Each week, we break down the highs and lows of Nashville Predators hockey; we assign “plusses” to the players, lines, coaches, concepts, etc. whose stock is trending upwards, and “minuses” to those who have some improvements to work on.
Let’s jump into this week’s list!
Plus: Yakov Trenin
What a difference a few weeks make.
Trenin’s behind-the-back tip-in goal against the Sabres — which itself could have earned a spot on this list for its pure-badassery — was the Russian’s fifth score in nine games. Only Filip Forsberg has more goals for the Preds in that span. That’s especially impressive considering just a few weeks ago, Trenin was healthy scratched after zero points in 14 games.
Other than the possible downside of needing extra insurance for the Bridgestone Arena glass, Trenin’s heater could not have come at a better time for the Predators. His output has replaced some of the depth scoring lost due to Tommy Novak and Cody Glass’s injury. Beyond the scoreboard, Trenin has remained a consistent two-way presence for the Predators throughout the season, as well as one of the top contributors on a slowly-improving Preds’ penalty-killing unit.
Needless to say, it’s highly unlikely Trenin winds up as a healthy scratch anytime soon.
Minus: Tyson Barrie’s Preds Future
Will that same sentiment hold true for Tyson Barrie? The veteran defender was left in the press box for both of the Preds’ weekend contests following a report from Elliotte Friedman that the Preds gave him permission to seek a trade. Andrew Brunette added another layer to the situation by hinting “expectations” for Barrie’s game hadn’t been met in recent weeks.
There are a couple of layers to this. One is that the timing is extremely interesting given it came after news Alexandre Carrier would be out due to injury. Barrie’s play hasn’t been quite as impressive as one would have hoped entering the season, but it also wasn’t bad, and the Preds could stand to use his skillset a few weeks more.
As for the trade talk, it’s still unclear if this was a trade request from Barrie or the Preds choosing to move on. But either way, the end result never seemed in doubt. Barrie was pegged as future trade bait from the moment the Oilers included him in the return for Mattias Ekholm. Combined with the fact that he’s had a smaller role in Brunette’s lineup than he had last season, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion Barrie would be gone before the deadline.
The only question mark will be how the Predators handle this situation moving forward. Were the two healthy scratches a sign that Barry Trotz may choose to Jakob Chychrun this situation until a deal is done? Or will Barrie have a chance to return to an impact role in the Preds’ lineup and — potentially — bump up his trade value before March 8?
Plus: Spencer Stastney’s Return
Taking Barrie’s place in the lineup this past weekend was Spencer Stastney, who has had quite the eventful past few weeks himself. Stastney was recalled from Milwaukee on November 18th. He then played an impressive five-game stint with the Preds before being sent back down to the Ads on November 28th. Just hours after what would have been his first game back in the AHL, he was sent back to Nashville as a fill-in for Carrier.
This most recent call-up may very well be the last time the Preds have to pull Stastney from the AHL.
Stastney was impressive in a bottom pair role during the Preds’ weekend double-header, showing off a lot of the skills that make him an intriguing piece of the team’s long-term future. His skating skills are elite, with some even questioning whether he’s already the best pure skater on the Preds’ roster. Stastney’s awareness and decision-making is also impressive for a 23-year-old who has just 15 NHL games under his belt. And while he’s no playmaking, puck-moving offensive juggernaut, you’ll rarely see him make an ill-advised pass or be careless with the puck.
As Trotz and Brunette look to re-shape the Preds’ defense, Stastney could be in line for more responsibility in the coming months, and Preds fans should get a better look at how the young blueliner could fit into the team’s long-term plans moving forward.
Minus: Luke Schenn’s Return
While Stastney’s return to the lineup has excited Smashville, Luke Schenn’s return to the lineup has… well… happened…
To say Schenn’s stint with the Predators hasn’t gone to plan would be an understatement. He’s dead last on the team in GF% (28.57%), second to last in xGF% (43.8%), and second to last in HDCF% (39.13%). Even the areas of the game one would expect Schenn to excel in — like positioning and puck battles in front of the net — have been a struggle this season.
It may behoove us to give Schenn some benefit of the doubt considering he’s just coming back from a six-week injury. But the fact that he’s looked badly out-of-place in nearly every game he’s played is a concern. The Predators invested three years and over $8 million in Schenn; it’s not exactly a low-risk contract the Preds can easily move on from.
The Preds’ best hope is that Schenn can turn things around with more consistent minutes and roles, something that — as of now — Brunette seems hesitant to give. If it doesn’t, this could shape up to be one of the most cringe-worthy contracts in recent NHL memory.
Plus: The Stanley Cup Playoffs
Look, the NHL playoffs aren’t perfect. The divisional bracket format has become prone to stale matchups and lack of intrigue in both the conference finals and end of the regular season. But I have to say… I certainly have some new-found appreciation for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after Sunday.
Imagine if the Florida Panthers finish with the NHL’s best record; they win the President’s Trophy. But before the postseason, the NHL owners step in and say “yeah, that’s an impressive record, but we actually think the Boston Bruins are the better all-around team, so we’re going to award them the top seed for the whole playoffs.”
Imagine if the Vancouver Canucks endured a rash of key injuries, somehow battled their way to a solid late-season run and earned the second wildcard spot. Then, the NHL owners stepped in and said “sorry, you guys had an impressive season, but you don’t have a chance to win without Elias Pettersson, so the 10th-place Edmonton Oilers are going to take your spot because they have a healthy McDavid and Draisaitl.”
Imagine if the Colorado Avalanche dominate the Preds, Blackhawks, Coyotes, and Blues and rocket to the top of the Western Conference. But when it comes time to play the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference, the NHL owners say “sorry, we know you have the better record, but the Golden Knights played in the tougher division all season, and their second-round win over the Kings was more impressive than your second-round win over the Jets, so they’re actually going to have home-ice advantage this round.”
This would be blasphemy, right? Apparently, that’s not the case in college football, where an undefeated power five team can go undefeated and win its conference despite losing their star quarterback, yet get left out of the postseason in favor of not one… but TWO one-loss teams.
The College Football Playoff Committee has a very specific job: find the four best teams in college football. But it’s a flawed process. There’s bias involved, and no, I’m not talking about the ol’ “ESPN is biased in favor of the SEC argument.” There’s bias in what constitutes the “best team.” You may disqualify a one-loss team for losing to a 6-6 team in Week 4, while another committee member may commend you for going on a red-hot 8-0 run to end the year. You may push for a team to be number one because they ran the gauntlet on their conference, while someone else may value more narrow, come-from-behind wins in a tougher conference instead.
What makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs great is that it erases all biases. Think you’re a playoff team? Then prove it by having one of the eight best records in your conference. Think you’re a better team than the team ahead of you in the standings? Then prove it by beating them in a best-of-seven series.
This is why the team that wins the Stanley Cup – regardless of season, circumstance, or opponents – can truly say they’ve earned it.
This article sponsored by the Nashville Spartans
