**Rating system for “Plus/Minus” Series**
+3 = Major Upgrade
+2 = Upgrade
+1 = Slight Upgrade
0 = Same as prior year
-1 = Slight Dowgrade
-2 = Downgrade
-3 = Major Downgrade

Team: Nashville Predators
2010-11: 99 points, #5 in Western Conference

GOALIES

Returning: Pekka Rinne, Anders Lindback

Arrivals: N / A
Departures: N / A

Grade: 0

No changes in goal for the Preds, although the challenge will be locking up Rinne long term, who is a UFA in 2012.

DEFENSE

Returning: Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Jonathon Blum, Francis Bouillon, Kevin Klein

Arrivals: Brett Lebda
Departures: Cody Franson, Shane O’Brien

Grade: -1

Franson isn’t an impact player, but his departure hurts given that the player coming in is Brett Lebda. Another big loss will be that of Francis Bouillon if he is not fully recovered from his concussion. The reason this is not a -2 grade is because Nashville boasts one of the best group of D prospects in the entire league.

FORWARDS

Returning: David Legwand, Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist, Sergei Kostitsyn, Mike Fisher, Blake Geoffrion, Colin Wilson, Matt Halischuk, Nick Spaling, Jerred Smithson, Jordin Tootoo, Cal O’Reilly

Arrivals: Niclas Bergfors
Departures: Joel Ward, Steve Sullivan, JP Dumont, Marcel Goc

Grade: -2

The Predators lost some very good depth players, although none would be classified as bona-fide top 6 forwards. The -2 grade could easily be a -1 or 0 provided Geoffrion, Wilson and Halischuk take on more prominent roles. Having said that, Nashville could definitely use a top line winger, and will definitely be monitoring the trade market should one become available.

OVERALL RATING: -3
2011-12 Prediction: #7-#9 in Western Conference

The Nashville Predators will be one of those teams fighting for a playoff spot all year, especially given how tough their division is. I suspect they will either just get in or just miss out – although Head Coach Barry Trotz always has his team performing above expectations.

For the first time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators made it into the second round of the NHL playoffs. They have a savvy GM, a great head coach and a tremendous pool of young talent. Having that said, this is going to be a very challenging offseason for the Preds.

One area Nashville doesn’t have to worry about is in goal, as they are set with All Star Pekka Rinne and a giant of a backup in Anders Lindback. The Preds blueline is their bread and butter both in terms of their NHL personnel and their top prospects. The D is anchored by their top pair of Suter and Weber; which basically shut the Sedins down in the playoffs, despite losing to Vancouver. Up front, Nashville is still hurting from the loss of Radulov years ago, but under the radar additions like Sergei Kostitsyn, and the emergence of some of their prospects (Wilson, Geoffrion, Halischuk) explain why the low budget Predators make the playoffs year after year.

Other than potential trades, GM David Poile won’t be adding any major free agents with big contracts. He does, however, have some tough tasks this summer despite having over $26M in cap space. First and foremost, he must get Shea Weber signed long term, as he is slated to be a UFA in 2 years. Second of all, he needs to find an affordable veteran D who can play top 4 minutes on the left side, especially considering Bouillon’s questionable health status. Up front, he needs to deal with his RFA problem right away. The NHLPA filed a grievance that the Predators did not qualify them on time, so they could become UFAs soon. This list includes Kostitsyn, Spaling, O’Reilly and Halischuk. Finally, he needs to add a top 6 winger, which could prove very difficult and would require a creative trade; or it could be very simple in the sense that Alexander Radulov could return and immediately fill that void.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS 2011-12 ROSTER (using CAPGEEK CAP CALCULATOR)

