Welcome to Nashville
By: Kevin Dolan
The winds of change are blowing in the Music City. After two straight seasons missing the playoffs, the only GM the Predators have ever known, David Poile, decided it was time to remove Barry Trotz, the franchise’s only coach in its 15-year existence. Trotz is a fantastic coach that employed a defensive system in the traditionally more offensive Western Conference. However the Predators’ season suffered when Pekka Rinne was sidelined with an E. coli infection that kept him out most of the season.
Poile has since replaced Trotz with former Flyers coach, Peter Laviolette. Laviolette is known for his offensive tendencies, but more notably, he was the bench boss when Carolina defeated Edmonton in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. Laviolette is going to bring an edge that was missing the past couple of years. Many new faces are projected to be in the lineup opening night and some of them have something to prove.
James Neal was sent to Nashville from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist. With the Penguins in a salary cap crunch, the talented winger who clicked with Evgeni Malkin was the odd man out. Some are skeptical if Neal can replicate the success he had in Pittsburgh, especially since Nashville was missing a number one center at the time. That was until the Predators landed both Mike Ribeiro and Olli Jokinen.
Ribeiro and Jokinen are both veterans in their twilight years. Jokinen can still put up points but he can be inconsistent. Although, now on a Nashville team that lacks offense, he can be a crucial playmaker and be an offensive catalyst. Ribeiro is a big question mark going into this season. He was just bought out after the first year of a four year deal with the Arizona Coyotes. The buyout was attributed to Ribeiro’s “behavioral issues.” Many teams avoided the 34-year-old center, so Poile acquired Ribeiro for a cheap one year, $1.05M deal. This could be Ribeiro’s last chance in the NHL. Expect him to play with urgency this season so he can prove his worth to the rest of the league.
The veterans will have their spots, but the Predators also boast a very good farm system. Their farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals, have been vital to the development of many players including Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Suter, and Vernon Fiddler and current Predators Roman Josi, Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne just to name a few. Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok are both hoping to join that list. Forsberg was acquired in a trade with Washington for Martin Erat. Calle Jarnkrok was part of this past season’s trade deadline deal between the Predators and the Red Wings that saw David Legwand depart for Detroit. Forsberg and Jarnkrok seem to be ready for the NHL. When training camp comes along in September, both players will be right in the mix.
The Predators have undergone their most dramatic offseason in their history. They have a new coach and many established players from other teams. And with Rinne back at 100% between the goal posts, the fans in “Smashville” have a lot to be excited for.
By: Kevin Dolan
The winds of change are blowing in the Music City. After two straight seasons missing the playoffs, the only GM the Predators have ever known, David Poile, decided it was time to remove Barry Trotz, the franchise’s only coach in its 15-year existence. Trotz is a fantastic coach that employed a defensive system in the traditionally more offensive Western Conference. However the Predators’ season suffered when Pekka Rinne was sidelined with an E. coli infection that kept him out most of the season.
Poile has since replaced Trotz with former Flyers coach, Peter Laviolette. Laviolette is known for his offensive tendencies, but more notably, he was the bench boss when Carolina defeated Edmonton in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. Laviolette is going to bring an edge that was missing the past couple of years. Many new faces are projected to be in the lineup opening night and some of them have something to prove.
James Neal was sent to Nashville from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist. With the Penguins in a salary cap crunch, the talented winger who clicked with Evgeni Malkin was the odd man out. Some are skeptical if Neal can replicate the success he had in Pittsburgh, especially since Nashville was missing a number one center at the time. That was until the Predators landed both Mike Ribeiro and Olli Jokinen.
Ribeiro and Jokinen are both veterans in their twilight years. Jokinen can still put up points but he can be inconsistent. Although, now on a Nashville team that lacks offense, he can be a crucial playmaker and be an offensive catalyst. Ribeiro is a big question mark going into this season. He was just bought out after the first year of a four year deal with the Arizona Coyotes. The buyout was attributed to Ribeiro’s “behavioral issues.” Many teams avoided the 34-year-old center, so Poile acquired Ribeiro for a cheap one year, $1.05M deal. This could be Ribeiro’s last chance in the NHL. Expect him to play with urgency this season so he can prove his worth to the rest of the league.
The veterans will have their spots, but the Predators also boast a very good farm system. Their farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals, have been vital to the development of many players including Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Suter, and Vernon Fiddler and current Predators Roman Josi, Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne just to name a few. Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok are both hoping to join that list. Forsberg was acquired in a trade with Washington for Martin Erat. Calle Jarnkrok was part of this past season’s trade deadline deal between the Predators and the Red Wings that saw David Legwand depart for Detroit. Forsberg and Jarnkrok seem to be ready for the NHL. When training camp comes along in September, both players will be right in the mix.
The Predators have undergone their most dramatic offseason in their history. They have a new coach and many established players from other teams. And with Rinne back at 100% between the goal posts, the fans in “Smashville” have a lot to be excited for.