Nashville Predators talk - The Offseason

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wmupreds

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I've seen every Preds season and this is the first time they've got both enough offense and talent to win the SC. This is our year.
Maybe. They're also quite old and banking on a lot of lack of decline/staying healthy to get to that level. I've said all along I like what Trotz did this offseason but it's not that hard to imagine it going a little sideways.
 

glenngineer

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Maybe. They're also quite old and banking on a lot of lack of decline/staying healthy to get to that level. I've said all along I like what Trotz did this offseason but it's not that hard to imagine it going a little sideways.
We're also one injury to Saros being FUBAR. While Askarov was an unknown, he had the pedigree to step in and hold the fort. I have no faith in Wedgewood and whoever our number three is currently to do so.
 

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We're also one injury to Saros being FUBAR. While Askarov was an unknown, he had the pedigree to step in and hold the fort. I have no faith in Wedgewood and whoever our number three is currently to do so.
Wedgewood did it in Dallas last year. He actually outplayed Oettiger for good part of the season. He's certainly a safer bet to do so THIS year than Askarov. He's not a longterm starter, but he is perfectly capable to step in if Saros goes down.
 

Ben Grimm

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Maybe. They're also quite old and banking on a lot of lack of decline/staying healthy to get to that level. I've said all along I like what Trotz did this offseason but it's not that hard to imagine it going a little sideways.
You may be right. I turned 62 Saturday (still got a full head of brown hair though ;) ) and may be an old man seeing the glass half full. As for our defense, Weber hit others and the puck hard but that was about it and some question his HHoF credentials. I prefer Josi's all-around game to win a SC. Our goalies are solid also.
 

Armourboy

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Maybe. They're also quite old and banking on a lot of lack of decline/staying healthy to get to that level. I've said all along I like what Trotz did this offseason but it's not that hard to imagine it going a little sideways.
Yeah we have the opposite of last years season, where I think the only injury we had for more than a couple of days was Novak, and we could find ourselves going from one of the oldest rosters in the league to one of the youngest, and be picking 8th instead of going to the playoffs.
 

triggrman

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You may be right. I turned 62 Saturday (still got a full head of brown hair though ;) ) and may be an old man seeing the glass half full. As for our defense, Weber hit others and the puck hard but that was about it and some question his HHoF credentials. I prefer Josi's all-around game to win a SC. Our goalies are solid also.
I think Weber did more than that. He was a physical defensive defenseman with decent speed, extremely strong on the boards and in front of the net (as much as you can be now), he was also a huge threat to score from the blueline.
Josi's defensive game relies on retrivials and skating it out of danager (possession). You need both.
 
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nullednumbed

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Maybe. They're also quite old and banking on a lot of lack of decline/staying healthy to get to that level. I've said all along I like what Trotz did this offseason but it's not that hard to imagine it going a little sideways.
Yep. I just can't see all these guys having career years again. Age will catch up; it is undefeated. So I suppose I am in the minority that I am more pessimistic than most about this season. I just see issues with the 2C. I don't believe much in Novak and I think moving Stamkos over is a bad idea. Also not a fan of seeing Evangelista most likely end up on the 3rd line. That being said I am pumped to see Steven freaking Stamkos as a Pred and hope this squad proves me wrong.
 
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He and Saros are both top 5. I like our team. This is our SC year.
I hope you’re right. I said that when we had easily the best defense in the league with guys like Weber, Suter, hamhuis, Klein, timonen, dislike etc plus an offense consisting of kariya, Peter Forsberg, hartnell, arnott, Sullivan, erat, dumont, radulov, legwand etc
That’s insane talent and depth with a stud goalie in net.

Never count your chickens before they hatch. I hope you’re right though
 

weeze

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Yep. I just can't see all these guys having career years again. Age will catch up; it is undefeated. So I suppose I am in the minority that I am more pessimistic than most about this season. I just see issues with the 2C. I don't believe much in Novak and I think moving Stamkos over is a bad idea. Also not a fan of seeing Evangelista most likely end up on the 3rd line. That being said I am pumped to see Steven freaking Stamkos as a Pred and hope this squad proves me wrong.
Don't good/great players seem to have career years in bunches or a lot. A single good year does not make a great player. Put great players with great players and they seem to feed off of each other. Especially if they get along and like each other.
 

Predsanddead24

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Nyquist is really the only one who had a true outlier career year for us last season. Forsberg has had similar seasons in the past. O'Reilly has as well but did return to form after a down 22-23. Marchessault did have a career goal scoring career but even if he's just a 25G-30A type guy that is still a huge improvement over our rotating cast of second line wingers last year. Then you're adding Stamkos into the mix as an upgrade too. Saros also had a down year last season too and is primed for a bounceback with Korn as well. Hitting the age cliff is definitely concern but I don't think we are reliant on anyone having huge outlier types of seasons.
 

herzausstein

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On paper, we are better off than at the start of last season even if Stamkos and the older crew drop off some.

Stamkos, Marchessault are better than any of the forwards we lost.

Skjei is as good or better than McDonagh and the rest of the defense is basically the same.

Saros is still saros and Wedgewood is basically the same as Lankinen.

If we can also get incremental gains from the young players like Novak, Evangelista, Parssinen, and Tomasino, then this should be a pretty good season even with regression from Nyquist.

Who do we think will be the PK forwards?
Sissons, McCarron, Smith, RoR, and maybe Parssinen. Jankowski if he is on the roster as well.

