Nashville Predators: Final Regular Season Grades

What a year it has truly been. The Nashville Predators came out of the gate and struggled mightily. Facing adversity after adversity, the team looked like it may not figure it out.

The Predators looked like a ship without a rudder. The so-called youth movement the fans were promised didn’t manifest, the latest coaching hire looked overwhelmed, and management was right to be questioned by nearly everyone.

Fast forward, and we’ve just put a bow on the regular season, and would you believe it, the Predators didn’t back in – they CLAIMED the final playoff spot in the Discover Central Division.

So, with the playoffs on the horizon, let’s break down the final grades of the regular season and see where the team made improvements most.

Defense: B (Improved From C-)

Defense, though it struggled with the rest of the team, was probably the strongest phase of the Predators’ game early in the season. However, the pairings have improved as the season has gone on, getting more comfortable with one another and helping to set the tone while maintaining the pace for the rest of the team.

The big three for the defense have been exactly who the team needed them to be. Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis have flashed great stats, both in the top ten in Corsica ratings. Mattias Ekholm may not be on par with the top pairing, but he’s also had excellent numbers. Dante Fabbro has been dealing with an injury but has still taken another step forward in his career progression.

The players who have really impressed, considering their roles, would have to be Matt Benning and Ben Harpur. They aren’t flashy, but when your third pairing has been what the Predators have had in recent years, you could do a lot worse than these two.

Factor in the young guys like Alexandre Carrier, or the limited-sample but still very intriguing David Farrance, and there is a lot to like about this unit and a lot to build on for the future.

Special Teams: C (Improved From F)

Arguably the worst unit at the onset of the season, the Predators Special Teams have drastically improved down the stretch. Though the power play has fallen off a bit, the penalty kill has stepped up a great deal in some key moments. Compared to where this phase of the team started, we will gladly take the improvement.

For context, from the start of the season through February, the Predators ranked 20th on the power play at 18.1% and 28th on the penalty kill at 72.9%. Since then? Well, the power play still ranks 20th and regressed a bit to 14.1%, but the penalty kill ranks 8th at 85.7%.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll see that while it looked like the power play regressed, there may be a reason why.

From February 1 until April 6, the Predators had the 5th best power play in that stretch. What’s so special about those dates? February 1 was Eeli Tolvanen’s first game, and April 6 was his last before getting injured.

Before the injury, Tolvanen was a power-play monster. He has yet to return to form since getting back into the lineup, but he could make a huge difference in the Predators’ playoff hopes if he does.

Coaching: C+ (Improved From D)

You will find very few who were adamant that Head Coach John Hynes, hastily hired in 2020, was/is not the answer. Hell, I’m still not sure he’s the long-term solution that will ultimately help the Predators lift the Cup.

That being said, I have to tip my cap to him for the way he’s navigated this peculiar season and gotten this team back to the playoffs.

The Predators had a 0.34% chance of making the playoffs going into March. Look at them now. They have a 100% chance because they’re in there like swimwear.

What credit Hynes deserves, I’m not sure. However, he has started to get more consistent with his lines, and the system of play seems more consistent.

Hynes also learned that the team needed a line to set the tone and began rolling the Herd Line out for period starts and in big moments that called for momentum swings.

At this point, the Predators are a team that was projected 5th or 6th in the Discover Central Division and is now getting prepared for a playoff run. Because of the turnaround this team completed, John Hynes is playing with house money.

Though I’m not sure he deserves it, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hynes get a contract extension if he can get this team past the first round. Still, crazier things have happened in Smashville.

Management: C (Improved From F)

You know that person that does absolutely none of the work in the group project, but when it comes time to present, as long as you give them talking points, they nail it? That feels like General Manager David Poile at this point.

While that may not be a totally fair comparison, fans have the right to be a little weary of GMDP, especially after all the talk of the “Youth Movement” in the off-season.

When the season got started, the roster was full of journeymen and veterans, with not a youth in sight, and they struggled. Mightily.

Fast-forward to today, and the roster has been infused with youth, with those in the starting line-up contributing greatly to the team’s production and those waiting in the wings looking quite promising.

Still, make no mistake, the team got its “youth movement” because of injury and not because of Poile. Call it a happy accident.

At the trade deadline, and even before that, Poile had faith in the team as it is composed. When the anger and vitriol reached a fever point, he could have sold the farm and the farmer with it, but he stayed the course. Whether this stance was foresight or hubris, we may never know.

As for the Erik Gudbranson last-second trade? Well, you can tell me “veteran depth” all you want, but that “veteran” has never been very successful, and it still seems kind of futile to me.

Has Poile done enough to save his job? Probably. But should he be planning a retirement speech sooner rather than later? Definitely.

Juuse Saros: A+++

Juuse Saros got off to a slow start early in the season, but when you go back and look at the tape, you realize it was more the team playing in front of him. He started putting things together between the pipes, and then the real challenge came about.

Saros was injured at the same time as all seemed lost for the Predators (and they sat with a .34% chance of making the playoffs). Then, like a ray of light, Saros returned, and what he’s done since has been nothing short of incredible.

Since returning from injury on May 18, Saros ranks 1st in wins (16), 1st in Sv% among goalies with at least ten starts (.941), 4th in GAA among goalies with at least ten starts (1.90), and first in saves, with 706 against 750 shots (the most in the NHL). His numbers are unreal.

Saros is 6th in wins and 6th in Sv% among goalies with ten or more starts on the season. He may not get it, but #SarosForVezina should get going because he definitely deserves to be a finalist.

Final GPA And Extra Credit For The Nashville Predators

Overall, the Predators have a 2.5 GPA. Being generous, we’ll round that up to a B average. Still, this team wasn’t projected as a playoff team in a division with two of the former Stanley Cup Finals contenders (one of them, the Predators eliminated).

Not many may think they can pull out the W in a seven-game series against a Carolina Hurricanes team that is the class of the division.

Still, why not us? At this point, the team is primed to make a run if they can put together some strong efforts with a bit of luck.

The Predators have passed the class, and they’re on to graduation. The playoffs are our extra credit, so let’s enjoy the run.

2017 showed us anything can happen, and maybe 2021 can show us more of the same. Regardless, let’s enjoy the playoff journey on which the Predators are about to embark.