Nashville Predators: Key Players Poised for Breakout Seasons in 2021
By Chad Minton
Better late than never
It’s taken some patience for the arrival of Eeli Tolvanen in the NHL. He’s played in just seven NHL games since being drafted with a lot of hype, fair or not, in 2017.
Tolvanen is doing all the right things to continue his development into an all-around NHL player. He’s currently playing in the KHL, a very respected league in Russia, and should be ready to claim a Predators roster spot whenever training camp opens.
This is the season for Tolvanen to become a regular on the NHL level. A spot on the second line with Matt Duchene is the ideal landing spot for him. A skilled puck handler and setup man like Duchene will be very beneficial to a young offensive gunner like Tolvanen.
Everyone defines “breakout” differently. I’m not saying Tolvanen is going to breakout into a 30-goal scorer this season, but I do think he can finally stick around in the NHL and become a regular point scorer.
I’m setting the bar at double digit goals and a notable presence on the power play for next season to be considered a success for Tolvanen. If he can tack on 10 to 15 assists and be strong with his possession metrics then we’ll be able to finally say Tolvanen has arrived in the NHL.