Two big question marks in the camp of the Predators

Photo: Mark Humphrey Associated Press
While optimism should be at the dawn of the season 2017-2018, two big question marks remain for the group of Peter Laviolette.

In the hockey of the years 2010, the statement of the unanimity of Montreal to Los Angeles : the important thing is to ensure its playoff spot. Then, everything is possible, despite the end of the calendar difficult. No one is better placed to testify that the Predators of Nashville.

The formation of the Tennessee was among the last of the NHL to get his ticket for the great waltz of spring. It has granted more goals than any other training of its association having qualified for the series and it is presented in the first game after having lost five of its last seven meetings in the regular schedule.

But led by goalie Pekka Rinne, who has yielded just three goals — including two in the same match — the Predators have swept the Blackhawks of Chicago and embarked on a spectacular journey to the grand final of the Stanley Cup, they have, however, lost in six games against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While optimism should be at the dawn of the season 2017-2018, two big question marks remain for the group of Peter Laviolette. Is Rinne, who will celebrate his 35th birthday in November, can still take on the task of guard number one as brilliantly as in the past ? And how the Predators will they recover from the injury to defender Ryan Ellis who, in principle, should be absent for about three months ?

However, the team remains well-collateralized on the blue line with P. K. Subban, of course, but especially Roman Josi, a pillar of the numerical advantage able to raise close to 60 points.

Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson form the core offensive of Predators, are all expected to harvest about 60 points, and are under long-term contract. And during the off-season, general manager David Hair has added depth with the hiring of Nick Bonino, who helped the Penguins win the Stanley cup in the last two seasons.

Up : the Edmonton Oilers

25 years ago that a canadian team has not lifted the Stanley cup. If there is one who could do it as early as next spring, the Edmonton Oilers.

While many observers proclaim again Sidney Crosby as the player number one in the NHL, Connor McDavid blows him now in the neck. If he avoids injury, as was the case last year, the extraordinary captain of the Oilers could very well engrave his name on the trophy-Art Ross, and cross the plateau of 100 points for a second season in a row.

In addition to all his talent, McDavid can rely on his team-mate Leon Draisaitl, who has been the best marker for the Oilers during the playoffs, with 16 points in 13 games — seven more than McDavid !

With a young duo that is comparable to the tandem Crosby-Malkin in Pittsburgh, a guardian of quality in front of Cam Talbot and a defensive set to become more solid, the Oilers should dominate the section and the Pacific and, eventually, the national League.

Down : the Blackhawks of Chicago

For a second consecutive season, the Chicago black hawks have not crossed the first round of the playoffs, an outcome that did not seem to appeal to the general manager Stan Bowman.

In a surge of nostalgia, Bowman has brought forwards Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp. In the first case, he paid a high price for succumbing to the Blue Jackets in Columbus the talented Artemi Panarin, who has amassed 61 goals and 151 points in two campaigns with Patrick Kane.

Saad is a player of quality, but it does not have the offensive talent to Panarin, and Sharp, 35 years old, not getting younger not. And which will replace the 26 goals and 45 points in the reliable veteran Marian Hossa ?

Kane remains the mainstay of the attack and Jonathan Toews will continue to assume perfectly its role of a captain.

But you have to wonder if the goalkeeper Corey Crawford does not begin to lose its effectiveness. Over the past three seasons, his average goals allowed is increased from 2.27 to 2.55 during its outage rate slipped, 924, 918.