FORWARDS
Sergei Kostitsyn (RFA) / Mike Fisher ($4.200m) / Patric Hornqvist ($3.083m)
Martin Erat ($4.500m) / David Legwand ($4.500m) / TOP 6 WINGER
Colin Wilson ($1.725m) / Blake Geoffrion ($1.062m) / Matt Halischuk (RFA)
Nick Spaling (RFA) / Jerred Smithson ($0.800m) / Jordin Tootoo ($1.250m)
Matthew Lombardi ($3.500m) / Cal O’Reilly (RFA)

DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Suter ($3.500m) / Shea Weber (RFA)
2ND PAIR LD / Cody Franson ($0.800m)
Jonathon Blum ($0.941m) / Kevin Klein ($1.350m)
Francis Bouillon ($1.350m)

GOALTENDERS
Pekka Rinne ($3.400m) / Anders Lindback ($0.875m)

BUYOUTS: J.P. Dumont ($1.333m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000
CAP PAYROLL: $38,170,833
CAP SPACE: $26,129,167

If the Nashville Predators can address all of their needs, odds are they will be a playoff team once again this year. Hopefully Matt Lombardi will be healthy this season, because if he is, he is yet another forward who can play on the top 3 lines and add to the tremendous depth they already have. A very good season is crucial, especially considering the 2012 UFA status of Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne, but that’s a subject for another day.

Sunday night the Predators tallied two points in a much needed victory, ending their four game skid.  The streak could not have come at a worse time, but then again it could not have ended at a better one.  While other teams like the red hot Chicago Blackhawks for example are doing what the Preds are not – tallying off points and gaining ground - Nashville continues to spin their wheels in an unfortunate, yet consistant pattern. 

So when they woke up yesterday morning they found themselves out of the playoffs.  Big deal.  There is still time left…or is there?  To make matters seem even worse they begin a four game road trip tonight against the Oilers.  The situation seems horrible and hopeless.  However,  it can still be viewed in two different ways.  You could see it as “ok, they’re playing the Oilers.  They have to take this game and pick up some much needed points on the road, because if they don’t start tonight, it’s over”.  OR, you could take it as “just find a way to scarp up some points.  We’re still in the thick of things for one of the last spots in the West and now we just have to stay alive through our final road trip and get back to the Bridge to play twelve of the last fifteen games at home” 

Take it however you want it, the fact of the matter is that the Preds do in fact need to take these four games, or at least turn them into points or something positive.  By doing so they would keep themselves alive in the race both in points and momentum.  If they can stay alive through these next four games they will get yet another chance to make their push, playing twelve of their final fifteen at home.  So the situation doesn’t seem so bad.  It can be done…but will it? 

Another question that seems to be lurking around lately is not only can they do it, but can it be done with this group?  With the trade deadline expiring yesterday there wasn’t much action going on.  In fact, none at all.  This may be another concern for the front office, the team, and the fans as the season comes to a close.  Sure, the unexpected injuries Nashville has suffered has set them back, and can partially be blamed for their inconsistency.  But now is not the time for excuses.  Nashville has to find a way to get it done with what they have. 

After the big trade for Mike Fisher back in early February you would have thought that the front office was confident with the roster they had, and they were .  However, with the significant injuries the team has suffered over the last few weeks things started to change, and all of a sudden this isn’t the roster David Poile had in mind.  So why wasn’t anything done?  Well, as I have mentioned before, trading for Fisher not only minimized the moves they can make with offering drafts picks but it also brought them closer to the cap, leaving little space for any large acquisitions. 

So this isn’t exactly the roster or the situation the Preds had in mind just a short month ago when the atmosphere was much more positive.  But it’s the roster and the situation they have to deal with if they want to make the best of a season that at one point showed a lot of promise.  So they might be down but they are not out…or are they?

Tuesday night against the Sharks the effort was there but in reality the Preds fell short in more ways than just the 2-1 score.  Nashville has yet to record an O.T victory this season (0-5).  Despite having a solid shootout record (6-3) they just can’t seem to close out games during the extra five minute frame.  On top of that, the Preds are a sub .500 team when it comes to 1 score games (13-15 – including O.T and S.O).  As a team, those aren’t exactly the stats you want following you as you’re pushing for a playoff spot.  Come April, May (and maybe even June) there is no such thing as a shoot out. 

