Nashville Predators

DENVER — If P.K. Subban has always had the reputation of holding court for reporters in front of his locker, where it's come one, come all, well, court wasn't really in session on Monday afternoon.

The Nashville Predators, picked by some to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final next spring after acquiring the exciting defenseman from the Montreal Canadiens, have come out of the starting gate like a 1975, bald-tire Dodge Dart instead of the promised sleek, modern turbo roadster.

The Predators come into Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche with a 2-5-1 record, ahead of only Arizona in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the player the Predators gave up for Subban, Shea Weber, has played like a hybrid of Bobby Orr and Chris Pronger for the 8-0-1 Canadiens. On Monday, Weber was named one of the NHL's Three Stars of the week, and he's currently leading the league with a plus-12 rating and tied for third in scoring with 10 points.

So far, the new-school, analytics crowd has looked like the Luddites against the old-school Weber supporters from their early proclamation that the Predators won the trade in a landslide.

So, no, it wasn't like a Jerry Seinfeld show around Subban's locker following a tough Predators practice at the Pepsi Center. The seven-year NHL veteran seemed to have an internal time clock on how long he would entertain reporters' questions, and it was made clear beforehand he wasn't interested in any about the past (i.e. anything about the Canadiens or the seismic offseason trade).

However, Subban would talk some about the Predators' future. And if his body language could be quoted accurately, it would have said, "Get your digs in now about our slow start and the Weber comparisons, you trolls. There's a lot of hockey yet to be played."

"I don't think it really matters if you come out of the gate flying or you come out slow. It's how you finish that's the most important," said Subban, whose stats entering Tuesday read: eight games, two goals, five points, minus-seven. "For our hockey club, we feel our best hockey is still ahead of us. For us, the sense of urgency is just to get better, that's all."

Subban's anti-old-school, anti-this-is-always-how-it's-been-done-in-hockey personality became a focal point for his critics toward the end of his stay in Montreal.

Even the legendary Guy Lafleur, whose off-ice night-life reputation and official nickname were never to be confused with "Wallflower," took a shot at Subban the other day during an interview with St. John's IceCaps broadcaster Brian Rogers, per AHL Report (h/t Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette):

The point is hockey is not a one-man show and that’s why they got rid of P.K. It’s a good trade for P.K. to go to Nashville because I think Nashville needs that type of player. They need a show, a showman and P.K.’s the right guy. 

For us, the Montreal Canadiens, to get Shea Weber, it is fantastic because he brought in so much stability defensively and he’s pretty mature. ...

Right now, in Montreal, in the dressing room, I didn’t go there, but I’m sure that the team spirit is a lot better. And they are more positive about playing night after night, compared to last year where it seems like players didn’t like what P.K. was doing.

Predators head coach Peter Laviolette isn't interested in any damn "show" right now. He wants wins, and the lack of them so far made for a less than Seinfeld-ian atmosphere around him on Monday too.

Asked if he believes that his team's slow start might be a blessing for the longer term, on the theory that it's better to get your problems out of the way earlier rather than later (see: Pittsburgh Penguins, 2015-16), Laviolette seemed less than sold.

"I'll let you know," Laviolette said. "That remains to be determined at this point. There's no clear path to finding the ultimate success. But certainly, we've got to get things going in the right direction. You fall too far behind, and the path becomes too long."

If there was any hint of concern in Subban's tone, it might have been when discussing the difference he's noticed so far in the overall quality of play in the Western Conference compared to the East. 

"It's very competitive. Probably a little faster and more physical in the West," Subban said. "It's a tougher brand of hockey. I think that's a consensus, not just my opinion. But, who knows?"

Predators captain Mike Fisher can relate some to the transition Subban is undergoing. While the trade that brought him to Nashville from Ottawa in 2011 didn't generate as many exclamation-point headlines, Fisher knows that it's still going to take a while for Subban to be...Subban in Nashville.

"He's excited to be here with our team. I got to know him some this summer, and I came away knowing that," Fisher said. "He's done a good job. He's fit in well. He's such a great hockey player, and I think our fans already love him. We really believe in our group. We haven't gotten the results so far, but we think it's coming. It's just a matter of time before we get on a roll here and playing the way we're capable of playing. We're just trying to get back to work and getting better as a group. That's all you can do."

When the interviews were over and the Preds could be Preds, Subban helped himself to a plastic container of guacamole from a catered-in delivery of food from Chipotle and started to laugh some with teammates, including Fisher. 

In that sense, court was back in session around Subban. But the jury is still out on how his first season in Nashville will turn out.

      

Adrian Dater covers the NHL for Bleacher Report.

We have come to know the Nashville Predators for exactly what they have been over the past several years: a really good regular-season team.

