The Nashville Predators surprised the hockey world when they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final as the eighth seed in the Western Conference last season. There were very low expectations for this team heading into the playoffs as they had to play the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. However, the Predators disposed of the highly-respected Blackhawks in a series sweep. While the Predators were still underestimated in the next couple of rounds, they really had no problems as they ousted the St. Louis Blues in six games and then bounced the Anaheim Ducks in six games.
It was a great story for the city of Nashville, who has always embraced hockey but not to this level. The city rallied around the team – especially on the conference and Stanley Cup finals – as players like Marcus Mariota showed up for the games while all sorts of country stars sung the national anthems.
The Predators will be looking to build on last year’s run after reloading in the offseason. The return of several key players that were injured during last year’s Cup run will have a major impact on how far Nashville goes in 2017-18.
How They Finished Last Season
Few expected the Predators to reach the Stanley Cup Final after qualifying for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. However, Nashville swept the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round before taking down the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks en route to reaching the biggest stage of them all. Injuries to key players like Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala hurt the Predators as they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.
What Changed In The Offseason
Veteran center Mike Fisher retired but Nashville replaced him with Nick Bonino, who was excellent for the Penguins in last year’s Stanley Cup Final. Bonino will slide in as the No. 2 center behind Johansen, who needs to prove he can stay healthy after dealing with multiple injuries throughout his career. The Predators lost James Neal in the NHL expansion draft but added veteran Scott Hartnell. Nashville will also turn to a number of younger players in bigger roles with Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok expected to take another step forward. The Predators solidified one of the deepest defense cores with the addition of Alexei Emelin. With Ryan Ellis expected to miss a couple of months, Emelin will play an important role early on in the season.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
Filip Forsberg has been excellent for Nashville in his first three NHL seasons. Forsberg ranks 13th with 90 goals and 27th with 185 points over that span. The Predators want Forsberg to use his lethal shot even more this season and that shouldn’t be a problem with a healthy Johansen steadily feeding him pucks. Forsberg had 31 goals and 58 points last season. That should be considered his floor for this season.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
The expectation is that Nashville is trending upwards after registering 41 wins a year ago. The Predators showed their potential with a Stanley Cup run and could actually be better with an improved roster that will rely on several young players that gained important experience during last year’s postseason. Johansen and Forsberg should be even better up front in their second season together. And remember, Johansen missed a chunk of the season. Fiala, Arvidsson and Jarnkrok should improve while the addition of Hartnell should help make up for the loss of Neal. Ellis will miss some time but Emelin, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm should be just fine holding down the fort while he is out. Pekka Rinne has been outstanding for the Predators when they need him the most. If he struggles in any way, shape or form, they have a capable backup in Jusse Saros. Hopefully they don’t need to rely on him too much, though.
Seven Western Conference teams recorded at least 45 wins last season. Expect Nashville to be among the teams that reaches that mark in 2017-18.
Pick: Over 44 Wins
The 2017-18 odds to win the Stanley Cup have been posted. Click here to get the latest lines from BetDSI, including moneylines, totals, props and futures!
