2010-11 NHL Season Preview: Nashville Predators

The overachievers of the NHL once again stand a very good chance of sneaking their way into the playoffs. The departures of several key players might have a profound impact at how the Nashville Predators perform this season, however.

Goodbye, Captain
Nashville will have to go without their captain of the past three seasons, as Jason Arnott signed a new deal to return to the New Jersey Devils rather than return to the Predators. Arnott was an invaluable member of the Predators team, as he had a load of NHL experience and often led the Preds in scoring. Most importantly, the departure of Jason Arnott leaves a gaping hole at center, one that likely will not be filled unless David Legwand can finally grow into his potential.

Taking over the role as team captain will be defenseman Shea Weber, which is a really smart move on the part of the Predators. Weber routinely ranks among the best defensemen in the NHL, and his booming slap shot makes Shea Weber one of the most intimidating power play threats.

The Predators will also be without defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who left as a free agent for the Vancouver Canucks. To replace Hamhuis a handful of alright, though not great, defensemen were signed, but it would be hard to imagine Ryan Parent providing that much relief.

Nashville also sent a clear message about their faith in young goaltender Pekka Rinne, as backup Dan Ellis also left town. Rinne has shown he is a talented goaltender, but has yet to prove he can carry a team. Dan Ellis is one of the most skilled backups in the NHL, which provided a lot of relief for Rinne last season when his confidence would drop. Nashville's only option for a backup in 2010-11 will be rookie net minder Chet Pickard or Mark Dekanich, neither of whom have any NHL experience.

Hidden Talents
Coming in to the Predators is center Matthew Lombardi, who showed he is capable of top line play with the Phoenix Coyotes last season. If Lombardi continues to develop 60-70 points is not out of the question. If that happens the Predators have hit the jackpot, if it does not then Lombardi is still good for 40-50 points, which is quite respectable.

Sergei Kostitsyn, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens, could also be a surprise scoring threat. In Montreal Kostitsyn had to live in the shadow of his older brother Andrei, but he showed his talent during the 2010 Winter Olympics when he almost single handedly carried the Belarus.

Can Coaching Make the Difference?
For all of their faults going into the 2010-11 NHL season, it is nothing that has not been said about the Nashville Predators before. Every year the Nashville Predators look terrible on paper but somehow find a way to succeed anyway. A lot of the credit falls to head coach Barry Trotz.

Unfortunately, the Predators lost three key contributors in the form of Jason Arnott, Dan Hamhuis and Dan Ellis over the off-season, and their contributions will be sorely missed. Add to that the fact that the Predators play in the highly competitive Central division, which includes two of the past three Stanley Cup champions in the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, as well as newly acquired game stealer Jaroslav Halak of the St. Louis Blues, and the Nashville Predators fortunes start to look a lot worse. A stumble here should be expected for the Preds, though it might lead to a much more formidable team in the long run.

Predicted Standings
Central Division: 5^th
Western Conference: 15^th
NHL: 28^th

Depth Chart

Forwards
Martin Erat - David Legwand - Jean-Pierre Dumont
Steve Sullivan - Matthew Lombardi - Patric Hornqvist
Sergei Kostitsyn - Colin Wilson - Joel Ward
Jerred Smithson - Marcel Goc - Jordin Tootoo
Cal O'Reilly - Jamie Lundmark - Wade Belak

Defense
Shea Weber - Ryan Suter
Kevin Klein - Francis Bouillon
Ryan Parent - Alexander Sulzer
Cody Franson

Goaltenders
Pekka Rinne
Chet Pickard
Mark Dekanich

Sources

http://www.nhl.com
http://www.tsn.ca
http://www.espn.com
http://www.hockeydb.com
http://www.nhlnumbers.com