Pool Outlook for Nashville

The Nashville Predators has not missed the playoffs in back-to-back years since they first made the playoffs in the 2004 season. Going into the 2014 season, the Predators had only missed the playoffs twice in the previous nine seasons, but coming out of the lockout-shortened season of 2013 without the playoffs, a return was necessary to keep the framework of the franchise together.

Unfortunately, missing the playoffs by three points, despite winning their last three games of the season, was the tipping point, as it cost the only coach that the franchise has ever known, Barry Trotz, his job.  With some newly-minted high priced talent on their roster, there was an expectation that the team would find their way back to the Spring Dance, but with how tight the West was down the stretch and some goaltending issues in the middle part of the season, the task was far greater than it was likely imagined at the start of the year.

The Predators have since hired on Peter Laviolette to now run their squad, the team's second coach in franchise history, and he'll take on a team that has one of the best franchise goalies in the league, a dominating force on their blueline and a youthful core group of players around them, which can only gain more confidence and be a difficult team to play against in years to come.

The Predators are the second team among those with Outlooks complete to have been led by a blueliner in the 2014 season, as their number one guy, Shea Weber, finished 3rd among all defensemen in pool scoring with 56 points (23 goals and 33 assists) in 79 games played in the year.  Weber was subject to a restricted free agent offer sheet in 2012 from the Philadelphia Flyers, which forced the hand of the Predators to accept the deal, which gave their captain an annual cap hit of $7.86 million per year.  Weber has not disappointed since that deal, but there is only so much one man can do for a team and carrying a team to the playoffs from the defensive position is not one of those things.

Continuing with the blueline start of the 2014 review, the Predators are another one of those teams that are building well from the blueline, as the next five defensemen in team scoring are all under the age of 25, led by Roman Josi, who had 40 points in 72 games, ranking him 26th in defenseman scoring in the league.  Ryan Ellis finished 60th with 27 points in 80 games and rookie Seth Jones finished with 25 points in 77 games, good enough for 68th.  Rounding out the fifth defenseman mentioned was Michael Del Zotto, acquired from the Rangers mid-season, as he finished with 16 points in 67 games between both clubs.

Up front, there isn't a great deal that is going to impress anyone in the hockey pool world, but they'll work hard every game and make an impact that way.  In 2014, Patric Hornqvist led the way for the Preds, finishing with 53 points in 76 games, good enough for 93rd overall in pool scoring, 68th among forwards.  At best, that would have been a 4th round pick in this year's draft, not quite excitement material.  Craig Smith (52 points in 79 games), Mike Fisher (49 points in 75 games), Matt Cullen (39 points in 77 games) and Colin Wilson (33 points in 81 games) rounded out the top five forwards on the team.  Fairly balanced scoring over a season, but they need to pack a real punch these days for playoff hockey.

In net, the team really felt the absence of their number one goalie, Pekka Rinne, who suffered a major infection in his hip, which he had surgically repaired in the off-season last year.  Rinne was supposed to be back in time to start the year and was on schedule, until the setback, early on in the year.  Rinne did manage a comeback, but didn't quite put up his regular numbers, winning 10 games and 2 shutouts for only 24 points.  In his stead, most of the work went to Carter Hutton, who won 20 games with 1 shutout and an assist for 43 points.

2015 Pool Outlook

With the number of players locked up for the 2015 season, 12 forwards, four defensemen and their likely goal pairing, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of change up coming for the Predators and until we see what their new coaching staff shows us what they plan to do with this squad, I don't think there is any reason why you shouldn't expect a lot of the same from Nashville next season.  Their team will continue to be a hot bed for defensemen, where you could likely take some chances on their young d-men in the upper rounds of the draft, trying to make up some value on the blueline and then add a 100% healthy Pekka Rinne and your pool team should look very reasonable down the stretch.  The forwards still appear to be a hodge-podge of depth talent for your pool team, but that's okay too.

One name that really jumps out in the new crop of Predators that we'll see next season is forward Calle Jarnkrok, who the team acquired from Detroit in the deal that sent David Legwand away at the deadline.  Jarnkrok was one of those top prospects for the Wings, who came to Nashville and made an immediate impact, scoring 9 points in 12 games.  I would assume that Filip Forsberg will get another solid chance to make an impact again with the Predators, while I would like to give Seth Jones his dues, as he had a great rookie season and has some real potential to improve on his numbers, assuming he stays away from the sophomore jinx.

Free Agency and the Salary Cap

Restricted free agency is going to be an important mission for the Predators, who have a couple of their key blueliners heading for new deals in Ryan Ellis and Michael Del Zotto.  Neither should really be up for big contracts, but they will need some new deals and I would have to believe that they are looking for deals that fit their potential.  Forward Nick Spaling and defenseman Mattias Ekholm are also up for restricted free agency as well.

Unrestricted free agency will be short & sweet for the Predators, as they only have to make decisions on four players, including goaltender Carter Hutton and forward Patrick Eaves.

The Predators, despite a couple of $7 million cap hit players, do not spend to the cap ceiling, remaining as a well-built budget team in the NHL and their numbers are quite impressive.  The 18 players that I have in the projected roster only comes in at $49.9 million, leaving $21.1 million in space before the ceiling.  I can see they only really need to fill a forward spot and a few defensemen spots and if they wanted to blow some cash, they could really make an impact.


The Nashville Predators will be picking in the number eleven spot at the NHL Entry Draft at the end of June and they should be able to find some good talent at this position.  Since the 2014 draft isn't very blueline heavy, I don't see the Predators looking to make a splash with a defender, likely going with one of the better forwards, trying to improve their scoring up front.  With the way I've seen the draft go to this point for the Preds, I think they can come away with some real talent down the middle, taking William Nylander, one of the top-rated European forwards, who has some real potential as a point-getter in the NHL, much like his father before him.  The Predators are rich in Swedish and Finnish talent, so a kid like Nylander could be the perfect fit.

It is going to be a new age for the Nashville Predators in 2015 and it will be something to watch, doesn't matter if they were to succeed for fail under a new head coach.  No matter what happens, their best players have to remain as their best players, as in Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne.  The franchise model looks pretty solid on its foundation, but the proof will be in the pudding, of course.

The basis of a prediction for the Nashville Predators will depend on how much offense they are able to find with the group that they have.  The Predators were 9th in the West in goal scoring and besides a kid like Jarnkrok, I'm not sure that I see enough there to help improve that number at all, at least on paper any way.  Laviolette will have his hands full trying to find some more offense, but they will definitely be able to win games on their defense, not to mention finding some offense from the blueline.  I am going to say that the Predators show some flashes in the 2015 season, but fall short again, as they way they are built right now, they won't show much for improvement on the 2014 season.