5 questions for Predators in Stanley Cup Qualifiers

NHL.com is looking ahead to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers by examining five of the biggest questions facing each of the 24 remaining teams. Today, we look at the Nashville Predators.

The Nashville Predators were 35-26-8 (.565 points percentage) and will enter the Stanley Cup Qualifiers as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. They will play the No. 11 seed, the Arizona Coyotes (33-29-8, .529 points percentage), in one of eight best-of-5 series. The West qualifiers will start Aug. 1 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Here are 5 key questions facing the Predators:

1. Who will be the starting goalie?

Juuse Saros took over as the No. 1 goalie after Pekka Rinne struggled this season. Saros was 12-5-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, including a .940 even-strength save percentage, in his last 20 games (18 starts) before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Rinne was 4-6-1 with a 3.59 GAA and .895 save percentage (.904 at even strength) in that span. Coach John Hynes has a history of sticking with the hot goalie and said on June 15 the job is up for grabs.

2. Who can elevate his play?

Centers Matt Duchene (13 goals in 66 games) and Ryan Johansen (36 points; 14 goals, 22 assists in 68 games) and forwards Filip Forsberg (21 goals in 63 games) and Viktor Arvidsson (28 points; 15 goals, 13 assists in 57 games) each can improve. Duchene scored 23 and 31 goals in his previous two seasons; Johansen scored at least 54 points in each of his previous three seasons; Forsberg scored at least 26 goals in each of his previous five seasons; and Arvidsson scored at least 48 points in each of his previous three seasons. Forward Rocco Grimaldi, who was averaging 12:39 of ice time per game, might be one player to keep an eye on for added production after scoring NHL career highs of 10 goals and 31 points in 66 games this season, his second with Nashville.

3. Will defenseman Roman Josi be the difference-maker?

The Predators captain leads Nashville with 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists in 69 games); one of two defensemen in the NHL to lead his team (John Carlson of the Washington Capitals, 75 points). Josi also led the Predators in ice time per game (25:47), power-play points (23; four goals, 19 assists), shot attempts differential at 5-on-5 (plus-185), and shots on goal (260). He has a 62.1 percent on-ice goals-for percentage despite starting 50.5 percent of his shifts outside the offensive zone at 5-on-5.

4. Can defenseman Ryan Ellis be their X-factor?

The defenseman was having a productive season with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 39 games before missing 20 games because of a concussion sustained in the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1. He led Nashville with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 10 games since his return to the lineup Feb. 21 and has always been an asset on the power play; his 4.97 power-play points per 60 minutes this season was second on the Predators after Josi (6.10).

5. Does coach John Hynes have enough information about his team?

Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as coach on Jan. 7, a little more than a month after he was fired as coach of the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 3. Nashville, 19-15-7 when Hynes was named coach, went 16-11-1 after the change. The Predators also had a better power play (18.1 percent under Hynes; 16.8 percent previously) and penalty kill (79.3 percent under Hynes; 74.1 percent previously) following the coaching change. Hynes used the pause to create full reports on each player, their strengths, weaknesses, and how each fits in the culture of the locker room. He will try to apply that to in-game assessments and making decisions on the fly.