Nashville Predators

Pekka Rinne has made the Nashville Predators one of the hottest teams in the NHL, winning 14 of their last 17.

This recent surge has put the Predators just four points behind the Central-leading and NHL-leading Detroit Red Wings.

Rinne has been remarkable this entire season, but he's stepped up his game even more since the all-star break.

Just once has Rinne allowed more than two goals in a game since January 5th in a loss to the Dallas Stars.

What Rinne has done has made the Predators capable of beating anyone in a seven-game series. 

Some may argue that the Predators' offense will still keep them from hanging with the best of the NHL, but the Predators are actually in the top half of the league in goals per game.

Young guys like Craig Smith, Matt Halischuck and Colin Wilson have really helped this offense give Rinne a little goal support.

With Rinne finally getting some backup, the sky is the limit as to how far he can carry them this season.

This is a big reason why head coach Barry Trotz has inserted backup goaltender Anders Lindback when the Predators are facing off against an Eastern Conference opponent. 

These games aren't nearly as important as their Western Conference games, so Trotz is trading a loss here and there to assure Rinne is fresh for the important games down the stretch.

The Predators have been a staple of the playoffs for quite some time now, but they've never really had a lockdown goaltender like Rinne.

Tomas Vokoun did have a few solid years, but he never played as consistently or reliable as Rinne is playing right now.

Now Rinne may not be exactly where you would like to see him among the other NHL goaltenders in terms of goals against average.

Even though that number continues to get lower, the most important statistic is the amount of wins Rinne has goaltended. He's been a flat-out workhorse this season, and that's what you want to see from a guy that just got a $49 million deal back in November.

The schedule gets extremely difficult to close out the season, but Rinne in net will keep the Predators in the playoff picture yet again.

This is realistically the best chance the Predators have ever had at making a run to the Stanley Cup thanks to their lockdown goaltender who keeps making critical save after critical save.

The Preds never gave up in this one.

After going down 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild early in the third period, it looked as though the Nashville Predators were headed for just their third loss this month.

But with 10 minutes left, the Preds turned it on and scored four straight goals to win 5-4 and finish with a 11-2 record in January.

Brandon Yip, who was claimed off waivers on January 19th, started the comeback with his first goal as a Pred at the 9:22 mark.

Then, Nashville caught fire.

With 3:21 left in the game and down 4-2, Hornqvist had a pure strength, shove-in goal to cut the deficit to one goal.

Just 21 seconds later, Collin Wilson assisted a cutting Mike Fisher, who found the open part of the net and tied the game up at 4-4.

At that point, Preds fans would have been more than happy to get to overtime, but the squad had gained momentum after scoring two goals in 21 seconds.

Then, at the 19:39 mark of the third period, Mike Fished slung the puck towards the net and snuck it past Wild goaltender Josh Harding, which gave the Preds their first lead of the game with just 21 seconds left.

This win was not the first time Nashville has come back from a large deficit this season, and the "never give up" mentality continues to soar through this team.

There were many defensive mishaps which led to Minnesota's 2-0 start, and the Preds offense took until midway through the third to start putting the puck on net.

But somehow, they fought to the end and found a way to further their streak of winning 13 of their past 15 games.

February is here, and the Predators have arguably the hardest remaining schedule in the NHL.

This was a good win to finish January, but Nashville must continue to battle and prove they can beat difficult teams this month.

When Nashville Predators star defenseman told reporters in Ottawa during All-Star weekend that he would not sign an extension with his team before the February 27 trading deadline, the decision on whether to trade or keep him became much harder for general manager David Poile.

Despite the possibility that Suter could leave the Predators in the summer and the team would get nothing in return for him, Nashville seems willing to keep the star defenseman and make a deep run in the playoffs.

Per Philly.com:

“The consensus among us is that Nashville will be hanging onto him, even if they know the odds are not in their favor of re-signing him,” one Eastern Conference GM told the Daily News on condition of anonymity. “If he does decide to trade him, [David] Poile has the market cornered. There are very few defensemen of Suter’s caliber in the league, and Nashville has two of them.