Novak, Stamkos, Marchessault, Evangelista, Tomasino, and Forsberg werent used on the PK last season. Nyquist would get tagged in occasionally. This is something that may play into lineup decisions in the long run.

For defense: Skjei, Lauzon, Carrier, and Schenn. Fabbro if he is playing is also a choice.
 

Porter Stoutheart

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I feel like last year we overall "overachieved" relative to most predictions/odds? Now, I'm not saying the various "pundits" or oddsmakers are really All That, they get things wrong pretty close to as much as right. Still, I don't think a 47-30-5/99pts/playoff berth season was really the median prognostication for us. We "overachieved" to the tune of a Jack Adams nomination for Brunette.

So I don't know what the encore is. We could certainly get better goaltending from Saros, which might be the biggest improvement of all. I haven't looked at predictions sites yet for the coming season. In my mind, I think a wildcard prediction should be "safer" than last season, when it was equal odds with a lottery pick? Can we be even better and rise into contention? Still seems doubtful to me.

But once you balance up all the myriad factors, I'd be truly disappointed if we didn't make the playoffs in the coming season. Whereas last season, I thought it would have been fair to miss, and it wouldn't have alarmed or disappointed me if we had come up short. I'm still not expecting to guarantee a playoff round win or anything. But if everything goes right... :dunno:
 
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Predsanddead24

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Personally, my expectations are to at least win a playoff round. Missing the playoffs would be a huge failure and I'm pretty much over the moral victory of being a tough out in the first round.
It doesn't really concern me much whether we make the playoffs as a wild card or in a divisional slot. Given how dramatically the roster has changed I wouldn't be surprised if we have a slow start but hopefully we can hit our stride at the right time like we did in 16-17.
 

wmupreds

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Usually part of the deal with going all in would be an expectation to truly contend for hardware. So through that lens anything short of at least winning a playoff series is a disappointment.

The caveat here if we're evaluating Trotz is that usually going all in involves giving up futures to do so. Trotz hasn't really done that, so I'm willing to give some leeway on the short term on ice results.
 

Porter Stoutheart

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Usually part of the deal with going all in would be an expectation to truly contend for hardware. So through that lens anything short of at least winning a playoff series is a disappointment.

The caveat here if we're evaluating Trotz is that usually going all in involves giving up futures to do so. Trotz hasn't really done that, so I'm willing to give some leeway on the short term on ice results.
Yeah if we get some extra Cap at some point from the Johansen situation and then Trotz starts using some of our extra 1sts or better prospects to fill that Cap in with deadline rentals then that would more strongly signal going “all in”.

I’m not sure what to hope for on that front, actually. I guess I’m conditioned by some of Poile’s “all in” deadline acquisitions, and I’m not interested in giving up 1sts or top youngsters for the next Gaustad or Simmonds. But flip side of course I want the team to be good enough to be labeled as “buyers” (/contenders). I just hope Trotz doesn’t get too carried away on that front too soon. :dunno:
 
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weeze

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I feel like last year we overall "overachieved" relative to most predictions/odds? Now, I'm not saying the various "pundits" or oddsmakers are really All That, they get things wrong pretty close to as much as right. Still, I don't think a 47-30-5/99pts/playoff berth season was really the median prognostication for us. We "overachieved" to the tune of a Jack Adams nomination for Brunette.

:dunno:
Well we did have a 18 game point streak so that did help. Without that or if we played to what our avg was then we don't make the PO's. You have to have some luck, make your own luck at times and the Preds did both in that span on a team that was not supposed to do anything. It sure made for some fun games watching!
 

token grinder

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I think Weber did more than that. He was a physical defensive defenseman with decent speed, extremely strong on the boards and in front of the net (as much as you can be now), he was also a huge threat to score from the blueline.
Josi's defensive game relies on retrivials and skating it out of danager (possession). You need both.
As important off the ice as well as the on ice. I think people forget that part of the team dynamic
 
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Scoresberg

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On 32 Thoughts 1st episode of this season, they did a segment on each team.

Naturally, they talked about the Askarov trade and how he wanted to see the path to starter which he didn't see in Nashville after the Saros extension. Friedman did mention about the Devils interest on him but that they had already acquired Markstrom + they had Allen, so Askarov didn't see as clear a path to starter there than he did in San Jose. Found it odd as Markstrom and Allen are both 34. I guess Askarov really wanted them to hand him the starter role without any waiting or competition, lol.

Friedman also touched on the Pärssinen & Tomasino extensions which are being "grinded daily" at this point. Don't really know what grinding there is to do with these deals.. but good to hear that the negotiations are ongoing.
 

Kat Predator

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On 32 Thoughts 1st episode of this season, they did a segment on each team.

Naturally, they talked about the Askarov trade and how he wanted to see the path to starter which he didn't see in Nashville after the Saros extension. Friedman did mention about the Devils interest on him but that they had already acquired Markstrom + they had Allen, so Askarov didn't see as clear a path to starter there than he did in San Jose. Found it odd as Markstrom and Allen are both 34. I guess Askarov really wanted them to hand him the starter role without any waiting or competition, lol.

Friedman also touched on the Pärssinen & Tomasino extensions which are being "grinded daily" at this point. Don't really know what grinding there is to do with these deals.. but good to hear that the negotiations are ongoing.
Must be haggling about the number of plain vs. peanut M&Ms available during intermission. :sarcasm:
 
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