In addition to all of that, last night the Preds were unable to tally a goal at even strenth while at the same time giving up 50 shots on goal.  This coming against a San Jose team which is just one of the many teams that Nashville is competing with for one of the top seeds in the West.  So with the inability to finish close games, a poor tunrover ration,  and the lack of a consistent offensive attack, we have to wonder if there is anything else that can be done to help this team right the ship?  Should they/can they make another move before February 28 or is this the same team we saw last year that beat themselves and slowly fell apart in the playoffs? 

Don’t get me wrong the Predators have the young talent (especially on defense), coaching, and personel to get to that next level and start winning these types of games.  The addition of Mike Fisher will only help and we should see that in due time, but  the reality is there just isn’t a whole lot of options left when it comes to tweaking the roster this season.  Much of it has to do with the little room they have left to manovuer under the cap.  This means the product we currently see on the ice may be what the Preds have to run with for the rest of the season. 

A lot of their big money is invested in the young defensemen they have chosen to lead their team (Shea Weber among others)., which is why I really can’t put my finger on why this team won’t click in ways that it should.  But there is still hockey to be played and plenty of opportunities to showcase what they can do.  Regardless of how that sounds, the clock is definately ticking.

So what will be done?  Well…that’s a question they may have to ask themselves…

       Saturday night has sparked some interest for Nashville fans as their Predators overcame a 3-2 deficit going into the 3rd period scoring 3 unanswered goals to post a 5-3 win Saturday night against the lowly Colorado Ave’s at the Bridge’.  It was just a few days earlier on Wednesday night that the Predators faced off against their division foe, pulling off another much needed victory in Detroit.  With these last few performances looking promising one can only hope it will provide the momentum needed to continue solid play as wemove in to the last portion of the season.  As of today, the Preds sit tied for the fifth seed in the Western Conference with 67 points, one point behind Dallas and Anaheim for the third spot in the West and sevenpoints back of the Red Wings for the number two seed and a division lead.  The Preds have 19 points in their last 16 games and will have five of the next seven games on their home ice, including the next three straight in this current four game home-stand.  However, like many teams in the NHL, the Predators lack consistency.  So the question is with just 26 games left and the schedule playing in their favor, is the time to make that playoff push now?  
        Over the past few months the inconsistent play has been pretty apparent.  December included a five game win streak followed by a five game losing streak.  This was followed by another win streak in which they tallied off six straight, followed by another show of inconsistency as they dropped 10 of 15.  Regardless of what has happened over these past months the Predators have put themselves in a position to make some noise going into the playoffs.  Let us not forget that this was a team that was less than 14 seconds away from going up 3-2 on the future Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks in the opening round of the last year’s playoffs.  Although this team may lack big name star power, it has the pieces in place to make a run.  But do they have what it takes?  It’s generally about this time of the year when the good teams separate themselves from the not so good.  Now more than ever seems to be the perfect time to make a run and gain that much needed momentum heading in to the playoffs.
        With the majority of what remains of their February schedule on home ice and the recent trade for Mike Fisher, these next few weeks are crucial for the Preds and their front office.  The next 7  games will be against teams considered Western Conference playoff contenders.  These teams include the red hot San Jose Sharks (who are 9-2-1 in their last 12games), the Phoenix Coyotes (who currently sit tied with the Preds at 67points a piece) and the conference leading Vancouver Canucks.  It will be interesting to see how the Preds match up against some of these teams at this point in the season.  Who knows, maybe before the end of this 7game stretch GM David Poile will decide if the Mike Fisher trade was enough or if any other last minute moves are needed before the February 28 deadline.  Regardless of what happens, with just a month and a half left to go in the season, the time to get consistent and the time to make a push is NOW.

