Nashville Predators: 3 storylines to watch
theScore's NHL editors take a look at three storylines to watch for each NHL team heading into the regular season.
Ready to Lavio-let loose
Under new guidance for the first time since their establishment in 1998, the Nashville Predators are piloted by the antithesis to the only coach they've ever known.
Barry Trotz's defense-first, forecheck-second style has been replaced by the free-wheeling policy governed by Peter Laviolette, whose history as an NHL bench boss indicates the Predators will be uncaged for the first time in their history.
However, the franchise's makeup suggests Laviolette is without suitable artillery. Trotz spent 16 seasons imprinting his brand on the organization and collecting personnel to meet his style, leaving his successor with the improper fire-power to deploy his system.
On a team that hasn't had a player reach the 60-point plateau in five seasons and was spearheaded by Craig Smith's 24 goals last year, can Laviolette really afford to play shot-for-shot?
The makeshift middle
This summer, David Poile unpeeled a rather large, rather metaphorical band-aid and placed it across three lines down the middle of his depth chart.
Mike Ribeiro, Olli Jokinen and Derek Roy were plucked out of the bargain bin in free agency to form a makeshift center-ice position that is much too expansive to be considered a stopgap.
Have they not learned anything from the prototype? If the Los Angeles Kings have taught us anything with their recent proliferation of Stanley Cups, it's that you don't skimp on centers.
With Mike Fisher out until late November, Ribeiro and Jokinen, two thirds of Nashville's projected centermen on opening night (who, along with Roy, will earn a shade over $3.5 million combined next season), will compete in training camp for the right to have James Neal play on their wing.
Big deal Neal?
Neal's 178 points over the last three seasons represents a production rate 33 percent greater than any Predator forward over that span.
In other words, he fills a void.
He served an important purpose for the Penguins; a big-bodied presence with a booming release at a manageable price. For the Predators, though, Neal will have to be much more than that. He'll have to shoulder the offensive load almost entirely in Nashville.
The talented winger has a reckless side and, from time to time, is guilty of the downright moronic. He's been suspended twice - the first for going postal during the Penguins' epic first-round series with the Flyers, and a second time for kneeing a prone Brad Marchand in the temple.
If he can channel that - let's call it passion - into being the guy in Nashville, there's no reason Neal can't be the player the franchise has been hungry for since coming into existence.