Honest Bender Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Having just completed what was in many ways the most successful season in franchise history, let's take a look at how the Nashville Predators reached game six of the Stanley Cup Final. Coming off of a game seven loss to the San Jose Sharks in the second round of the 2016 playoffs, there were high hopes and also questions. The first steps during the off-season saw the departure of veterans Paul Gaustad and Barrett Jackman, followed by the Jimmy Vesey saga coming to a conclusion. Vesey, a former third round pick of the Predators, refused to sign with them and opted instead to become a free agent. Predators GM David Poile managed to trade Vesey's rights to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third round pick. The entry draft followed with the Predators drafting defenseman Dante Fabbro in the first round. Fabbro, ironically, was excited to be selected by the Predators. He cited them as his favorite team due to his being a big fan of Predators captain Shea Weber. What makes this interesting is the trade that occurred shortly after... The Trade. It will go down as one of the biggest trades in NHL history. Predators captain Shea Weber traded to Montreal for P.K. Subban. The deal drew a mixed reaction from all sides. When the dust settled, many felt that the Canadiens had won the trade in the short term, while the Predators won the trade in the long term. After all, goaltender Pekka Rinne wasn't getting any younger and backup Juuse Saros still needed a year or two to develop into the starter that he is projected to be, Weber was declining while Subban would still be in his prime when Saros was ready. The free agent period was quiet as Poile opted to follow his usual playbook and sign several mediocre depth players. This season the biggest names brought in were defensemen Yannick Weber and Matt Carle who were expected to compete with Anthony Bitetto and Petter Granberg for the fifth, sixth and seven defenseman positions. Forward Harry Zolnierczyk and defenseman Matt Irwin were signed primarily to provide a veteran presence on the farm team Milwaukee Admirals. This season the NHL revived the World Cup of Hockey, a multi-nation tournament which took place alongside training camp. This is one factor that played into an inconsistent season for the team. Forward Filip Forsberg, defensemen Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm, and goaltender Pekka Rinne all participated in the tournament. This left Bitetto, Granberg and Ryan Ellis as the only defensemen on the roster who was not new to the organization or missing training camp for the World Cup. P.K. Subban was also limited having come off of a neck injury in the prior season. The 2016-17 Predators season was certainly known for inconsistency despite many pre-season predictions of great success for the team. EA Sports even predicted the Predators to win the Stanley Cup in their full season simulation. Yet with that much turn over on the blueline, it was certainly not a year that many would have expected. In game one, Bitetto was injured in a fight and suffered an extended absence. The result was Matt Irwin coming up to the pro club where he played well beyond expectations and made Bitetto irrelevant for the rest of the season. Matt Carle was exposed as beyond his usefulness in the NHL and he was waived after six games and subsequently retired from hockey. It took some time for the new group to gel, it seemed that nobody knew which role they would be playing or with which partner. Eventually the pairing settled down as... Ellis - Josi Subban - Ekholm Weber - Irwin Yet it wasn't until after the all-star break that they really figured it out and put everything together. During that time the team had a bad run of injuries, and goaltending which would run hot one month and cold the next. The forward group was led by Ryan Johansen centering a line with wingers Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Arvidsson had a hugely unexpected season, tying Forsberg for the team lead in goals with 31 and tying Johansen for the overall team scoring lead with 61 points. While that line (The JoFA) line enjoyed a breakout, the middle six and the fourth line were in a constant state of flux throughout much of the year. Team speed, toughness, leadership and defensive responsibility were an issue for much of the season, which obviously was one of the causes for the inconsistency. Prior to the trade deadline Poile waived controversial veteran Mike Ribeiro who was later found to have relapsed and re-entered a substance abuse program. He traded for fourth line players Vern Fiddler, Cody McLeod and P.A. Parenteau. That trio of forwards, although not the most talented, helped to increase the veteran presence on the team and settle down the fourth line. Young speedster Kevin Fiala was up and down most of the year but finally caught on towards the end of the season in a second line spot. Colton Sissons increased his workload and earned the coaches trust in more key situations while players such as Mike Fisher, Calle Jarnkrok, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson and James Neal played a game of mix and match on lines two and three. Eventually the Predators qualified in the second wild card position, the eight seed in the Western Conference and 16th seed in the NHL, drawing a first round matchup with the top ranked Chicago Blackhawks. Not the opponent they wanted, but the result of their inconsistent play and struggle to find their identity this season. Against the Blackhawks the Predators seemed to flip a switch into playoff mode, dismantling the powerhouse in a four game sweep that got the hockey world to take notice. Johansen and Subban were particularly good in shutdown roles against the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, while the Predators defensemen led the scoring attack. In round two the Predators finally matched up with long-time division rival St. Louis Blues. This matchup was much more physical than the Blackhawks series. Kevin Fiala went down with a broken leg in the first game, which severely impacted the depth of the Predators attack. This was a hard fought series which built upon some lingering bad blood between the squads. In the end, Rinne stood tall and the Preds dispatched the Blues in six games. This was the first time in franchise history that the Predators had won a second round series. The Western Conference Final pitted the Predators against the Anaheim Ducks, the team that the Preds had beaten a year before a seven game first round series. The series began with a lot of excitement and controversy surrounding the head-to-head matchup between Johansen and Ducks center Ryan Kesler. The Predators won the opening game on the