The Over/Under on the 2009/10 Nashville Predators Season

Everyone has a season preview. In fact, I’ve done thirty of them over the past month. There’s even a Nashville Predators one.

So how exactly are we supposed to mix things up so that this isn’t just “one of the rest”.

We have fun with a few lines of course.

So without further adieu, the gambler’s edition (Having nothing to do with Kenny Rogers) of the Nashville Predators‘ upcoming season.

The Leading Scorer: Over/Under 65 Points

Over

Jean-Pierre Dumont finished the season as the leading scorer for the Nashville Predators last season with 65 points in 82 games—one of only two forwards to play that many games.

One of the reasons that total was lower than the previous season’s 72 points was because of all the injuries. Over the last month alone, Jason Arnott, David Legwand, and Martin Erat all went down with injuries—three of the Preds top six forwards.

With offensive depth boosted by some promising rookies and a healthier top-six rotation, Arnott, Dumont, or even Steve Sullivan should top 70 points.

Defense as a Whole: Over/Under 163 Points

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Shea Weber, Dan Hamhuis, and Ryan Suter have the all-around abilities to make this defense one of the best.

Offensively, they may be one of the top-grossing offensive units this year.

Gone are the disgruntled Ville Koistinen and the light-scoring Greg de Vries, and in their place will be a full-season from Alexander Sulzer and either Cody Franson or Jonathan Blum.

All of them have stellar offensive resumes and the ability to move the puck, so over 170 points is realistic.

Martin Erat’s Production: Over/Under 57 Points

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Coming in to last season, Martin Erat had two straight seasons of 57 points to his credit. While he finished the season with 50 points and could’ve easily had 57 points had he not broken his leg, Erat came up short in his attempt for a three-peat.

This year however, Erat won’t have a broken leg to content with, but a roster flush with promise.

With Cal O’Reilly, Patric Hornqvist, and Wilson all vying for time up front, Erat may get bumped if one of those rookies hits their stride.

Pekka Rinne’s Personal Win Total: Over/Under 30 wins

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After trading away their two previous candidates for starting goalie, the Predators found someone to believe in and trust between the pipes in Rinne.

While many look for a rookie let-down after a stellar first campaign, there are a few reasons that Rinne shouldn’t have one.

First of all, at 26, Rinne has played long enough that he’s comfortable with his style, physicality, and mentality in the crease. A big problem with young goalies finding success early on, is that they get wrapped up in it and taken away from what made them successful in the first place.

The second major factor in why Rinne shouldn’t have a let-down, is that he’s already had a combined 170 professional games between the upper-tier of the Finnish Elite league and the AHL.

That experience should help Rinne keep the Predators remain competitive.

Steve Sullivan’s Longevity: Over/Under 50 games

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While this doesn’t seem to be a question in my mind after Sullivan came back from 956 games (approximate) away from the NHL, some have said that “once an injured player, always an injured player.”

Then again, I guess the Masterton winner didn’t convince enough people he was truly back after 32 points in 41 games.

Trust me, he’s back, well-rested, and ready.

Jordin Tootoo’s Time in the Box: Over/Under 130 Minutes

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In his first NHL season, Tootoo registered 137 minutes in the box.

Over the past few seasons, the closest he’s gotten to that mark is the 124 last year, as he played his most games (72) since his rookie year.

The big reason for that seems to be his longevity, as he’s been saddled with a few nagging injuries that have slowed his seasons over the past few years.

If he stays healthy, then he’s got a shot, but fighters always seem to miss a handful of games with a tweak here and a strain there.

The Rookie Scoring Lead: Over/Under 17 points

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Last season Ryan Jones was the leading scorer amongst Predators’ rookies with 17 points—A big disappointment because there were big things expected from Patric Hornqvist and Antti Pihlstrom.

This season however, Cal O’Reilly is back after potting five points in 11 games, and Colin Wilson is an immediate favorite for the Calder trophy in Nashville.

Even if either of them slip up, there are going to be some openings on the blueline that will allow some young defenders to get in on the points-sharing, which could lead to a nice 20-point debut season for someone.

Total Wins for the Season: Over/Under 40 wins

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The Nashville Predators are going to need a lot of things to go their way if they expect to make the playoffs this year.

Not only do they have to overcome the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks who reign atop the decision (They were just 7-5 combined against those two last season), but they also have to deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets (who feature Rick Nash and the reigning Calder Trophy owner Steve Mason), while also having to face off against a difficult St Louis team.

Everyone in the division poses a threat to each other, so it’s not like the Preds are on their own. However,  if they need more than 40 wins to make the playoffs it’s going to have to come down to a bit of luck, as last year the Preds did almost all they could to get in to the dance with an injury depleted lineup and still couldn’t do it.

Looks like the Preds are the team in the Central that’s going to have to beat the odds.

Posted by Bryan Thiel on Sep 24 2009. Filed under Central, Nashville Predators, Western Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.