Nashville Predators: 3 Reasons For Encouragement This Season

The Nashville Predators Got Their Act Together

Last season, while answering a question from Robby Stanley of ESPN’s 102.5 The Game, Ryan Johansen uttered those famous words that found their way into the daily lexicon of social media and even onto a t-shirt. “We’re vibin’ Robby.”

Johansen had never spoken truer words.

Before Nashville’s epic turnaround last season, the team was dismal. They had a 1% chance of making the playoffs, and the locker room was in such disarray that it almost brought Captain Roman Josi to the point of swearing on national television.

At the midpoint of last season, something clicked with the Predators. They had finally bought into Head Coach John Hynes’ system, were playing like a team on a mission, and Juuse Saros was putting up Vezina Trophy-like numbers.

Even with the departure of some players, the Predators accomplished a lot last season and have tons of momentum to build on this season. They have to settle in early, not panic when bumps in the road arise, and make sure Saros is comfortable in the net.

At one point, Nashville had one of the longest winning streaks in the NHL last season, and their hard work earned them an unlikely invitation to the playoffs. However, with the determination and grit displayed last season, there is no reason they shouldn’t perform similarly this season.

Three Players With Something To Prove

The Predators got a taste of what the team is ultimately capable of last season. It is a guarantee that they want to replicate that on a larger scale during this upcoming 82-game season.

Captain Roman Josi, Associate Captain Filip Forsberg, and Associate Captain Mattias Ekholm will be on a mission to make certain their young team is up to the task and competing on an even higher level than they were at last season’s end.

Both Forsberg and Ekholm are in the final years of their contracts and will be looking to ramp up their performances in preparation for shiny new contract extensions from GM David Poile.

Josi will be steering the ship as he enters his fourth season as Captain. There is no doubt his words in the locker room behind closed doors and off the ice propelled this team to play at a higher level. His words will need to be heeded once more as the challenge of a new season arises.

As the Predators enter their “competitive rebuild,” we can feel confident that the leadership of this team is firmly in place and will be doing whatever they have to to ensure success.

The Youth Movement Is In Full Effect

Another catalyst of success last season for the Predators was the younger players earning their places in the lineup and succeeding on the NHL stage. This season will be no different.

If one good thing came out of last year, it was the ability to use Taxi Squad players to fill in during the shortened and fast-paced season. In addition, the Taxi Squad gave some Nashville prospect players some great opportunities to showcase their skills.

The ability of these young players to practice and travel with the normal roster of players gave them invaluable experience that they may not have gotten otherwise. Due to injuries or other unforeseen reasons, several players flourished and gained confidence in their roles on the team.

Alexandre Carrier is a perfect example. Last season, his tenacity and hard work helped him earn his place on the team and cemented his name on the roster for this season. With the departure of Ryan Ellis, Carrier will more than likely find himself in the top defensive pairing with Josi.

Other prospect players such as Philip Tomasino, David Farrance, and Rem Pitlick are itching to show what they can do in training camp to try to earn their spot on the team.

Players already on the roster like Tanner Jeannot and Eeli Tolvanen will be counted on to make an even bigger impact this season than last. Fans everywhere are expecting these two players to step up and have banner seasons this year.

The Predators have some great players in their pipeline, a few who we will probably see at some point this season. This mixture of youth and veteran leadership should make for a great team capable of raising some eyebrows in the Central Division and the NHL as a whole this season.