Is that Carrie Underwood I see at the next home game?…the one after that…and the one after that?  Why yes it is!  Let the Mike Underwood-Fisher era begin!  For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, the new Mr. Fisher in town is hitched to Country Music Star Carrie Underwood. 

The Nashville Predators brass just made a BIG commitment to winning their first playoff series in franchise history.  Now it’s time for the boys on the ice to do the same.  If there was a player available by the NHL trade deadline that could help the Predators the most, Mike Fisher may just be the man for the job. 

Let us take a look at the trade details.  Nashville acquired Mike Fisher for their 1st round selection in the 2011 NHL entry draft and a conditional draft pick.  The conditional pick will be a 3rd round selection in the 2012 NHL entry draft if the Predators win one playoff series, and can become a 2nd round selection in the 2012 NHL entry draft if the Preds win two or more series.  Fishers’ cap hit currently sits at $4.2 million, although he will be paid the remainder of his $4.0 million dollar salary this season, another $4.0 next season and $3.0 million in 2012-13 which would conclude the 5 year/21 million dollar deal he originally signed with Ottawa.  At the end of the deal Fisher will be an UFA. 

To understand what he brings to the table here is a statistical breakdown of Mr.Fisher: this season in 55 games he has recorded 14 goals and 10 assists, compiling 33 PIM.  His +/- is at -19, but that is expected when playing for the lowly Senators.  He has totaled 132 shots on goal averaging 2.4 shots per game while tallying 3 PP goals.  The stats that may jump out most are the 59 blocked shots he has accumulated which lead all Ottawa forwards in that category, as well as the 91 hits which ranked him second on his former team. 

Fisher provides Nashville with some strong leadership and always important John Wayne/Jeff Bridges “TRUE GRIT” attitude.  Fisher is a well known fantastic 2-way centerman who averaged 18:25 of total ice time mixing in 1:40 short handed and 2:34 on the power play so far this season.  He has been roughly a 50% faceoff winner throughout his career, although he sits at 48.4% for the current year.  His career totals of 675 games, 167 goals and 181 assists to go along with 66 playoff tilts will certainly come in handy down the stretch.  Is this the perfect Barry Trotz centerman?  If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.  What an addition! 

Fisher was originally drafted by Ottawa in the 2ndround(44thoverall) in the 1998 NHL entry draft.   That same year the Predators took David Legwand with the 2nd overall pick preceded by Vincent Lecavlier.  Fisher could be tabbed as possibly one of the 5 best players taken in his draft year that included late draft choices such as Pavel Datsyuk (6th round) and Andrei Markov (6th round) to name a few.  It is unknown how Trotz will exactly use Fisher, but the options seem to be limitless.  Only time will tell, but as of today I can’t seem to wipe the grin off my face!

Here is the official roster come game night

FORWARDS
Wade Belak
J.P. Dumont
Martin Erat
Marcel Goc
Patric Hornqvist
Sergei Kostitsyn
David Legwand
Matthew Lombardi
Cal O’Reilly
Jerred Smithson
Steve Sullivan
Jordin Tootoo
Joel Ward
Colin Wilson
DEFENSEMEN
Francis Bouillon
Cody Franson
Kevin Klein
Shane O’Brien
Alexander Sulzer
Ryan Suter
Shea Weber
GOALTENDERS
Anders Lindback
Pekka Rinne

*Jamie Lundmark will be on the IR

Looks pretty solid to me. I must confess, I’ve been a bit slow reporting the Jonas Andersson and Ryan Parent trade because I was expecting the Predators to make another move. While I really don’t approve of the trade with the Canucks (Shane O’Brien is a penalty magnet) it certainly solved the logjam that the Preds had at the blue line and up front. Parent was signed for two years, almost guaranteeing one of Josi, Blum, or Ellis would not have a shot at a roster spot next season. Although I thought Parent was our 4th best D-man at camp, I guess management wanted someone with more experience and size. They certainly found that with O’Brien. I just pray O’Brien’s notorious lust for parties doesn’t burn Broadway to the ground…

Either way, welcome to Nashville Shane!

