This article is part of our Team Previews series.
The Predators finished the 2013-14 regular season with a mediocre 38-32-12 record, good for just 88 points and second-last place in the Western Conference's Central Division. The weak showing also caused the team to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, prompting wholesale changes both at the roster level as well as behind the bench. Barry Trotz, who had served as head coach since the team's inaugural season in 1998-99, was let go immediately following the campaign, while David Legwand -- the Preds' first-ever draft pick -- was dealt to Detroit at the trade deadline in March, ending his 15-year career in Nashville.
As the offseason progressed, the Preds hired former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette to take over behind the bench, signalling a shift from the defensive approach favored for so many years by Trotz to more of an uptempo, offensive style. Accordingly, the team then set out to add players who could fit this mold. The biggest move came on June 27 during the NHL Entry Draft, when the Predators acquired James Neal from the Penguins in exchange for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. In July, further upgrades were made with the additions of free agents Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen.
This season will be viewed as a clean slate for the Preds -- the start of a new era that hopefully will return the squad to the NHL's postseason. Offensively, given the recent additions, it's hard to envision the team
The Predators finished the 2013-14 regular season with a mediocre 38-32-12 record, good for just 88 points and second-last place in the Western Conference's Central Division. The weak showing also caused the team to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, prompting wholesale changes both at the roster level as well as behind the bench. Barry Trotz, who had served as head coach since the team's inaugural season in 1998-99, was let go immediately following the campaign, while David Legwand -- the Preds' first-ever draft pick -- was dealt to Detroit at the trade deadline in March, ending his 15-year career in Nashville.
As the offseason progressed, the Preds hired former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette to take over behind the bench, signalling a shift from the defensive approach favored for so many years by Trotz to more of an uptempo, offensive style. Accordingly, the team then set out to add players who could fit this mold. The biggest move came on June 27 during the NHL Entry Draft, when the Predators acquired James Neal from the Penguins in exchange for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. In July, further upgrades were made with the additions of free agents Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen.
This season will be viewed as a clean slate for the Preds -- the start of a new era that hopefully will return the squad to the NHL's postseason. Offensively, given the recent additions, it's hard to envision the team being much worse than the squad that averaged just 2.61 goals per game last season (19th in the NHL). Defensively and in goal, the Preds should continue to be solid, led by stud blueliner Shea Weber and former Vezina Trophy nominee Pekka Rinne between the pipes. In addition, the team has a number of up-and-coming young players they hope will have more of an impact this season, including Filip Forsberg, Seth Jones and Calle Jarnkrok.
With the addition of a new coach combined with a solid mix of veteran poise and youthful exuberance, the Predators make for one of the NHL's most intriguing teams heading into the new season.
The Big Guns
Shea Weber, D (RotoWire Position Rank*: #3): Make no mistake, Weber is the heart and soul of the Predators franchise, period. Not even goaltender Pekka Rinne -- who ranks a close second -- can match the value that Weber brings to the table. Offensive ability, defense, tenacity, leadership -- you name it, Weber supplies it all. Last season, Weber led the Preds in scoring for the second straight season, finishing with a career-high 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games. And although he has never won, he is a perennial candidate for the Norris Trophy after finishing third in the voting in 2014, and second in both 2012 and 2011. The 28-year-old Weber is one of the elite defensemen in the NHL, and should considered one of the top-five fantasy-relevant blueliners come draft day. In addition, given the offensive upgrades the Preds made this offseason, Weber now has a significantly improved supporting cast. As such, you could see his point totals climb even further this season -- a 60-70 point season is not out of the question.
*RotoWire Position Ranks reflected for points-based leagues*
James Neal, RW (RotoWire Position Rank: #12): After scoring 88 goals and 178 points with Pittsburgh over the past three seasons, Neal effectively becomes the Predators' top offensive option this season under new head coach Peter Laviolette. Neal has four years remaining on the six-year, $30 million contract he originally signed with the Pens, which makes him very affordable for the Preds, especially he's been scoring at roughly a point-per-game clip over the past three seasons. However, from a fantasy perspective, a significant portion of his appeal has been lost now that he will no longer be suiting up with superstars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That said, we still think a 60-point season is well within his reach, so feel free to draft accordingly.
