Off Topic » Triple-A Toledo to work on

The Nashville Predators missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season -- back-to-back for the first time since 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 -- and decided to move forward without long-time head coach Barry Trotz. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Nashville team that should be on the rise, with new coach Peter Laviolette behind the bench and enough good young players to make their future promising. After making the coaching change, the Predators started to talk about playing a more offensive style under their new coach, though its easy to aim for more offence than a team that ranked 19th with 2.61 goals per game last season. D Shea Weber led the Predators in scoring last season, with 56 points, and the last time any Predators player had more than 60 points was 2008-2009 (J.P. Dumont), so its not unreasonable to suggest that Nashville could score more goals with a new approach. The strange thing is that offence wasnt the big problem for Nashville last season. They ranked 23rd in goals against, despite middle of the pack possession numbers. Those underlying numbers dont tell the whole story, because there is some variance between unblocked shots and shots on goal that likely leads to some answers about how the team attacks, but the standout number for the Predators last season is a .907 save percentage during 5-on-5 play, which ranked 29th. However, there is probably an assumption (a reasonable one, at that) that the Predators goaltending will be better with a healthy Pekka Rinne next season and with a defence corps that is good and getting better, the natural focus goes to the attack. Can a new style of play inject life into the Nashville offence or will it take time to acquire the players that will be best suited to play that style? These are questions for David Poile to answer this summer because the Predators only missed the playoffs by three points last season; a few good decisions could put them right back in the playoff hunt next year. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACH David Poile/Peter Laviolette Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Patric Hornqvist 73.38 76 22 31 53 51.1% $4.25M Craig Smith 71.80 79 24 28 52 50.4% $2.0M Mike Fisher 71.39 75 20 29 49 46.4% $4.2M Matt Cullen 66.22 77 10 29 39 50.5% $3.5M Colin Wilson 63.04 81 11 22 33 48.5% $2.0M Eric Nystrom 61.87 79 15 6 21 46.1% $2.5M Paul Gaustad 61.77 75 10 11 21 44.5% $3.25M Gabriel Bourque 61.60 74 9 17 26 52.3% $775K Viktor Stalberg 61.22 70 8 10 18 48.8% $3.0M Rich Clune 56.85 58 3 4 7 47.1% $850K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Nick Spaling 63.59 71 13 19 32 45.3% RFA $1.5M Patrick Eaves 58.63 30 2 3 5 50.9% UFA $1.2M On a team without a lot of proven goal-scorers, Patric Hornqvist is one, scoring at least 20 goals in four of the past five seasons and over that same time period, no one has generated shots on goal more efficiently during 5-on-5 play. If the Predators are going to play a more open game, maybe that will create even more scoring chances for Hornqvist, who has relied on shot volume more than any special finishing skill to get his numbers. Following a 2012-2013 season in which he scored just four goals in 44 games, Craig Smith had a nice breakout season in 2013-2014, scoring 24 goals and 52 points, earning more ice time as the season progressed. Hes another player that ought to benefit if the Predators are going to aim for a more offensive approach. At the very least, the Predators will hope that Smith is an offensive performer that they can lean on. Veteran pivot Mike Fisher has been a productive player, last season marking the sixth time that he surpassed 20 goals and sixth time with at least 40 points, but hes really taken on a lot of responsibility in Nashville, with last seasons 19:45 average time on ice per game one second behind his career-high, set in 2007-2008. Soon to be 34, and going into the final year of his contract, Fisher may be due for a role reduction. Matt Cullen is a few years ahead of Fisher on the career arc, but continues to contribute secondary offence, registering at least 0.48 points per game in every season since 2005-2006. Hes versatile, too, able to play in all situations and while hes a centre who has won 55.0% of his draws over the past four seasons, Cullen can play the wing too. A sturdy forward who was productive in 25 games in 2012-2013, Colin Wilsons scoring declined last year. His 0.14 goals per game was a career-low and he doesnt generate enough shots on goal to be a consistently productive scorer. Veteran winger Eric Nystrom played a career-high 14:52 per game last season and, for the second time in the past three years, scored at least 15 goals. He typically plays harder minutes, with defensive zone starts against quality opposition. Statistical oddity: Nystrom has never had a season with double digit assists. Veteran forward Paul Gaustad adds grit and is a beast on face-offs, winning 58.5% of his faceoffs since arriving in Nashville, but is perhaps a little-too-well-compensated for those contributions. He was Nashvilles fourth-highest paid forward last season yet, among regular forwards, was 11th in average even-strength time on ice. A