Let’s get this thing started!

So we are officially a week away from the puck dropping in Nashville. Here are a couple of updates in case you missed the past week of camp…

1. Sergei Kostitsyn is still raw. Yes he has dynamic playmaking abilities, but he still needs to focus on his defensive game and adjusting it to Barry Trotz system. I think the main reason Sergei seemed to be out of sync at camp has more to do with a new team rather than disinterest. Sergei will be a great fit in Music City.

2. Anders Lindback is the real deal. The 6’6 Swedish goalie looks like a solid back up for Pekka Rinne. Poile said on the radio yesterday that he expects Rinne to start somewhere between 60-70 games this year. I expect Lindback to start 17 games. By the way, with Rinne at 6’5 and Lindback at 6’6 Nashville has the tallest goaltending tandem in the league! That doesn’t leave much net to shoot at! Congrats to the big man in net.

3. Jonas Andersson is really really really fast. Anyone you beats Matthew Lombardi in speed skating drills has to be pretty darn good if you ask me. It looks the Predators’ 2nd round pick in 1999 may actually amount to something after all. I expect Andersson to not only make the team, but round out the top 9… probably on a line with David Legwand and J.P. Dumont

4. Patric Hornqvist will not slow down this season. From what I have been able to see of him in camp, Hornqvist has shown no signs of slowing down after getting a new contract. He has shown a lot of heart out on the ice. I was concerned he may not be able to live up to expectations this season, but wow this kid is impressive. I originally had him slotted for 50 points this season but I am going to change that to 60. I really feel like Hornqvist is a super star in the making. Indeed, Patric Hornqvist is till the Super Swedish Viking.

5. The Power Play is still the Flower Play. Up until the last preseason game, the Predators Power Play was 1-26. That is disgraceful.

One week until hockey! I will update ya’ll on line combinations as soon as I get them! Take care!

Can you feel it? Do you wish they would flood a lacrosse field so you could watch a real sport? Do you notice cars that remind you of Zamboni’s? Is your idea of a great Halloween mask a face crushed against the glass?
If so, you have “hockeyitis”. But fear not, help is coming soon.

The leaves are already changing here in Oxford, Ohio. With the drop in temperature comes the promise of a new season. I am not referring to that sissy sport they can only play once a week. I’m talking about hockey- NHL style. For months the NHL fans have been in a collective hibernation: only to wake up momentarily for any Ilya Kovalchuk sightings.

Though I am five and a half hours away from the team I love, I can feel the anticipation every fan in Nashville has for the upcoming season. Master and commander David Poile has been uncharacteristically busy this offseason, adding and removing players to generate excitement and wins and fit in his small budget. Gone are Hamhuis, Arnott, and Dan Ellis. Enter Lombardi, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Parent. While these guys might not be big names, they certainly will have a chance to prove themselves in Music City USA.

While Nashville’s lineup won’t dazzle anyone[Rydburg Jeff] interested in high visibility high cost stars, there is enough talent and grit (not to mention heart) to get the job done. I don’t expect Nashville to light up opposing goaltenders, however, I do expect them to win a lot of 3-1, 2-1 hockey games this season. Let’s take a look at my projected roster for the season opener…

Here is my take on what the lineup will be opening day…

Sullivan-Wilson-Hornqvist
Kostitsyn-Legwand-Ward
Dumont-Lombardi-Erat
Smithson-Goc-Tootoo
Belak (as necessary)

Weber-Suter
Klein-Bouillon
Parent-Franson
Blum

Rinne
Lindback

Like I said, that lineup isn’t exactly San Jose… but it certainly isn’t Toronto either. The Predators will have a hard time consistently scoring, but I think they will have just enough offense to punch to put in 225 goals this season, slightly above last years 217.