Another fast start offers more excitement, but simply making the playoffs is no longer good enough for this franchise.

The Predators are unfortunate enough to play in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL but have still managed to consistently put up 90-point seasons in recent years. 

Even advancing past the first round of the playoffs is arguably not good enough for this franchise anymore. It advanced to the conference semifinals in 2011 and 2012. 

Racking up 90-point seasons is all well and good, but anything short of deep playoff runs is considered a failure for this team now. They have all the tools to make a run, anchored by Pekka Rinne, one of the best goaltenders in the game.

Expectations are high once again for the Predators in 2015-2016, and ESPN staff writer Scott Powers has them finishing runner-up in the tough Central Division.

You can't argue with that prediction as the Predators have the daunting task of playing the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues on a regular basis. Not to mention that the other teams in the division continue to improve.

The biggest thing that the Predators have going for them is stability on defense with Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Seth Jones. They're one of the deeper teams on defense in the NHL. This is what keeps them consistently returning to the playoffs, and they'll most likely be there again this season.

It's the ability to score on a regular basis that has always been the Achilles heel for this team. They appeared to take a step forward last season as they narrowly finished in the top half of the league in goals per game. 

The power play also has to show vast improvement for Nashville to become more than just a regular-season team. Potent power plays win playoff games, and failing ones usually send you home early. 

Year	Result
2015	Lost to Chicago in 1st Round
2014	Missed Playoffs
2013	Missed Playoffs
2012	Lost to Phoenix in 2nd Round
2011	Lost to Vancouver in 2nd round
2010	Lost to Chicago in 1st Round

Rinne is an elite goaltender, but he needs more goal support to really push Nashville over the hump. The organization has methodically been building that scoring potential up, mostly through its minor league affiliates.  

Young players like Craig Smith and Filip Forsberg are the future of this offense, with veterans James Neal and Mike Fisher still being worthy scoring threats. These players need to lead the offensive attack and avoid long scoring droughts. 

Additionally, the talented Viktor Arvidsson can't be overlooked. He figures to keep improving as a goal-scorer. He's only two games into his NHL career and already tallied his first career NHL goal in the Predators' win over the Carolina Hurricanes. 

You would think this team would have no problem at least advancing past the first round of the playoffs. Another solid regular season is probably ahead for Nashville, but the frustration will keep building until it can win when it counts in the postseason. 

It turns out that all the Predators needed was to be pushed to the brink of extinction.

With their playoff lives on the line, Nashville showed the toothy brand of attack that made the team so deadly during the regular season.

The result was a convincing 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that extended the first-round NHL playoff series at least one more game. The Hawks are still up 3-2 with a chance to clinch at home in Game 6, but thanks to an explosion of offense from the team’s top players, the Predators look as deadly as ever and nowhere near done.

Nobody should have thought the Preds would go quietly. If you did you don't know Laviolette-coached teams. Impressive game from Nashville.

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) April 24, 2015

The nothing-to-lose mindset is what they’ll need to win two more in order to earn a spot in the second round.

Looking loose, fast, and capable of scoring on nearly every shift, the Predators didn’t even seem to miss star blueliner Shea Weber, who NBCSN broadcaster Gord Miller suggested during the game might be out long-term with a torn ACL.

Just talked to NBCSN's Gord Miller, who clarified Weber report. He said only that he'd heard local discussion of ACL, not that it was a fact

— John Glennon (@glennonsports) April 24, 2015

When playing their style, the Predators are tough to beat. They have an aggressive forecheck and puck pursuit, firing plenty of shots on net from every angle and ensuring they have enough bodies in front of the net to capitalize on chances that materialize.

“I think we went more for the attack," rookie Filip Forsberg told the NHL Network after the win. "I think we sat back too much last game. Now I think we just took it to them and tried to go for the next goal and I think that’s the biggest key."

Forsberg punctuated the big victory and showed Calder Trophy voters they might have made the wrong call in leaving him out of the group of finalists for rookie of the year with his first NHL hat trick, including an empty-netter in the dying seconds.

The first individual three-goal performance in Preds playoff history came on the same day the trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Stone and Aaron Ekblad were announced as nominees, while Forsberg—the freshman who was the frontrunner for much of the season—is on the outside looking in.

“A lot of people in Nashville not too happy about that, but more than delighted with this,” suggested Miller on the NBCSN feed.

Forsberg didn't say too much about the slight, although he looked a little disappointed.

“I’m not the one picking," he said on the broadcast with a shrug, adding it wasn't the inspiration for his strong showing. “You don’t really need any extra motivation for these games.”

But Forsberg wasn’t alone in delighting the Nashville crowd and bringing back a belief the high-octane team might actually be able to oust the perennial Western Conference powerhouse Hawks.

