NHL division previews: 2017-18 Central Division

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NASHVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 19: Nashville Predators right wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) and defenseman P.K. Subban (76) talk during the first preseason game between the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers, held on September 19, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1st in 2017-18 Central Division – Nashville Predators

Coming off a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Predators look set to hit the ground running in 2017-18. Despite losing Mike Fisher for their penalty kill, they are returning with a healthy Ryan Johansen and they brought back veteran forward Scott Hartnell.

The forwards aren’t the strong point of this team, but they aren’t a liability either. They have players like Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and multiple others who can contribute to the top six. The bottom six is a little less solid, but definitely not worth losing any sleep over. If young players like Kevin Fiala can live up to his potential, that’s another name in the bottom six that could surprise.

The defense in Nashville is very likely the best in the NHL. Despite losing Ryan Ellis for an extended period of time, they did acquire Alexei Emelin to fill in for the top four. The others to mention are Roman Josi, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm. That’s a top four you could only dream of. Yannick Weber, Matt Irwin and Anthony Bitetto round out the defense.

The last, and most worrying, question mark for the Predators is what Pekka Rinne will decide to show up this season. His save percentage from 2014-15 to 2016-17 of .9162 ranks 27th among qualifying goaltenders. That is a combination of a .920 even strength save percentage, a .925 power play save percentage and a .887 on the penalty kill. If the final number can see a bit of an improvement, Rinne shouldn’t be a worry.

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If Rinne does falter at times, Nashville does have young goaltender Juuse Saros. Saros shows a great deal of promise and has a relatively high ceiling. He currently projects to be a starting goaltender for when Rinne calls it a career.

Player to watch in 2017-18: Kevin Fiala. Despite only playing in 50 games in 2016-17, in which he had 11 goals and five assists, Fiala shows a good deal of promise. He is a fast skating, no-nonsense type of forward that can fit in just fine with the top six if given the chance. Coming off an injury in the playoffs last year he will be hungry to show he can improve on these numbers and live up to the hype behind him.