blue-collar speed winger who thrived due to high percentages early in his career, Gabriel Bourque has settled into an effective third-line role and scored 25 of his 26 points last season at even strength. Bourque fits as a third-liner or, at times, a defensive conscience with more offensively-minded players. Brought in from Chicago with expectations of providing offence, Viktor Stalberg got less ice time and was less productive with Nashville; his 18 points in 70 games representing a career-low scoring rate. Stalberg has size, speed and enough skill to contribute offensively, but needs a fresh start after last season. Not many players agitate like Rich Clune, who ranks third in penalty minutes over the past couple seasons and hes capable of filling a fourth-line role, though adequate possession stats have not brought any notable offence. 25-year-old Nick Spaling has steadily improved his game and, playing a career-high 16:01 per game last season, set career marks in goals (13), assists (19) and points (32). While thats a positive trend, Spaling doesnt get a lot of shots, which makes his offensive contributions somewhat suspect, and likely means hes going to face a battle for ice time under the new coaching regime. With the expectation that Peter Laviolette would like his team to be more up-tempo and offensively-focused, the Predators do have a couple of strong prospects to inject into the lineup. Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok -- picked up at the last two trade deadlines, respectively -- have had moments in the NHL, but could go into next season with expectations for regular playing time. If the Predators are going to go on the attack more often, they may need personnel changes to help make that happen. In addition to turning loose their young skilled forwards, the Predators might also want to venture into the free agent or trade market to land a proven offensive weapon. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Shea Weber 79.63 79 23 33 56 48.0% $7.857M Roman Josi 74.99 72 13 27 40 48.7% $4.0M Seth Jones 64.90 77 6 19 25 49.5% $925K Victor Bartley 57.96 50 1 5 6 44.5% $667K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Ryan Ellis 65.54 80 6 21 27 50.3% RFA $1.44M Michael Del Zotto 61.73 67 3 13 16 50.5% RFA $2.55M Mattias Ekholm 59.41 62 1 8 9 50.1% UFA $1.025M The cornerstone around which the Predators are built, Shea Weber plays big minutes, in all situations and is coming off a year in which he scored a career-high 56 points. He is the runaway leader, among defencemen, for goals in the past six seasons and, over the past three seasons, he ranks third in total ice time. There is a fair argument to be made that Weber might be better off taking on a little bit less responsibility, as his possession stats have declined under his heavy workload, but he is front and centre to Nashvilles efforts. Hes overlooked, somewhat, because of Webers presence, but 23-year-old Roman Josi is an impressive defender in his own right. Last season, he was one of 16 defencemen to have at least 10 goals and 40 points, and his 26:25 average time on ice ranked fifth in the league, just behind Weber. Surprisingly available when the Predators were ready to make the fourth pick last summer, Seth Jones jumped straight to the NHL and instantly looked like he belonged, playing more than 23 minutes per game for the first couple months, but Jones couldnt handle that workload, so his ice time was cut back. Jones future is extremely bright, so he can be expected to play a big role next season and beyond, and the more that Jones is able to handle, the easier it may be to reduce Webers workload. Victor Bartley cracked the Predators lineup in 2012-2013, playing 24 games, and while last season was his first full season in the NHL, Bartley was utilized in a part-time role, playing under 16 minutes per game for 50 games and not faring well against relatively easy matchups. Signed for a couple more years, Bartley is an inexpensive option to fill the seventh slot on the blueline. The path to the NHL hasnt been easy for Ryan Ellis, the heady, yet undersized, defenceman. Hes been largely protected in his usage with the Predators, but has always put up solid possession stats. At the moment, hes also playing, and thriving, in a bigger role with Team Canada at the World Championships, so it may not be such a stretch to consider giving Ellis a bigger role in the future. The decision to be made is whether or not Ellis, smarts and puck skills will outweigh the size mismatches that he must deal with against bigger forwards. Quickly phased out in New York, under new coach Alain Vigneault, Michael Del Zotto looked to be getting a fresh start in Nashville, but didnt exactly get it. Del Zotto played only 16:18 per game with the Predators and his possession trend hasnt been great the past couple seasons. Hes 23, so it would be early to give up on Del Zotto altogether but, as a restricted free agent coming off a disappointing season in which he was paid $2.9-million, his qualifying offer could force a decision. Mattias Ekholm just wrapped up his first season with the Predators, and while he didnt stand out, it was generally positive. With further development, he could earn a bigger role but that will depend on being able to earn the trust of a new coaching staff. Like Ellis, Ekholm is playing a more substantial role at the World Championships. The Predators may be able to go with largely the same group coming back but, if there is room in the budget, adding a top four defenceman wouldnt hurt. Maybe Kimmo Timonen could be convinced to return or Ron Hainsey might be a viable left-shooting defence option for the Predators. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Pekka Rinne 56.03 24 10 10 3 2.77 .902 $7.0M Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Carter Hutton 65.06 40 20 11 4 2.62 .910 UFA $550K All the roster building in Nashville may be for naught if Pekka Rinne doesnt regain his form in net. After recovering from hip surgery last season, Rinne was not the goaltender that he had been in the previous five years. Considering what the Predators have committed, financially, to Rinne, they need him to be healthy and on top of his game. Filling the backup spot could be as simple as re-signing Carter Hutton, or maybe the Predators will look for someone with more experience; Ray Emery or Ilya Bryzgalov, perhaps? Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Calle Jarnkrok C Milwaukee (AHL) 18-27-45, +26, 63 GP Filip Forsberg LW Milwaukee (AHL) 15-19-34, +7, 47 GP Colton Sissons C Milwaukee (AHL) 25-19-44, -3, 62 GP Taylor Beck RW Milwaukee (AHL) 17-32-49, -8, 65 GP Austin Watson C Milwaukee (AHL) 22-24-46, +4, 76 GP Brendan Leipsic LW Portland (WHL) 39-52-91, +28, 60 GP Pontus Aberg LW Farjesstad (SHL) 15-16-31, +2, 52 GP Marek Mazanec G Milwaukee (AHL) 2.44 GAA, .914 SV%, 31 GP Miikka Salomaki LW Milwaukee (AHL) 20-30-50, +6, 75 GP Jimmy Vesey LW Harvard (ECAC) 13-9-22, -6, 31 GP Jonathan-Ismael Diaby D Victoriaville (QMJHL) 9-19-28, +11, 38 GP Anthony Bitetto D Milwaukee (AHL) 11-25-36, -13, 73 GP Simon Moser LW Milwaukee (AHL) 8-18-26, +2, 48 GP Swiped out of Detroit in the David Legwand deal, Calle Jarnkrok was already coming on strong after a slow start, then continued both in the AHL, where he put up nine points in six games with Milwaukee, then the NHL, where he had nine points in a dozen games with Nashville, putting up solid possession numbers in sheltered use. Acquired from Washington for Martin Erat in 2013, Filip Forsberg had a solid showing in his first year in North America, and added five points in 13 games with the Predators. The 19-year-old could, along with Jarnkrok, be part of Nashvilles resurgence. A second-round pick in 2012, Colton Sissons had a strong first pro campaign, earning the solid two-way performer a 17-game look with the Predators, scoring four points. Drafted in the third round in 2009, Taylor Beck is a winger with good size and has put up 90 points in 115 AHL games over the past two seasons. He also has seven points and good possession numbers in 23 games with the Predators. A 6-foot-4 centre who was a first-round pick in 2010, Austin Watson finished the year strong in the AHL, with 18 points in his last 22 games. Hes probably knocking on the door for an opportunity with the Predators, though there arent a plethora of openings down the middle, particularly if Jarnkrok sticks. Between the last two WHL seasons and playoffs, Brendan Leipsic has tallied 268 points in 169 games, so he knows what to do when he gets in the offensive zone. The undersized winger, who was a third-round p ick in 2012, will need to show that he can handle the rest as he makes the move to pro hockey. A skilled forward who had a productive year in the Swedish Hockey League, Pontus Aberg was a second-round pick in 2012 and hes going to be worth a look at some point. Forced into action for Nashville last season when injuries hit, Marek Mazanec was a sixth-round pick in 2012. Hes big, athletic and showed promise in his 25 games with the Predators, but could use time as an AHL starter to further his development. Picked in the second round in 2011, Miikka Salomaki had a nice first season in North America, leading Milwaukee in scoring. Sturdy winger isnt shy and could contend for a spot soon. A third-round pick in 2012, Jimmy Vesey is a winger with good size and scoring touch, which he has shown scoring 24 goals in 58 games in two seasons at Harvard. Jonathan Ismael-Diaby is a mammoth defenceman that the Predators picked in the third round last summer. Hes going to need time to polish his game, but made significant progress in 2013-2014. 23-year-old Anthony Bitetto was a sixth-round pick in 2010 and turned pro after two years at Northeastern. Last season was something of a breakthrough for him, with more offensive production than he had shown previously. A 25-year-old signed as a free agent out of Switzerland, Simon Moser earned a six-game look-see with Nashville last season. Moser has size, but doesnt have enough of an offensive track record to expect him to be anything more than a checker. Predators advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT 11th - Brendan Perlini, Haydn Fleury, Alex Tuch FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Predators have approximately $48.3M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 17 players. Check out my possible Predators lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: Three top six forwards, one top four defenceman, backup goaltender. What I said the Predators needed last year: Three top line forwards, one top four defenceman. They added: Matt Cullen, Eric Nystrom, Viktor Stalberg, Seth Jones. TRADE MARKET Viktor Stalberg, Colin Wilson, Nick Spaling, Paul Gaustad, Michael Del Zotto. