It’s time to bring back Stanley’s Post Office, taking your questions and thoughts on all things Nashville Predators. The Preds are off to a hot start at 9-5-1 to begin the season and some big names are playing extremely well to begin play. We’ll see if they can keep it up as they are up in Canada this week taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
Without further ado, let’s get to your questions from the Twitterverse.
@ADogNamedMilo – Hi Robby. If Filip Forsberg returns to the lineup, what would be your setup for him?
I got several different versions of this question and I think it’s a very interesting one. Forsberg still isn’t on the trip with the Predators according to coach John Hynes, which is not a good sign for his return being imminent. I like what I’ve seen so far from Tanner Jeannot and Ryan Johansen playing together alongside Philip Tomasino, but I think that’s a spot where Forsberg would slide back in well. A Forsberg-Johansen-Jeannot line actually intrigues the crap out of me.
I would try (assuming Forsberg and Nick Cousins are healthy):
Forsberg-Johansen-Jeannot
Kunin-Granlund-Duchene
Trenin-Sissons-Cousins
Tolvanen-Novak-Tomasino
Regardless, it’s really important that he gets back in the lineup as quickly as possible. It’s kind of an important year for him and the Predators as far as his future is concerned! Which leads us to our next question….
@Cam_TC13 – If the team continues to win without Forsberg, would you flip Forsberg for picks and prospects regardless of standings?
In short, no. Look, it’s good that the Predators have been winning without Forsberg’s services but they are by no means a better team without him. So, in my opinion, the first priority should still be trying to sign him to a contract extension.
But what exactly would that extension look like? That’s a fascinating question. An argument can certainly be made that based on Forsberg’s production and his injury issues that he’s dealt with the past few seasons, he’s not worth much more than he’s being paid right now on his six-year, $36 million contact ($6 million AAV). I can guarantee you that is not the position that Forsberg and his representatives will take, so nailing down exactly what the dollar amount on the next contract for Forsberg will look like is challenging.
I am still under the belief that you can’t just lose Forsberg for nothing. So if the trade deadline is approaching and the Predators haven’t reached a new deal with him, I think there should be some strong consideration for trading him regardless of where they are in the standings. Having said that, that’s going to be a pretty difficult thing for David Poile to pull the trigger on if the Predators are in good playoff positioning.
@meswedishchef – Grimaldi. In Milwaukee for a comeback or is he not fitting the Preds current play style?
I really like Rocco Grimaldi and I think he’s still an NHL quality player. He just doesn’t really seem to fit this group and their style of play any longer, and I was honestly a little surprised that he was still on this roster to begin the season given the way last year ended for him and the transition the Predators have made to becoming bigger and tougher to play against.
Now, just because they are a bigger and stronger team now doesn’t mean that every player you have needs to be 6’2 and 220 pounds. I think the big issue for Grmaldi as of late has been his play in the defensive zone. His numbers defensively last year were not good and we know that Hynes really values that part of the game for his forward group.
Rocco is one of the good ones so I wish him success moving forward. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him playing in the NHL, even if that’s not with the Predators.
@DennisJBurnside – Do you think Cody Glass can eventually develop into a major contributor to the Predators? Even if it’s not this season?
It’s hard to really determine a “winner” for that Ryan Ellis trade right now, huh? Cody Glass and Philippe Myers haven’t been factors for the Predators so far this year and Ellis has only played in four games with the Flyers and is now week-to-week again with a lower-body injury.
The Predators didn’t give Glass much of a look to begin the season, sending him down to Milwaukee after just two games. He honestly didn’t look very impressive to me in the preseason and was pretty much invisible in the first couple of games. It’s hard for me to think he’s going to be much of a factor this year for the Predators based on the way things have gone so far, but we’ve seen crazier things happen (look no further than Jeannot last year).
The trade is still more about the long term with Glass. If he can blossom into a legitimate top-six threat for the Predators, I think you’re feeling great about it if you’re Poile. He was the sixth overall pick in the draft and I’m not sure if he’s ever quite going to live up to that, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a really good player. And I think not having that Ellis contract on the books is going to look better and better for the Predators as he ages based on the injuries he’s continuing to deal with. But let’s not sugarcoat it, Glass has not looked overly impressive so far. And that’s a legit concern.
@rshinbaum – Any chance that Egor Afanasyev plays for the Preds this year?
I would be pretty surprised if he didn’t play for the Predators at some point this season. I think he was very close to making the team out of training camp and that he’s probably a little bit ahead of where the Preds expected him to be at this point.
He’s not blown it up in Milwaukee thus far from a production standpoint (two goals, four assists in 11 GP) but I think his combination of size and skill is intriguing and I think he’ll get some NHL playing time at some point this season.
Comments