There will be big expectations for the Pred’s young players, especially for Colin Wilson who will assume the role as the team’s top center. Personally, I think Wilson is ready for the challenge. He is a physically gifted two-way forward who has good play making abilities. I am expecting a 45 point season for Wilson this year. People have grossly exaggerated Jason Arnott’s presence on this team. Wilson will be able to step in and do a fine job.

Patric Hornqvist will also have to live up to high expectations after scoring 30 goals last season and leading the team in total points (51). I expect Hornqvist to continue his net crashing this season and notch 50 points.

Cody Franson and Ryan Parent will have high expectations. Nashville fans have extremely high hopes for Cody Franson. The kid produced last season, tallying 21 points in 61 games played. I fully expect Franson to break 30 points this season.

Preds fans will remember Parent as part of the Fopa deal from the 06-07 season. Poile traded Dan Hamhuis’ rights for Parent in what turned out to be a great deal for Nashville due to Hamhuis not signing with Philly. While Parent certainly has some question marks and health concerns, he still has the potential to be a shutdown D man in the NHL.

There will also be a demand for veterans to step up and produce this year.

Steve Sullivan has been a staple for this team for years. While the ball of lightning is getting up there in years, Sullivan is still a crafty forward. Remember, old age and trickery always overcomes youth and skill. Sullivan will have a good year, probably in the neighborhood of 50 points.

David Legwand, love him or hate him, will always be David Legwand. While he has the potential to absolutely a monster offensively, his defensive game will always be his calling card. If Legwand is given the right linemates (not Marty Erat) I think he will post about 50 points this season.

Martin Erat will be Martin Erat. He is Mr. Consistency when it comes to his scoring ability in Nashville. He has consistently posted 50 point campaigns since he entered the league, and I don’t expect that to change.

JP Dumont had a rough season last year, only tallying 45 points after posting 72, 65, and 66 points in his prior years. JP was even demoted to third line duty midway through the year. JP redeemed himself in the playoffs, tallying 4 points in 6 games played. Dumont and Legwand really clicked together last season so I hope their chemistry continues.

Lastly, we get to goaltending where Pekka Rinne will be crowned the starter. I expect Pekka to play close to 70 games this season. While I have Lindback slotted for the back up position, there really isn’t a favorite for the back up position at this time.

The biggest concern for the Predators this season will be the abysmal power play that failed them in both the regular season and the playoffs. A pathetic 16.4% isn’t going to impress anyone. The Predators are hoping that newly added forwards Matthew Lombardi and Sergei Kostitsyn will help power play.

Yes the season is changing. The weather is cooling… but hockey is firing up! It starts today when the Predators have their first on ice practice.

The Predators are on the prowl.

Sorry for the brevity of the last post, but I was in the middle of my Colonial Literature class when I got the news. It has been confirmed, Cody Franson has signed a two year deal with the Predators worth a total of 1.6M. Cody had an outstanding rookie campaign, tallying six goals and adding fifteen assists in sixty-one games. Not too shabby for a rookie. This signing rounds out Nashville’s blueline for next season… even though that the log jam for position is scary. Take a look…

Weber/Suter
Boullion/Klein

Those are the guys that have locked spots… but take a look at the youngsters that are battling for those last positions…
Blum
Franson
Parent
Ellis
Sulzer
Laakso
Johnson

That is a ton of youngsters battling for a spot on the big club. Most people, myself included, feel Parent and Franson should be locks by the time camp is done, but don’t be surprised if the Predators try Ryan Ellis out for a few games before sending him back down to Windsor.

Let the battle BEGIN!

Speaking of battles, has anyone been paying attention to the war former Predator netminder Dan Ellis created on twitter on labor day? Because I really don’t consider it news worthy, I am going to ignore all the hoopla and just say I agree with Dan. An 18% salary cut is an 18% cut, no matter how much you are making. I would be just as frustrated if I were in Ellis’ shoes. If you want to follow the drama, check out Dan Ellis’ twitter and give him more hits. I am sure he would appreciate it.