For many, being only three points out of a playoff spot would provide a reason for optimism, but not for a large chunk of the fanbase of the Nashville Predators.
It’s a complex issue that’s been growing over the past few years, but there just seems to be no hope surrounding this franchise until wholesale changes occur from the top down. Until that happens, wins ring hollow and losses are amplified.
The latest loss for the Nashville Predators came at the hands to a division rival that they’re currently battling toe-to-toe with for a wildcard spot. It was a lopsided loss to the St. Louis Blues, a second-straight loss in the season series, and it got people reacting:
After last nights @PredsNHL loss in #stlblues the #preds now have a record of 21-18-6 (11-7-3 home 10-11-3 away) if they are going to make the playoffs the will need to go something like 22-10-5 or better in their last 37 games to make the playoffs
— Fleming Kyle (@KyleFleming326) January 20, 2023
It’s time. We need to talk about Johansen and Granlund. They’re $13M against the cap and are both below 0.60 pts/gm. Also as is said, +/- only matters when it’s an outlier. After tonight they are -12 & -13 respectively, by far the two lowest. #Preds #Smashville
— Boyd (@Boyd_1212) January 20, 2023
Reminder that David Poile and John Hynes—two people who have forgotten more about hockey than any of us plebeians know—think this is a playoff team. #Preds #Smashville
— Jeff Middleton (@jjmid04) January 20, 2023
Let’s say the Nashville Predators do creep into the playoffs and give us another rerun of losing in the first round. The disdain will grown even more and the dark cloud will get thicker.
It will take a full tear down to regain trust of the fanbase
I totally get the anger from fans and writers who cover the team who call out the poor product on the ice. This franchise has been stuck in the proverbial mud ever since their improbable run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
It will take a similar unexpected run in the postseason for the Nashville Predators to change anyone’s mind that this is a mediocre product going nowhere until significant front office changes occur, starting with the franchise’s only General Manager it has ever had, David Poile.
The desire isn’t even for this team to make the playoffs anymore. They could slip their way in like they’ve done several times in the past, but against the elite teams of the Western Conference, very few give the Predators even a puncher’s chance unless Juuse Saros puts on a postseason performance for the ages. Even then, confidence remains near rock bottom.
Saros is kind of both a blessing and a curse for some fans. He’s no doubt one of the best at his position in the world, making it so hard to commit to ripping apart the roster and building back from the bottom. Because Saros always gives you a chance.
So what will change this dark cloud over the Nashville Predators aside from front office changes?
Sure, firing Head Coach John Hynes would popular among many. Would it automatically fix these underlying issues of poor contracts and underperforming veterans? That is unknown.
What it comes down to is breaking away from these long-term contracts that can’t really be moved right now. Ryan Johansen, who was mentioned above by Body who writes for Penalty Box Radio, is a veteran that will need to be traded when his contract becomes easier to move on from.
Granlund has not been as good as advertised, and although a much smaller contract than Johansen’s, is still going to be difficult to move without taking a loss in the return you get. His play just hasn’t been high enough to warrant a lot of trade suitors.
Next Season Might be the Time to Break Everything Up
The sooner the core of this roster can be moved out and new blood can be moved in, the better this team can begin to grow into something better. It will take some time, but at least we’ll start seeing young talent shape the future.
We’re already seeing that to a degree with Juuso Parssinen, Cody Glass, Alexandre Carrier and Tommy Novak.
Yaroslav Askarov got his NHL debut not too long ago, and he showed flashes of greatness and played with a veteran confidence level. I’m leaving the door open to shop Kevin Lankinen if the Predators are way out of the playoff race at this time next month.
Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg are your only untouchables out of the veterans if the Predators end up missing the playoffs. Everyone else should be considered as tradeable either this season or certainly in 2023-24 if we’re still seeing the same results. Even Saros.
To go back to seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, we’re not going to get there until Poile moves on, either on his own decision or if he’s moved out by ownership. Hynes probably goes before Poile, and maybe a new head coach can speed the process up of changing the outlook to a positive one from the majority of the fanbase.
Fans can deal with losing if they feel they’re working towards a new future. A new product. A winning product that takes time to fully develop. That’s hasn’t happened really at all under Poile’s leadership, and with that there’s zero Stanley Cups to show for it.
You can argue they’re modestly pivoting towards that with elevated playing time for Glass and Parssinen, but it’s not really enough to appease the ineptitude in years past.
I just think fans are tired of the stale product. They’re tired of being “just good enough” to maybe make the playoffs, but nowhere near “great enough” for a Stanley Cup. These fans are passionate. They’re loyal. They’re also fed up, and you can’t blame them.
It’s going to take time and a major shakeup from the top down, and I don’t see that happening for at least another couple of years. I applaud them for caring and not being an indifferent fanbase that’s satisfied with average.