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. NHL Jerseys .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. Nike Jerseys .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/. The Opening Day starter played 53 games this season hitting .192 with nine home runs and 25 RBI. Red Sox manager John Farrell has decided to start Jose Iglesias at third base as of late instead of Middlebrooks. Authentic Jerseys ." One game is checked off, 15 remain and the next one to get crossed out could come Tuesday night when the defending champion Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. MLB Jerseys .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award. DETROIT -- Justin Morneau showed contending teams who may want to make a deal for him hes still got it, hitting a two-run homer and a two-run double before finishing with a season-high four hits to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3 Tuesday night. "Hes obviously still a threat," Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello said after Morneau roughed him up. "The home run was one of the better pitches I threw to him all night." Glen Perkins struck out Miguel Cabrera with two on for the final out to help the fourth-place Twins hold on for the win against the AL Central-division leading Tigers. Cabrera, who has been playing through a series of injuries, finished his last at-bat in pain. "You could see it in his facial expression," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, adding he didnt know what Cabreras latest ailment was about 15 minutes after the game ended. Mike Pelfrey (5-10) gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. Jared Burton got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth, and Perkins finished for his 29th save in 32 chances -- barely. Detroit catcher Brayan Pena led off the ninth with a single after fouling a pitch off his right big toe and struggling to run to first base before, he was replaced by Bryan Holaday. After Austin Jackson walked with two outs, Cabrera came to the plate. The fans that stuck around rose to their feet only to go home disappointed when the reigning AL MVP swung and missed on a third strike. "When you get to their closer, its going to be pretty rough to come back," Leyland said. "I think hes one of the best in the league." Porcello (9-7) allowed five runs and seven hits over 4 1-3 innings for Detroit. The Twins were without All-Star Joe Mauer, who was scratched from his start at first when he experienced dizziness during batting practice. Minnesota might end the season without Morneau, who can be traded by the end of the month because he cleared waivers. "Thats just part of baseball in August," he said. "Theres nothing I can do about it, and I dont expect anything to happen. But if it does, Ill deal with it. Right now, Im just playing." Gardenhire also said before thee game he didnt plan to put Mauer behind the plate during the series, insisting the decision had nothing to do with Mauers mask getting hit by a lot of baseballs when he played catcher Monday against the New York Mets.dddddddddddd A couple hours later, Mauer was taken out of the lineup. And after the game, Mauer was put on the seven-day concussion disabled list. "Im glad we have the means to find out that someones hurt and do the right thing for them," Gardenhire said. "For a long time, you had guys playing through these things, but now we have the tests to find out that something is wrong and take care of them." The Twins put Morneau, who is in the final year of his contract, on revocable waivers last week and he wasnt claimed. He was drafted by Minnesota in 1999 and has been a cornerstone of the team for a decade. "Youd love for him to finish his career here," Gardenhire said. "Its now always up to the manager." Prince Fielder hit his 20th homer to get the Tigers within two runs in the fourth inning, but they allowed Minnesota to build its lead in each of the next two innings. Phil Coke pitched in relief of Porcello and Morneau sent his first pitch into the right-field gap to put Minnesota up 5-1 in the fifth inning. After the game, Coke was sent to Triple-A Toledo to work on his control and left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarez was recalled. "Were not down on Phil Coke," Leyland insisted. "Hes coming back Sept. 1." That wasnt of much consolation for Coke. "Im not happy," he said. "I dont know who would be." Pedro Florimon hit a solo homer off Jeremy Bonderman in the sixth, giving the Twins a five-run lead. NOTES: The Twins want to see RHP Samuel Deduno pitch in the bullpen before letting him take his start in the rotation Friday because he has biceps tendinitis. ... Tigers C Alex Avila, who hasnt played since Aug. 10 because of concussion symptoms, participated in pregame drills on the field and the early returns from his workout were positive. Avila will wear a mask with more padding when he returns to play. ... Twins OF Oswaldo Arcia was out of the lineup because of a sore left wrist. ' ' '