In the infamous words of Randy Quaid in Independence Day – “Hello boys! I’m BAAAAAAACK!” Yes, ole Herbie is back for season 2 of Hockey Tonkin’ and ready to roll. The Preds’ season starts Thursday night in New York against the Rangers so I figure now would be as good a time as ever to kick off the weekly columns. I better do something around here or Stoney might fire me. Gotta pay the bills somehow.
It’s been a while since we last talked a little hockey. Obviously, the season didn’t end the way we all hoped, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a successful season. The Predators won their first ever Central Division Championship, the Presidents’ Trophy, and set the franchise record for points in a season. Even with that, the team and fans both ended the season with a bitter taste in their mouth. Losing in the second round to the Winnipeg Jets wasn’t what we had all hoped for. The bar has been raised. No longer is a second round exit acceptable. The team and the fans both expect more, and that’s a sign of a franchise that’s on the rise. So what questions do the Preds face this season? What do they need to do to be the last team standing come June? Let’s dive into that a bit.
THE GOALTENDING SITUATION
You may be asking yourself, why would goaltending be a question mark? Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy and Juuse Saros is one of the best young goalies in the league? I wouldn’t say goaltending is a concern for the Predators, but if you remember, Rinne didn’t have the best playoffs last season. It was an incredible run for him during the regular season, but maybe it was fatigue? The defense took the postseason off? Whatever the reason, Rinne never stole a game for the Preds in the playoffs. He will also be turning 36 this season. So my question is, can he return to Vezina caliber play and how many starts do they give Saros? It’ll be interesting to see how Peter Laviolette splits up the starts between the goalies.
DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PLAYERS
The Preds have some highly touted offensive players waiting to take the next step. Kevin Fiala leads the group with a very successful 2017-18 campaign. Can he take the next step in his development and become the offensive weapon to put Nashville over the top? He’s been getting some time with Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg on the top line in the preseason. Does he supplant Viktor Arvidsson on the first line? Or was it just an experiment to see how things looked?
Of course, there’s another young star waiting in Milwaukee. Top prospect Eeli Tolvanen. While many people wanted to see the young stud start in Nashville, I agree with letting him get acclimated with the Admirals. He’ll get a lot of playing time down there and be ready to rock once he gets the call. That’s of course if he doesn’t head back to the KHL after his ten games in the AHL is up. I think that would only hinder his progress, but you never know. I have a feeling he was sent down with the handshake agreement of calling him back to Nashville as soon as he says he’s ready.
The development of these two young guns could go a long way in Nashville’s success this season.
SECONDARY SCORING
Outside of the first two lines, where will the offense come from? We’re all pretty confident that the JOFA line will get theirs. The Smith/Turris/Fiala line was pretty effective in the regular season, even if they fell apart in the playoffs last year. Who can the Preds rely on to score outside of those two lines? When you’re talking Predators, you know the defense will play a large part in that. Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, a healthy Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm should provide some offense. Can the Preds trust players like Nick Bonino, Calle Jarnkrok, Ryan Hartman, and Colton Sissons to provide some punch?
The Preds return most of their roster that was the best regular season team in franchise history. They’re going to be a legit contender again this year and for the next several years. Forsberg is turning into a bona fide star along with the all-world blue line that David Poile has built. I’m extremely confident in the goalie combo of Rinne and Saros. This team is in great shape. The biggest question is can they get over the hump? Can this team win 16 games in June and win the Stanley Cup? The Central Division and Western Conference will be tough, but I believe this Preds team can go toe to toe with anyone in the league. It’ll be another great season this year in Smashville. I’m pumped for it and I hope you are too.
Herbie Brooks is the Lead Hockey Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
