinced he would be the piece that could bring the team to glory. So far, it hasn’t panned out quite yet. The jury is still out, but for all the hype and talk of the talent he possesses, we only saw glimmers of it in his game this past season. I want to believe in Duchene like I want to believe in the hype for cranberry sauce/relish, but I just don’t. At least not yet. Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop putting it on my plate and giving it a try.
Hit-or-miss dish
Stuffing is hit or miss. I know many who enjoy it, but much like corn, aren’t clamoring for it. There are various iterations of stuffing, but it’s not meant to be the star of the meal, and honestly, many could do without it. The thing about stuffing is, corn, mac n’ cheese, and even turkey can be enjoyed at different times and with different meals. You show me someone who eats stuffing at any other time than Thanksgiving, and I’ll show you a psychopath. I don’t make truth, I just speak it. My point is, it can’t stand on its own. It needs other dishes around it to be relevant.
Much like stuffing, Calle Jarnkrok, ole Iron Hook, is the same way for the Predators. He’s not going to make or break things, but without talent around him, his likelihood of producing is very low. There are moments where he can be succesful, where he contributes, yes, but there are many instances where he has disappeared. He’s been thrown on many different line combinations (like the various kinds and recipes of stuffing), but the results haven’t changed much. He’s a valuable member of the team, but the team around him is the reason he has value, pure and simple.
Who doesn’t love a good carb, especially during Thanksgiving. I could literally eat my weight in rolls (ok not literally, but I definitely enjoy them). If there is one thing I’ve learned in my almost three decades on this earth, it’s that good rolls take time. Yes, you can get the store bought ones that are already prepared, but freshly baked rolls? Oh my, nothing compares. Rolls need time to cook, to rise, to be the contributor to the meal we know they can be, and the rolls for the Predators are players like Eeli Tolvanen, Phillip Tomasino, and even Dante Fabro.
We’ve been patiently waiting for these guys to take the next step and to contribute to the meal the way we truly believe they can. If they pan out, they could help the Predators take that much needed next step towards lifting a Stanley Cup. We have to hope out patience pays off, and they not only earn their spot at the table, but that they contribute to the meal in as special a way as we hope they truly can. Things are promising, but in the way you never know a roll’s true potential until you take a bite, we won’t know their true potential until they’re given true ice time in the NHL.
The whacky additions
Every year there’s always that one person who’s been watching Food Network (perhaps a little to much), and wants to bring something new to the table. That isn’t to say that whatever is brought to the table may not be good, but newness can be scary. It may be just what the meal was missing, but when you’ve come to know and expect what’s on the menu, something new may give you a bit of hesitation. Still, out of respect for the cook, you should at least give it a try. You don’t have to like it, but it deserves a chance.
The Predators new dishes are of course the free agent signings like Mark Borowiecki, Luke Kunin, and Brad Richardson. This season has brought MANY new faces to the Nashville Predators roster, and while these additions bring something different, they deserve their chance. We can’t be certain what they bring to the mix, but we have to hope it’s good. If the FA signings can bring some physicality, scoring, and help to the penalty kill, they could make the team (the meal) that much better. If they don’t pan out, well, you may not go back for seconds, and neither may the Predators.
The finisher
If there’s one thing that brings it home with a Thanksgiving dinner, it’s the dessert, specifically the pies. Pecan pie is appreciated and definitely adds value to the meal, but the real pie you want to see succeed the most is the pumpkin pie. Sometimes the pecan pie turns out better than the pumpkin, or vice versa, but you need them both to be good. In the pie hierarchy, pecan could be so good, and still, those eating are hoping the pumpkin pie shines and completes the meal. If you have good pies, your meal can end in a well earned food-coma “W”.
Juuse Saros is our pecan pie, on the come-up, but Pekka Rinne is our legend, our tried and true, pumpkin pie. The Predators are lucky to have them both, as they’re solid netminders, but if you ask even the most casual fan who they want to see on the team lift the cup, Rinne is likely the first answer you get. It doesn’t mean Juuse doesn’t get his respect, but when you’re cleaning up the Thanksgiving meal and polling the room for which pie they want to cut into first, I would be willing to bet pumpkin is your winner. Pecan pie will also have its moment, but pumpkin pie can be the real MVP of Thanksgiving.
The chef of the meal
Any good Thanksgiving dinner needs a good cook, and GMDP is ours. Like a cook who meticulously preps the turkey and others dishes, be it brining, smoking, frying, baking, or whatever efforts it may take, Poile is constantly trying to make the meal that is the Predators roster, better.
Sometimes when it’s all said and done, the turkey falls a little flat, the rolls don’t rise, and the mashed potatoes come out a little bland/under-seasoned, and the cook is disappointed it doesn’t meet expectations. Still, they come back year after year, trying to perfect the recipes and process. So when you give thanks this Thanksgiving, be sure to show some love to anyone and everyone who has a hand in making the meal, and do your best to enjoy the day like a good fan should.