Pekka Rinne, G (RotoWire Position Rank: #16): Normally a very reliable fantasy selection, 2013-14 was not the season to be a Rinne owner, as he missed nearly four months of the season with a hip injury, then split time with backup Carter Hutton once he returned to the lineup. Overall, Rinne played in just 24 games last season, and finished with a mediocre 10-10-3 record. Furthermore, his 2.77 GAA and .902 save percentage were the worst peripheral stats of his career, and he was outplayed by Hutton, who went 20-11-1 in his absence. This season, a healthy Rinne will surely be given the chance to earn back his undisputed No. 1 status, despite Hutton's solid performance last year. Fantasy-wise, Rinne will surely drop down many of your fellow owners' depth charts following his disappointing season last year, so don't hesitate to scoop him up after he's been passed on a few times. Rinne is a world-class goalie and is poised for a big year given the upgraded talent that now surrounds him.
On the Rise
Craig Smith, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #33): Smith finished the 2013-14 season on a relative tear, notching 11 points in his last 10 games, allowing him to finish third on the team in scoring with a career-high 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists). The impressive finish also allowed him to set career-bests across just about every other offensive category, including shots on goal (215), shooting percentage (11.2%) and plus-minus (plus-16). He's positioned to fill a feature role with the Predators in 2014-15, perhaps even as a member of the top line. Furthermore, given that the Preds are now deeper up front, Smith will also enjoy a significantly-improved supporting cast, which should also enhance his continued development as a bona fide top-six NHL forward. Don't be afraid to take a chance on Smith in the middle rounds of your draft -- the upside is there to make him a possible breakout player this season.
Seth Jones, D (RotoWire Position Rank: #57): Jones, the Preds' highly-anticipated first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, began his professional career immediately last season -- to no one's surprise -- after making the team out of training camp. He proceeded to play in all but five of the Preds' regular-season games last year, recording 25 points -- decent for a rookie -- but also a plus-minus rating of minus-23, good for second-worst on the team. Overall, Jones was a top-four defenseman for the Preds last season, averaging roughly 19:30 per game, including 1:58 on the power play. Still only 19 years old, Jones will continue his development this season and should benefit from a retooled offense. However, the Preds have said they want him to work on his physical maturity and get stronger on his feet. Jones is a solid offensive blueliner in the making, but don't expect his point totals to see a big spike just yet.
Roman Josi, D (RotoWire Position Rank: #53): Last season, in the wake of fellow blueliner Ryan Suter's departure, Josi was promoted to the top defensive pairing alongside Shea Weber and responded with a career-best 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 72 games. Josi was given much more on-ice responsibility last season and finished just behind Weber in total ice time, averaging 26:25 per game, or roughly three minutes more than the previous season (23:31). He was also a staple on the Preds' power play, where he racked up 13 points and averaged 3:05 per game in ice time. This season, Josi's emergence as a strong two-way defenseman should continue, helped along by the Preds' stronger, deeper lineup. Feel free to target Josi in the middle-to-later rounds of your draft, especially in those formats with positional requirements.
Three to Watch
Mike Ribeiro, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #70): Ribeiro, who spent time with three different teams over the past three seasons (Phoenix, Washington and Dallas), signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Predators in July. The veteran was bought out by the Coyotes after notching 47 points in 80 games last season, and figures to at least get a look on the Preds' top line alongside another recent acquisition -- James Neal -- with Colin Wilson likely on the opposite wing. At 35, Ribeiro's best days are likely behind him, but the Preds believe he will still be a valuable asset this season, and will give him every opportunity to prove his worth.
Olli Jokinen, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #65): Jokinen signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Predators in July after spending the past two seasons in Winnipeg. He will be part of a significantly retooled Nashville offense this season along with the aforementioned James Neal, Mike Ribeiro and Derek Roy, as the Preds attempt to adopt a more offense-first approach. The 35-year-old Jokinen could be pegged for a second-line center role with the Preds, after racking up 18 goals and 25 assists over 82 games with the Jets last season. He's also shown some moxie on the defensive end, registering 120 hits and 62 penalty minutes in 2013-14, so he does offer some value in those fantasy formats that feature secondary stat categories.
Derek Roy, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #90): Roy, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Nashville in July, spent last season with the Blues, scoring nine goals and 28 assists. He's bounced around the NHL of late, spending time with Buffalo, Dallas and Vancouver as well as the Blues since 2012, working primarily in a checking-line role. Still just 31 years old, Roy will hope to resurrect his career with the Predators, and return to the offensive force he was a few years ago with the Sabres (26 goals, 43 assists in 2009-10). It will be interesting to see whether he gets this chance in Nashville, since the Preds are now quite deep down the middle with Mike Ribeiro, Olli Jokinen and Mike Fisher all vying for a spot on the top two lines. Roy's got some upside, but he's not a guy you want to take a big gamble on at the draft table.
