Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

[beardawg]

I hate to use a cliche but this team is not relentless or hard to play against or physical. We're giving up too much time and space. We're not finishing checks. We're not forechecking aggressively.

It's funny, the PK, which usually sucks early in the season has been solid, because of the aggressive nature and forcing teams to make quick decisions with the puck, that have led to few scoring chances. Our 5 on 5 play should resemble this, although I realize it's tougher to do with a larger ice surface to cover but I hope my point is conveyed.

I agree with this assessment. They look very soft

 

[herzausstein]

If we went all in the season and manage a 1st overall pick, it would be kindof funny. Things could turn around quick if the #1 pick (presumably Hagens or Frondell) can step into the 2C spot quick.

But we'd probably draft schaefer (d) since our defense is buns

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Things will improve when the forwards find more chemistry. We made a ton of changes up front and on the blue line this year. It's going to take a little time.

But three things clearly are a problem with really no easy answer.

Saros is either injured still or has regressed... that's really bad on a ton of different levels. If he isn't healthy enough to be playing, we need to sit and rest him. Period. There's too much of a financial investment there.

Schenn and Lauzon aren't NHL d-men. I got 0 answers here. It's a problem.

The team is slow. We're old. We weren't a fast team last year and we certainly aren't this year.

We haven't really been "tough to play against" outside a run under Lavy and a blip under Hynes. Even as personnel has come and gone, that mentality and identity of the team just hasn't been a thing in years (as much as they may want to talk it up).

Beyond just the overall quality if the defense (which is poor), we legitimately only have maybe two guys that can transition the puck (and maybe Stasney when healthy), which seems an awful oversight for a team that wants to play uptempo, pressing, and in transition.

 

[herzausstein]

We haven't really been "tough to play against" outside a run under Lavy and a blip under Hynes. Even as personnel has come and gone, that mentality and identity of the team just hasn't been a thing in years (as much as they may want to talk it up).

Beyond just the overall quality if the defense (which is poor), we legitimately only have maybe two guys that can transition the puck (and maybe Stasney when healthy), which seems an awful oversight for a team that wants to play uptempo, pressing, and in transition.

Problem with stastney coming back is it isnt going to fix the speed issue much. Fabbro will sit and stastney will be paired with schenn. Not much changes. Youll still get 18-20 mins of lauzon and 14-15 mins of schenn

 

[JR303]

While my fandom has definitely waned a bit over the years, and the number of games I actually catch has diminished, I was a bit excited about the prospect of this season.
That said, watching the defense in the parts of games that I've seen so far, has been markedly underwhelming. I think the biggest problem is that we can possibly survive having either Schenn or Lauzon, but I just can't see making it while icing both.

Also, just don't understand the issue with Fabbro. He seems to be a much more solid and dependable option right now, but for whatever reason, doesn't get the chance.
I know others have mentioned it, so it's nothing groundbreaking, but it doesn't make any sense to me.

Time to break up the top line, in my opinion, especially with Nyquist looking anemic so far, that just gives the defense one main player to target, and then you get Forsberg trying to skate through 3 defenders, resulting in a turnover.

All in all, a bit unexpected if not justifiable start to the season, that sorta kicks all of us there were hopeful in the face. Ha ha.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Problem with stastney coming back is it isnt going to fix the speed issue much. Fabbro will sit and stastney will be paired with schenn. Not much changes. Youll still get 18-20 mins of lauzon and 14-15 mins of schenn

Not to mention Carrier at 22?! mins last night? I wouldn't have re-signed him at all, let alone afford him that much responsibility on the team.

 

[ShagDaddy]

If/when Stastney comes back, he should be paired with Skjei and Fabbro left with Josi. Schenn got his 1000th game, now put him in the box and rotate him with Lauzon.

 

[Byrddog]

I’m not as pessimistic as a lot of folks around here might be. But it will be quite a turn of events if Trotz’s “All In” blueprint actually instead leaves the team with a top 5 pick instead.

Or a string of them if the “3S” contracts (Stamkos, Skjei, Saros) all stay like this over the next few seasons. Guys like Schenn and Lauzon and Nyquist are probably movable, but those bigger ones might not be.

I just pray if things don’t turn around that Trotz doesn’t panic and double down on this by trading picks and prospects to try to fix things.

There is a difference in pessimism and just watching plain bad hockey. On paper this team should work perhaps a little thin on the backend but 5 of the top 6 are legit scorers in the league and yes a couple are aging but other than Novak none of the young guys or guys with fewer games in the league whatever one wants to call them they have not produced to the point to warrant top 6 time. Until they can move the puck gain the zone and be a threat in the league they play 3rd line. If the team is cooked by Jan 1 then yeah that's the time to move them in for extended periods.

One thing I was concerned about preseason and it was talked about in depth was the need for a 2C to feed March and Stammer it appears that guy is not currently on the roster without breaking up the 1st line. And honestly it would not take much Stammer endured Cirelli who has been a black hole scoring .

It's early and Trotz had rebuilt the roster without blowing it up. He still has picks and players that can be moved. One can understand the frustration from fans with this start. If a 2C happens to step up it is going to go a long way to heal what Al's us all. This team has been short of the 1C and 2C since inception short just a few years .