Now that it is the offseason, we've got time to settle in and break down the numbers from your current crop of Nashville Predators and see how they're doing compared to every other member of the franchise.
We did this last year and saw some big jumps all over the place. This year was...less successful, but some newcomers broke in and made rapid rises up the franchise record list. Let's also keep in mind, any Predators player who recorded a point last year, automatically jumps 74 players who never got on the scoresheet. There have been 365 players who have played for the Predators. This is the story of the current ones, or at least those who've managed to record a point.
Nicolas Hague & Nick Perbix - Not Listed
Both defenders are going to make their Predators debuts this season, and surely will end up somewhere on the list. Perbix is a decent bet to hit the 20-point mark, which is as much as Rich Peverly, Martin Gelinas, and Darcy Hordichuck. Hague is a better bet for 15 points, which, if you can believe it, ties him with Pekka Rinne on the all-time list.
Matthew Wood & Ozzy Wiesblatt : 1 Point (0 Goals, 1 Assist) 291st and 290th All Time
Both of these guys go their first NHL cups of coffee towards the end of last season. Wood ends up lower on the list by virtue of having played one more game than Wiesblatt (6 games to 5.) You can pencil in Wood a little bit ahead of Wiesblatt, being that Wood is a homegrown prospect, but Wiesblatt was really good in the AHL last year.
Wood and Wiesblatt both should move up the list, but the real question is how much of a chance will each guy get?
Andreas Englund: 2 Points (0 Goals, 2 Assists) 253rd All Time
Englund played 24 games in his first Predators action, after the blue line had been systematically disassembled by injuries and the waiver wire. He's been a 7th defensman type, making more of an impact physically than on the scoresheet, and he might get edged out of the lineup early on, especially with Hague and Perbix joining the team.
If he's able to chip in just 2 more points, he'll reach the number put up by Brad Richardson and Jamie Allison.
Jordan Oesterle: 4 Points (3 Goals, 1 Assist) 210th All Time
Finally, a goal scorer, in the sense that finally someone who has scored a goal. Oesterle was another midseason addition who bolstered a blueline that was flailing. He's been a spot starter on most of his NHL runs, except for Arizona, where everyone gets a shot.
Now, he's on a two-way deal, so he might not even get NHL time, but then again, maybe he will. With another 4 points, he'll join Cody Hodgson in the 170s.
Michael Bunting: 9 Points (5 Goals, 4 Assists) 166th All Time
Yes, Michael Bunting is in the top half of Predators all-time scoring with just 9 points. His 18 games after coming over in a trade were promising. Now he'll get to run and gun with a Predators team that isn't playing wounded, and one that will be highly motivated.
Bunting hasn't had the most consistent career. He had two good years in Toronto after breaking in with the Yotes, before mixed results in Carolina and Pittsburgh, leading to being traded out of both locations. In Nashville, he's got a GM who seems to love him in Barry Trotz, so we'll see if he finds his ceiling again. Either way, he should be a shoo-in for 30 points, which puts him all by himself at 94th, right between Rem Murray (36 points) and Kiefer Sherwood (40 points).
Justin Barron: 12 Points (5 Goals, 7 Assists) 151st All Time
An in-season trade sent Alexandre Carrier to the Canadians and Barron back to the Predators. Carrier enjoyed being back in Quebec, while Barron needed some time to make the adjustment to Music City.
Eventually, he did, and proved that he can contribute on the offensive side. He needs to nail down his play on the back end and keep throwing hits, blocking shots, and getting the puck moving in transition. If he does that, and tacks on another 15 or so points, he gets up to 27 total points, and ties Tyson Barrie, whose beer is better than his Nashville Predators tenure.
Zachary L'Heureux: 15 Points (5 Goals, 10 Assists) 141st All Time
It was a decent rookie showing. He didn't play a ton of minutes (12:03 per game), but L'Heureux was throwing his weight around quite often. He racked up 198 hits, and chipped in during his limited role.
In year two, we're clearly looking for a ramp-up from him, and he did show some offensive promise. He needs to throw more shots at the net (he only had 78 on goal), but he should have some better running mates. Ideally, he's going to be in the 25 to 30 point range, which puts him in Cody Glass (83rd overall with 49 points) and Paul Gaustad (82nd with 50 points) range.
Nick Blankenburg: 16 Points (4 Goals, 12 Assists) 136th All Time
This was one of the few positive stories from the season. Blankenburg proved he could really play. In a limited role, he found a way to produce. We'll see where he falls in the new defensive pecking order and if he's a full-season player.
His 16 points last year tied him with the always entertaining Rich Clune. Another 12 ties him with Jeremey Lauzon, a fan favorite surprisingly traded this offseason.
Fedor Svechkov: 17 Points (8 Goals, 9 Assists) 132nd All Time
He didn't get a full season in, but Svechkov got off to a good start to his career. He showed that he's full of talent, and he'll be in line for extra ice time now. He was playing a pretty protected 12-13 minutes, but with a minutes increase, we should see some bigger point totals from him.
If he's up to 30 points, then he'll tie Juuso Parssinen, one of the guys who moved out to make sure Svech had a lineup spot last year.
Erik Haula: 21 Points (9 Goals, 12 assists) 119th All Time
Back with the Predators for a 2nd stint, Haula can continue his slow climb up the Predators 'all-time rankings again. At 34, Haula is still very good on the defensive end, but some of the offensive pop he was once known for is slipping away. If he can play a full 82, he should be in the 35 to 40 point range without much issue, but he's never played a full 82.
Let's err on the conservative side and give him 25 points. That'd rest him at 46 points, all alone between Rob Valicevic and Scott Nichol.