“You have to wonder whether the Predators can continue to trade away their top players for prospects because they can’t afford to pay them.”

The Predators also have captain and defenseman Shea Weber to re-sign in the summer, but he is a restricted free agent. Weber and Suter are top-10 NHL defensemen (Weber arguably top-three), which makes signing them both long-term an expensive situation.

If Suter won't sign an extension before the trade deadline, doesn't it seem like he wants to move on?

The Predators are a good team and have strong goaltending and defense, but their lack of goal-scoring hurts them in every postseason. They won't make it to the Stanley Cup Final without adding a big-name scorer.

If Suter does become a free agent, expect the Detroit Red Wings to make a run at him. Legendary Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom could be playing in his final NHL season, and if he does retire, the team will have lots of salary-cap space and a big need on defense. Suter would be a fantastic replacement for Lidstrom in Detroit.

Any team with salary-cap space would want to sign Suter, but Detroit offers him the nice combination of a winning franchise, lots of money and a chance to be "the man" on defense.

If Nashville decides to trade Suter before the deadline, one team who will be very active in pursuing him will be the Philadelphia Flyers, who have been devastated this season by injuries to key defensemen such as captain Chris Pronger.

Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen was one of the NHL's All-Stars this past weekend in Ottawa, along with Suter, and did his best to try to convince the upcoming free agent that Philadelphia would be a good place for him.

“I told him that Philly is a nice town,” Timonen said with a smile. “He would probably enjoy Philly.”

“He’s going to take his time and see what’s going to happen,” Timonen said. “If he gets the money he wants, obviously he will stay there. You don’t know what’s going to happen, how much they’re going to spend, if they want to keep both of those two guys. He’s been there so long, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t want to stay there.”

Suter is a franchise defenseman, but paying two blueliners $7 million or more per season long-term when you have little offensive firepower does not make sense for the Predators, even if ownership is willing to spend the money to sign both Suter and Weber.

Nashville needs to find a team, like the Flyers, that has good offensive depth that can give them a top-six forward in a deal for Suter. Without more offense, Nashville is nothing more than a team who can reach the second round of the playoffs.

The Predators have the best defenseman to dangle at the trade deadline, and there are many teams who would be interested and have a lot to offer Nashville in return for Suter. 

By publicly saying that he will not re-sign with the Predators before the trade deadline, the team must take the hint that Suter probably isn't going to sign in the summer either, and that trading him now is the best move for the franchise going forward.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.

The Nashville Predators (30-16-4) look to keep impressing the hockey world after going 12-2 in their last 14 games before the All-Star break.

The red-hot Preds have been beating quality opponents during the stretch, including the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks twice.  

However, competition gets even harder as their stretch of February match-ups look brutal on paper:

2/2 @PHI  

2/4 STL  

2/7 VAN  

2/9 @OTT  

2/11 @BOS  

2/14 CHI  

2/17 @DET  

2/19 @DAL  

2/21 VAN  

2/23 STL  

2/25 SJ  

2/27 LA  

2/28 @CAR

Notice, the final five games are played in one week, but includes four straight at home.

Although a tough road lies ahead for Nashville, it seems as though they are pretty comfortable playing at home. This season, the Preds are 16-7-3 at home and are 12-2 in their last 14 home games.

The two games lost in January were to the New York Rangers and the Dallas Stars.

Playing in the toughest division in the NHL has required the Preds to start seeing themselves as an elite team in the league, and they must be able to carry that idea into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

There is no doubting that this Predators squad is young, however, there is plenty of talent which needs some time to develop. The Preds have nine players who are 24 years old or younger.

After starting the season off hot, Craig Smith has slowed down some but is always capable of fighting hard for the puck and finding the net. Plus, the Preds need to see more scoring from their forwards in the coming months, including their veterans Mike Fisher and David Legwand.

However, the Predators are second best in the league in power-play scoring, at 22%. 

