NHL Central Division preview: Nashville Predators
As NHL training camps get set to open this week, here's a brief look at what to expect from the Blackhawks' Central Division foes this season.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS Record: 41-27-14, 96 points, fourth place
Postseason: Lost in seven games to San Jose in second round.
Key additions: Defensemen P.K. Subban and Matt Carle.
Key losses: Defensemen Shea Weber, Barret Jackman and forward Paul Gaustad.
The skinny: Nashville and Montreal pulled off the Trade That Shook the Hockey World when the two teams swapped franchise defensemen P.K. Subban and Shea Weber on June 30. Subban is four years younger than Weber but not nearly the offensive force, having scored 31 goals the past three seasons to Weber's 58. Still, that age gap could come into play soon and many analysts believe the Predators got the better end of this deal.
Subban joins a D-corps that may be the best in the NHL and features Roman Josi (42 goals past three seasons), Mattias Ekholm (8 goals last season) and Ryan Ellis (19 goals in past two). All four are 25-27 years old and in the prime of their careers.
Offensively, Nashville is led by 22-year-old Filip Forsberg, who signed a six-year, $36 million deal in the off-season, and James Neal. It will also be interesting to see how center Ryan Johansen (14G, 46A) fares in his first full season with the Predators after coming over in a midseason trade with Columbus.
Having said all that, Pekka Rinne is the key here. The supposed all-star goalie needs to play like an all-star, and not like he did last season when he ranked 26th in save percentage among goalies with 40 or more starts. If that happens, the Predators may just go a long, long way this season.