road for the third straight series, but after four games the series was tied. A big blow was dealt to the Predators already thin forward group when Johansen suffered a season ending leg injury in game four, along with Mike Fisher going down with a head/face injury. This left a center group of Colton Sissons, Calle Jarnkrok, Vern Fiddler and Frederick Gaudreau to go up against the likes of Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. The scrappy kids pulled off two miracle wins against the Ducks (who themselves lost leading scorer Rickard Rakell and goaltender John Gibson) to close out the series and send the team to their first Stanley Cup Final. The final round was played against the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, featuring star players such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Matt Murray. For the first time in the playoffs, the Predators failed to capture game one on the road. Rinne seemed mortal again in the first two games, suffering a semi-breakdown in each game, allowing a flurry of goals which would seal the fate of the Predators. Coming home for games three and four, the Predators refocused and won both contests with ease, seemingly willed to victory by an intense Nashville crowd which had itself become a story line as the playoffs unfolded. However back in Pittsburgh for game five, the wheels fell off the bus. A 6-0 shelling embarrassed the Predators and they were unable to recover in game six despite being back on home ice. Murray and the Penguins shut them out for a second consecutive game, winning 2-0 and a repeat championship for Pittsburgh. Overall, despite a roller coaster regular season, the Predators put all of the puzzle pieces together and came up just short of the championship that many had predicted in the pre-season. There is a lot to be optimistic about in the future for the Predators. Fiala and Johansen are expected to return from injury either on time for the next season, or shortly after it begins. Several young players emerged and gained valuable experience and confidence including Fiala, Sissons, Gaudreau and Pontus Aberg. Expect Poile to address the second line center position and the third defense pairing as the Predators look to build upon the success of the 16-17 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest Bender Posted June 12, 2017 Author Share Posted June 12, 2017 Also, i'm not a professional writer by any stretch, so go easy on any grammar and spelling errors. I had fun putting this summary together and look forward to contributing more Predators content as offseason activities begin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fan4ever Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 @Honest Bender Great write up and great post season. It's a shame about all the injuries and it they do give you pause. Could it have been a different outcome? It was also great to see the fans support the team so well. I loved all the Mike Milbury stuff!!! Congrats on a great season and welcome aboard!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 @Honest Bender Wow! What a great write-up! Was pulling for the Preds. I was thoroughly impressed on how they man-handled and dismantled the Blackhawks in 4 games. I think the injuries really hurt you guys in the Finals and for whatever reason, Rinne had meltdowns in Pittsburgh. I expect the Preds to be in the thick of it again next year. Again...welcome to HF.net! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 On 6/12/2017 at 5:43 PM, Honest Bender said: Also, i'm not a professional writer by any stretch, so go easy on any grammar and spelling errors. I had fun putting this summary together and look forward to contributing more Predators content as offseason activities begin. Man you did a great job. Very well thought out and nice to read. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FD19372 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Great season for the Preds given they were an 8th seed. There's not much reason to think they can't get back to the Cup finals again with that top 4 defense and very solid goaltending. However, even with a healthy Fiala and Johansen along with their other young forwards like Aberg, Neal and Forsberg, I think they need a little more scoring up front. I expect them to have a better regular season next year, and a higher seed. Fear the catfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 @Honest Bender I enjoyed reading your well-written summary. Who could have predicted that the Predators would be in the SCF after the Weber / Subban shocking trade? I surely did not see that coming last summer. What a great post season and it surely put Nashville on center stage as a fun to watch hockey town. Looks like there will be another interesting off season too. I'll assume there are some leadership changes this summer. What happens with Fisher? Do the Predators bring him back for another season? -- I kind of doubt it as I think Josi will be named the next captain of the Predators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest Bender Posted June 14, 2017 Author Share Posted June 14, 2017 It's hard to get a read on what Fisher will do, he's been talking about retirement for the last three years now. I think he's certainly capable of coming back as a 3/4C and I think he'd also be satisfied with retirement. I assume he'd quickly find himself in some role with the organization. The next captain, certainly Josi is a front runner. Even though Neal wears an "A" I can't see him as a captain. A player I wouldn't be shocked to be named captain is Ryan Ellis. He stepped in a huge way in the absence of Shea Weber and halfway through the season Laviolette elevated him into the leadership core. Subban is another possibility, though I think he probably settles in as an alternate. At forward our glaring weakness is the second line center position. Sissons had a great playoff, but he also carried a very high 21% shooting percentage which will not be sustainable over the course of a regular season. He's much better suited to a 3/4C position. Which obviously is where Fisher belongs, and where Jarnkrok belongs, and where Gaudreau belongs. Lots of nice players there but they all have the same ceiling. Coming along in the system is Vlad Kamenev and Victor Ejdsell, but I don't think either is the answer for next season (Kamenev is probably closer). So a sign or trade is the only way to address this hole for next season. Matt Duchene is a possibility, pieces going to Colorado may include Dante Fabbro, draft picks and roster players such as Jarnkrok, Sissons, Aberg, Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsguy26 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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