Experienced defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are returning from Ottowa and the All-Star game as the Predators travel to Minnesota tonight for a 8:00 p.m. EST game against the Wild.

The Preds are looking to finish January with a record of 11-2 tonight.

But we all know that February does not get any easier.

As the offseason awaits, Nashville Predators GM David Poile faces the daunting task of re-signing two of the best defenders in the league.

Shea Weber and Ryan Suter have taken both Nashville and the NHL by storm in the past few seasons, and this year is no diferent. Both players are heading to the All-Star game and are two of the most prized upcoming free agents on the market.

Prior to the season, Preds chairman Tom Ciggaran said that the money is there, and his team has every intent to re-sign the two. But it won't be easy to fork over the money, as Nashville boasts the lowest payroll in the league.

The Predators are arguably playing some of their best hockey ever and are hitting their stride, as they've won 12 out of their last 14 games and are now three points out of the NHL lead. Hopes are high in Smashville that their newfound offense and stellar defense, backed by Pekka Rinne, can lead them to a Stanley Cup. 

So, one question is begging to be asked: What do you do with Suter and Weber if you're Nashville?

1) Lock Down Ryan Suter Long-Term with a Five-Year Deal

The Predators have proven over the last few years that Suter is of huge importance to Nashville's success, as the team is now 4-7-1 in the last two seasons without the American star blue-liner playing.

Also, this team is starting to find their groove on offense and is showing that they have Stanley Cup potential.

If Nashville lets Suter go, it could adversely affect Weber's production and effectiveness offensively, especially on the power play.

Throughout the franchise's history, they've shown that they are able to find scoring from a wide array of players past their top six forwards. With this unique ability, it makes it easier to be able to spend so much of their payroll on their defenders and goalie, especially when they're all such special talents.

Suter's current deal is at $3.5 million per year, and he's due a hefty raise. Both sides have been working on a deal for some time. I would give Suter a five-year, $32.5 million deal, which gives him $6.5 million each year.  

2) Re-sign Shea Weber to a One-Year Deal, or Go to Arbitration if Necessary

No matter how much the Predators say that money won't be a problem, it always will be.

With that said, locking down Weber for another year without crippling the franchise by adding another huge, long-term deal would give Nashville the best chance for success not only next year, but for the years to come.

In 2011-12, a playoff berth was expected to be a successful season for Nashville, especially after losing so much scoring last offseason. However, many young prospects have gelled quite well in Music City, and the Predators are beating the NHL's best week in and week out. 

This is a very talented and poised team, with plenty of leadership and fight-back ability. But they'd lose their most important player in both those categories if they let Weber walk.

Keeping him around for next season also gives them the opportunity to trade and get some big-time talent if things aren't working out the way they're planned.

Astonishingly enough, Weber is outperforming the one-year, $7.5 million deal he was awarded in arbitration last year. If he keeps it up, he's due a minimal raise at the very least.

I expect the Predators to struggle with a deal, but accept arbitration and be excited about their chances of hoisting a Cup in 2012-13. 

How do you follow up an impressive playoff performance in 2010-11? For Jordin Tootoo, it’s come in the form of an equally strong showing in the 2011-12 NHL regular season.  

After scoring one goal, along with six points and utilizing his trademark physical style over 12 post-season games for the Nashville Predators last year, Tootoo, drawing closer to 500 games of NHL service, made sure he kept the momentum going into the current campaign.

“When I came into training camp this year, I was focused and ready to step up my game,” said the 98th overall selection by the Predators in 2001. “I was committed to taking certain steps to be a professional away from the game and that’s one area I really worked on. I’ve had to deal with different situations throughout my career and I came in to camp in the right state of mind.”

The end result has been one of Tootoo’s best seasons since he started his NHL career on October 9, 2003, the night he became the first player of Inuit descent to play in a regular season NHL game.

He’s already surpassed his previous mark for points in a season (18), while contributing solid play in both the offensive and defensive zones.

