Last season the Nashville Predators were the talk of the NHL after signing forwards Jonathan Marchesseualt and Steven Stamkos. The season quickly went up in flames and the two big offseason acquisitions did not factor as expected. The team went to a direction this offseason as the team seems to be taking a more defensive approach. Will these moves pay off in terms of a playoff spot, oir will they have the saem effect as last season?
New additions mean new focus
Nashville may be looking to win games with defense this season. The Predators made some moves this offseason that indicates they want to play more of a defensive style this season. Picked up in trades were defensemen Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and Nick Perbix as a free agent. Also picked up was forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils.
All three are more defensive players but Haula can also be effective on the offensive end. Hague and Perbix should improve the defense, both in a regular shift role and on special teams. They give the Predators two valuable experienced defensemen who can help turn things around immediately. Haula gives the top six a new look and can play any style.
Predators look for improvements between the pipes
Aside from Stamkos and Marchesseault not living up to expectations, the goaltending is also a position that suffered. The goals against avaerage was not bad but the win/ loss reocrd needs improvement. The record for the three goaltenders that played last season who appeared in one game suffered due to the lack of scoring.
If Nashville can slightly improve their scoring woes, their record this season could be completely different. Last season, Juuse Saros had a record of 20-31-6, Scott Wedgewood was 1-2-1, and Justus Annunen was 9-11-1. The .887 combined save percentage needs to improve and that can improve with a more defensive style of play.
Offensive production needs to come from everyone
Stamkos and Marchesseault were not the only ones who struggled to produce offense last season, as more than half of the team did not raise their game to the level they should have.Forward Fillip Forsberg led the way with 31 goals and 45 assists for 76 points, followed by Stamkos at 53 points on 27 goals and 26 assists and Ryan O'Reilly with 53 points on 21 goals and 32 assists. After that, the production drops off considerably.
Defenseman Roman Josi (36 points) and Brady Skjei (33 points) were next in team scoring. Josi is much better offensively than that, while Skjei should not be top five in scoring. Maybe new lines would shake this team up offensively to produce more and if that does not work then maybe a big move down the stretch. It is a trickle down effect, the offense does not score, making it harder on the defense and goaltending to keep the puck out of the net. Improvements all around are needed.
If Nashville is on the same spot as last season during the trade deadline they could be sellers. Hague, Perbix, and Haula are solid NHL players who should improve the defense and scoring. A bounce-back season from Stamkos and Saros may also improve things. Getting off to a strong start may help the team's confidence and overall morals.