Record - 45-30-7 (97 points), 5th in the Central Division
Goals For: 266 (12th in the NHL), Goals Against: 252 (16th in the NHL)
Leading Goal Scorer - Matt Duchene (43)
Leading Point Scorer - Roman Josi (96)
We now enter the top half of the league standings in our 32 in 32 preview, and we're starting with a team that I'm very high on as we start the preseason. The Nashville Predators were the last team to get into playoffs last season and the first to get bounced. Despite going 3-1 in the regular season against the Avalanche, they ended up getting swept in 4 games to the eventual champs. The Avs did an outstanding job shutting down the Preds top scorers, and the injury to all star goalie Juuse Saros was the nail in the coffin. Nevertheless, Nashville had a very good season and is looking to build upon it in 2023 with some new faces in the locker room.
They may have only been a wild card team, but it was still a record breaking season for the Predators. It was the first time in the team's history that a player reached the 40 goal plateau as well as eclipsed 90 points. Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg each scored 40 goals, with Duchene barely beating Forsberg out (43 goals to 42) for the most by a Predators' player in a single season. Roman Josi made history by not only breaking the franchise record for points in a single season with 96, but he had the most points by a defenseman in a season since Phil Housley tallied 97 points in 1993. A truly remarkable feat that in any other year wins Josi his second Norris Trophy in three seasons. Nashville has always been a grit and grind team, known for their outstanding defense and goaltending. So to see this high level of production from their top players isn't something we're used to.
There were other bright spots for this team down their lineup. Tanner Jeannot shined as one of the league's top rookies scoring 24 goals and finishing 7th in Calder voting. It wasn't so much his goal scoring that stood out, but rather his physical play. He finished 2nd in the league in hits, and 3rd in PIMs. He doesn't care who's on the ice, if you're in the play he's going to lay the wood and make sure every hit is felt by the guy on the receiving end. He's always willing to drop the gloves as he led the NHL in fights this year with 14. Jeannot a brick wall on the ice who showed in his first full season that he has no fear. Speaking of brick walls, Juuse Saros had his beat season since entering the league in 2016. With Pekka Rinne retiring at the end of the 2021 season, Saros took over as the full time starter and is continuing the long run of great goaltending in Nashville. Finishing 3rd in Vezina voting, Saros won 38 games for the Preds, which was also good for 3rd in the NHL. Look for him to be in the Vezina conversation yet again this year. He's an incredibly good netminder who gives his team a chance to win every time he takes the crease.
The Predators are currently in a competitive rebuild stage. Meaning that management isn't trying to have a complete overhaul, but rather make moves that aim for short and long-term success. I think GM David Poile has done just that. There's a reason Poile is the only GM the franchise has ever had. He's always made sure the team was good enough to be in the mix come playoff time. Since 2004, the Predators have missed the postseason just 4 times and have the second longest active playoff streak with 8 consecutive appearances. This past offseason, Poile acquired Ryan McDonagh via a trade with Tampa, as well as Nino Niederrietter, Zach Sanford, and Kevin Lankinen in free agency. Lankinen provides a nice safety net (no pun intended) in the goaltending department god forbid something happens to Saros. The others are perfect fits to the brand that is Predators hockey. They each bring size, physicality, toughness, and playoff experience. Poile was also able to resign Filip Forsberg to a well deserved 8 year extension, Jeremy Lauzon to a 4 year extension, and Yakov Trenin to a 2 year extension. Their playoff streak is sure to continue after making these additions.
For some odd reason, I wasn't sold on the Predators coming into last season. In hindsight, I have absolutely no idea why I doubted them. They had a solid roster with a great goalie, and were led by a good coach. Though his time in NJ wasn't the the most memorable, HC John Hynes had done more than a fine job for Nashville since taking over for Peter Laviolette in the 2020 season. I couldn't have been more wrong about them last year and I'm not going to doub them again this year. This team is legit. There are just a couple of things they need to better in to be a real threat in the West.
The main concern I have is their discipline. They were the most penalized team in the NHL with 392, with next closest team being Tampa with 358. Though they led the league in fighting majors with 59, you still can't be shorthanded this much if you expect to get anywhere in playoffs. Eventually, you're going to run into a team with a hot powerplay. It almost cost Tampa in the Conference Finals against the Rangers, and it did end up costing them against Colorado in the Cup finals. If they want to advance out of the first round for the first time since 2018, they'll need to stay out of the box. With the top ranking powerplay they have now, they should be letting their opponents make the mistake of putting them on the man advantage, not the other way around.
The other main question mark regards their second line center position that is currently filled by Mikael Granlund. Last year was one of Granlund's best, scoring 64 points. It's the first time since being traded to the Preds that he has accumulated 40 points for them, and the first time he's topped 60 points since 2018 when he was on the Wild. It's a massive rise in production in a role that requires one to consistently contribute offensively while also staying healthy, two things Granlund hasn't done since being traded to Nashville in 2019. He's still only 30, so he has some good years ahead of him. I just don't know how confident I am in him to be able to effectively center that second line for a full season.
This team managed to win 45 games in a tough division. I expect them to win even more this year. With the roster they have, the Predators are my dark horse to come out of the West this season. They have all of the pieces they need at every position and then some. If we see the same level of output from their top guys along with breakout performances from players like Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, and Dante Fabbro, then they will contend for not just a division title, but a Stanley Cup title as well. I'm very excited to see what the 2023 season has in store for these Preds. I'm sure the Broadway strip is ready to get after it again for a deep playoff run. They very well may get one this year.
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