Tootoo might have revved up his game, but that’s the opposite of how he’s viewing his time on the ice.

“The game seems to have slowed down a second for me, where I’m more aware than ever of what’s going, what’s unfolding and what’s happening out there,” said Tootoo, “It’s totally different for me now. I guess you can say that it’s been long time coming, but I’m embracing everything. I just want to contribute to the team.”

For the 28-year-old, preparation begins long before the drop of the puck.

“It all starts in practice for me,” said Tootoo, who played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1999 to 2003. “I want to take what I do from there and be ready for any situation that comes up in a game. I want to work on my two-on-one skills, skating, everything.”

Tootoo has reaped the rewards of his commitment, part of a Nashville squad eager to go further than they did in last year’s playoffs, losing in six games to the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference semifinals.

“We’re hungry to go deeper,” said the right winger. “But we are taking it one game at a time. We enjoy the wins because life is a lot more exciting when you’re playing well, but you also look at the standings and realize that a few losses can take you from fifth spot and put you in twelfth.

“We’re a group that has bought into the system the coaching staff has given us. We play as a group and we don’t depend on one person to make a difference. That’s our philosophy when we suit up for games. We know there will be ups and downs, but we’re ready to deal with whatever we have to. Every game is a playoff game for us and I like that.”

For Tootoo, he takes none of them for granted.

“It’s an honour and there's a lot of a pride for me to put that jersey on every night,” said Tootoo, who has 10 points in 36 post-season games. “What the team and my teammates have done for me both personally and professionally, I’m very grateful.”

He’s also more confident in his abilities than ever before.

“That’s huge and that’s how I feel,” offered Tootoo. “When I go out there, I’m ready to play. It’s nice to get points, but it’s even more rewarding when the team gets those valuable two points. I’m happy with how things have gone for us. I hope it gets even better.”

With Tootoo on top of his game, there’s every reason to believe it will.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

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When All-Star defenseman and impending free agent Ryan Suter didn't return to the ice for the second period Monday against the New York Islanders, the hockey world started buzzing that he was traded mid-game, reminiscent of the Michael Cammalleri-to-the-Flames fiasco last week.

Luckily, Suter is just out with an upper-body injury and is expected to be back soon. But his absence has been felt hard by the Preds in the last five periods that they've been without the American star. 

The Preds have been held scoreless since Suter left Monday's game, winning 3-1 with three first-period goals at the Islanders on Monday and being shutout, 3-0, Tuesday night against the league-leading New York Rangers. In many cases, losing a top defender would cause a team to fold defensively and give up some extra goals. This week, however, the offense has also been hurting thanks in no small part to Suter.

Suter orchestrates the offense with linemate Shea Weber, especially on the power play. He's tied for second on the team with 20 assists and is often the first element of the goals he's helped to produce. The blame can't be put entirely on Suter's absence, but Nashville (third in the NHL on the man-advantage) looked disgustingly stagnant on the power play in six minutes Tuesday night. 

After the Preds stormed out to a 3-0 lead after the first period against the Islanders Monday, New York outshot Nashville, 31-20, for the game's remainder. It was much more due to an unbelievable game by Pekka Rinne (36 saves on 37 attempts) that they retained that lead rather than defensive play. 

Nashville is now 4-8-1 in the last two seasons combined without Suter. Fellow All-Star Weber didn't miss a single game last year, but the Preds went 3-1 this year against stiff competition when Weber was out with a concussion. They gave up just five goals in those three wins. 

Weber is not the same defender without his trusty blue-line companion, and numbers show that head coach Barry Trotz feels the same. Weber has averaged 23:21 of ice time in these last two games while his time on ice is at 26:10 for the season. You'd think the Preds would lean on Weber more with him out of the lineup, but that hasn't been the case.

Widely considered as the league's top defender, Weber gets much more credit as an overall player than his linemate. But don't underestimate Suter's value to this team and the unique role he has on both sides of the puck.

With a trivial offseason ahead, don't think the Predators front office will be underestimating it, either.