Two to Avoid
Viktor Stalberg, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: NR): Stalberg joined the Preds as a free agent last season and was expected to bolster the team's top line, after showing glimpses of becoming a solid top-six power forward during his previous three seasons with Chicago. Unfortunately for the Preds, that vision never materialized. Stalberg was a complete bust in his first season in Nashville, registering just 18 points and a minus-14 rating in 70 games. In fact, Stalberg's stock plummeted to the point where he was merely a bit player for the Preds down the stretch, and saw less than 10 minutes of ice time in three of the team's last four games. With three years remaining on his four-year contract, Stalberg must now step up and earn his keep. Either way, he makes for a very risky fantasy option this season, and should not be on anyone's roster outside of ultra-deep formats.
Mike Fisher, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #113): Fisher, who has been the Preds' de facto No. 1 center the past three seasons, comes into this year with significantly more competition for the top job, given the Preds' offseason acquisitions of Mike Ribeiro, Olli Jokinen and Derek Roy. For his part, Fisher has done an admirable job anchoring the first line since joining the Preds in 2011, registering 121 points in 185 games over that span. However, the presence of Ribeiro, Roy and Jokinen gives new coach Peter Laviolette some additional options, and could ultimately result in a lesser role for Fisher this season. Furthermore, Fisher's spot in the lineup come October could be determined more by his health status than anything else. Fisher, who underwent surgery on July 3 to repair a ruptured Achilles' tendon, was given a four- to six-month timetable for recovery that will likely keep him out until late-November at the earliest. All of these factors make Fisher a significant fantasy risk this season, so feel free to seek other options on draft day.
Don't Overrate
Eric Nystrom, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: #66): Nystrom was a pleasant surprise last season, his first as a Predator after spending the previous two campaigns in Dallas. He scored 15 goals as a checking line winger, just one shy of his career high, and added six assists. However, he left something to be desired defensively, as his plus-minus rating of minus-25 was worst on the team. With three years remaining on his four-year, $10 million contract, Nystrom isn't likely going anywhere soon, and will probably fill a similar role for the Preds this season.
Matt Cullen, C (RotoWire Position Rank: #95): After laying dormant for most of the season, Cullen came alive down the stretch with four goals and 11 assists in his last 12 games, allowing him to post a respectable 39 points. Otherwise, it was a forgettable campaign for Cullen -- his first in a Preds uniform -- after he spent the previous three seasons in Minnesota. Cullen occupied a checking-line role for most of last season, a designation he is likely to fill once again this season, as the team's offseason additions provide more options for the top two lines. Cullen has never cracked the 50-point barrier in his career, and is not likely to do so now that he has reached the ripe old age of 36. He makes for a decent late-round selection in deeper fantasy drafts, but not much more.
Top Prospects
Calle Jarnkrok, C (RotoWire Prospects Rank: #29): The centerpiece of the deal that sent David Legwand to Detroit, Jarnkrok, 22, could turn out to be a real steal for Nashville. After notching nine points in six games for AHL Milwaukee, the young center was recalled by the Preds and chipped in nine points over 12 games down the stretch, including three points in the season finale against Minnesota. Jarkrok projects as a solid playmaking center with excellent puck control who can play on either of the team's top two lines. However, the Preds are now stacked down the middle, so Jarnkrok could very well start this season back in the AHL. Nevertheless, he has a very bright future in the NHL, and it's just a matter of time before he lands as an everyday player.
Filip Forsberg, LW (RotoWire Prospects Rank: #30): After getting his first taste of NHL action for the Preds down the stretch the previous year, the 19-year old Forsberg made the team out of training camp last year, playing in 12 of the Preds' first 19 games. However, he soon ran into injury trouble and wound up spending most of the rest of the season in the minors. Since then, given the significant upgrades the Preds made at forward this offseason, Forsberg could very well continue to ply his trade in the AHL until the team feels he has taken the next step towards becoming an everyday contributor at the NHL level. Make no mistake, Forsberg projects as a top-six player for the Preds someday, but his time has not yet come.
