It’s that time of year again. The leaves are turning, there’s a crisp in the air, and a buzz around the great city of Nashville. Yes, football season has started, but I’m talking about Nasvhille’s newest love. Hockey season is finally upon us. The ice is in place at Bridgestone Arena and before we all know it, there will be meaningful games being played as the Nashville Predators look to finish off what they started last year and take home hockey’s ultimate prize.
It’s been a short offseason for the Predators, seeing as how they just ended their season a few months ago in June. Soon, the players will arrive in town and report for training camp. While most of the core is still intact, there have been a few departures. No more James Neal, Mike Fisher, Colin Wilson, Vern Fiddler, or Harry Z. While some of those roles are more difficult to fill than others, there are still a few roster spots up for grabs. The Preds will try to fill these holes with newcomers like Nick Bonino, Scott Hartnell, and a handful of youngsters. The big question is, are these young guns ready to step up and fill a full time role on the NHL club next season? If they are, watch out, the Preds will be right back contending for another chance at the Stanley Cup.
This will be a two-part series breaking down the Predators roster going into training camp and leading into opening night. The roster looks to be in great shape with a lot of depth. So let’s go ahead and jump right into it. First up, we look at the Predators forwards.
The Forwards
I’ll start by going over what could be the lines for opening night on October 5th against the Boston Bruins. While these lines will change several times throughout the season, it should at least give us an idea of what the Preds are dealing with this season.
The top line going into the season should be pretty obvious to anyone that paid attention during the last half of the season and the playoffs. I would be shocked if the first line was anyone but Forsberg-Johansen-Arvidsson. This group was on fire last season and seem to play really well together. The trio combined for 76 goals and 180 points last season. In case you were wondering, that’s pretty good. Look for more of the same this season.
The second line is where there can start to be some debate on who fits in where. The Predators brought in free agent Nick Bonino to center the second line, so we’ll start there. I think you could do several different line combinations depending on what the team is looking for. Bonino centered the infamous HBK line in Pittsburgh that did a ton of damage in the playoffs two seasons ago. That line had a great combination of skill and speed that drove defenses nuts. Do you put Fiala and Smith out there to try and replicate those results? You could even make the case for Hartnell to add some size and net presence to the line. That’s the way I’m leaning right now, so to start off the season I’m going with Hartnell-Bonino-Fiala.
Given who I’ve put on the first two lines, I think the third line should be pretty straightforward. I’m going with Jarnkrok-Sissons-Smith. This line should be very responsible defensively and have a little bit of scoring touch as well. Sissons and Smith seemed to have some chemistry when they played together last season, and Jarnkrok has the versatility to slide in on almost any line. Depending on face-off matchups, you could also switch Sissons and Jarnkrok.
Finally, we get to the fourth line. Most teams would have their fourth lines as a bunch of grinders, but the Preds are in a little bit of a different situation. Let’s start with who will center the line. You have to think that the job is Freddy Gaudreau’s to lose. He’s put in his time in the minors, and did everything you could have asked of him when his name was called in the playoffs. I think he’s proven he’s ready for an NHL job. For the wingers, I’m going with another youngster who made a name for himself in the playoffs and a veteran, Pontus Aberg and Austin Watson. This would give Gaudreau and Aberg a chance to get acclimated to the full time NHL job while playing in a smaller role with a veteran to teach them along the way.
That leaves us with Cody McLeod and Mikka Salomaki. Unfortunately, I think that players with McLeod’s skill set are going the way of the dinosaur. He seems great in the locker room, but I just don’t see a regular spot for him in the lineup. He’ll get the occasional game to dress, but more than likely, the majority of McLeod’s time will be spent in the press box.
As far as Salomaki, I hate to leave him off. He’s a guy that goes balls to the wall every time he’s on the ice, but with the Predators depth it will be tough to find regular ice time for him. The Preds may decide to keep him around once injuries hit, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him let go. It’s a tough call, but as they say, it’s a business.
Of course, the roster will be tweaked here and there as the season goes on and as injuries happen. A couple of players from the Milwaukee Admirals to keep an eye on for a mid-season call up would be Justin Kirkland, Yakov Trenin, and Vladislav Kamenev. In fact, Kamenev may even break camp with the Preds as news recently broke that Nick Bonino will be sitting out the preseason in hopes to be ready for the regular season. The team may elect to keep Kamenev up for a week or two just to be sure Bonino is ready.
So, there’s the breakdown of the Predator’s forwards. Even with the losses of key players from last year, you can see the team is still in great shape. There’s a lot of talented young guys that will be asked to fill substantial roles, but I’m confident they should be able to step up. Couple that with the key additions of Bonino and Hartnell, the Preds should once again be a major player in the Western Conference.
Next up, we’ll take a look at the strength of the Predator’s team, the defense and goaltending. Keep an eye out for it in the coming days. Until then, remember, we’re one day closer to hockey season.
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
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