Colin Wilson and Mike Fisher were game-time decisions who both suited up. Their presence allowed the reunion of a trio that worked wonders during the regular season with Forsberg and sniper James Neal flanking playmaker Mike Ribeiro.

Neal scored a nifty wraparound to give the Preds their first lead of the game. Ribeiro earned a powerplay assist but looked willing to do whatever it takes to win—even throwing what little weight he has around in an effort to knock Blackhawks star Patrick Kane off his game.

Wilson continued his hot streak with his fifth goal in as many games in the series. That one proved to be the winner.

Prior to Thursday’s big outing, the Predators couldn’t get much offense from anyone against Blackhawks backup goalie Scott Darling, who took over for regular-season starter Corey Crawford after Game 2 and put together a pair of wins in a row while allowing a total of four goals against.

They look to have the big man figured out now. Darling seemed small at times and was on his heels with the Predators on the attack all night long.

And for the first time in this series, Scott Darling looks human.

— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) April 24, 2015

Scott Darling has allowed as many goals tonight as he did in his previous three games combined in this series.

— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) April 24, 2015

There was even some postgame line of questioning that suggested maybe Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville should think about going back to the veteran Crawford in goal.

Is Scott Darling Q's Game 6 starter? "We'll talk about it, but he did everything right. He was fine."

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 24, 2015

It’s thoughts like those that bode well for the Predators’ hopes in the series.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the team that has won the Stanley Cup in two of the last five seasons is no easy task, but rediscovering the confidence created by being an underdog all season and playing above expectations is a heck of a start.

Steve Macfarlane has covered the NHL hockey for more than a decade, including seven seasons following the Calgary Flames for the Calgary Sun. Follow him on Twitter at @macfarlaneHKY

The Nashville Predators won the trade.

I truly believe that. I just don't know why they wanted to win this particular trade.

While you were having a nice little Sunday at Target or a miserable Sunday shoveling snow, the Predators pushed their chips into the middle of the table by acquiring defenseman Cody Franson and versatile forward Mike Santorelli from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a first-round pick, prospect Brendan Leipsic and a salary dump in the form of center Olli Jokinen. Sportsnet's Chris Johnston tweeted the news:

BREAKING: The #leafs have trade Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville for first-round pick, prospects.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 15, 2015

Based on the assets exchanged, the Predators come out comfortably ahead.

But why? Why is this the move?

The Predators have the most points (82) and best points percentage (.732). They are sixth in the league in Fenwick close (53.1 percent), according to Hockey Analysis, and their league-high PDO (102.2) is somewhat sustainable because of goaltender Pekka Rinne. Everything about the Predators says they are legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup.

The thing about this deal that is perplexing is that it reinforces two areas that don't need any reinforcing: the right side of the blue line and a group of depth forwards who possess positional flexibility.

When everyone's healthy (which isn't the case at this moment), this is the ideal Predators blue line after adding Franson:

Left defense	Right defense
Roman Josi	Shea Weber
Seth Jones	Cody Franson
Mattias Ekholm	Ryan Ellis
Anton Volchenkov	Victor Barley

Ryan Ellis has been out since early January with a lower-body injury but skated Saturday and could be back this week. Whether he or Seth Jones moves to the left side or to a more permanent spot on the third pairing remains to be seen, but this is where picking up Franson seems unnecessary.

Shea Weber is the unequivocal No. 1. Ellis (55.8) and Jones (55.4) have flourished at five-on-five in smaller roles on the right side while Weber plays big minutes against the opponent's best forwards. Ellis' injury has forced Victor Bartley (51.5) into a more regular role as the No. 6, and while he hasn't been great, he's held his own and has hardly been a detriment.

Jones (6 goals, 14 assists) and Ellis (5 goals, 13 assists) don't have the offensive abilities of Franson (6 goals, 26 assists) although the difference between them isn't stark. If Franson takes over for Jones on the second power-play unit, Franson brings four goals and 11 assists in 55 games; Jones has two goals and six assists in 56 games.

For a team that ranks 17th on the power play, that's seemingly an upgrade. How much of an upgrade is it, though, when Franson has his 15 power-play points in 170 minutes, 18 seconds and Jones has his eight power-play points in 120:28? Franson averages a power-play point every 12 minutes; Jones a point every 15 minutes.

With Weber and Roman Josi cemented on the first power-play unit, Franson will have fewer opportunities than he did in Toronto.

If GM David Poile plans to use Ellis as a trade chip or Ellis' injury is worse than believed, it makes the shuffling of one of the league's best blue lines pre-trade less confusing. If that's not the case—and again, trading a first-round pick in the mid-20s is hardly a big deal—how much will Franson improve the fortunes of the Predators?

Santorelli, on the other hand, is a little easier to justify, especially if you view the deal as Franson for a first-round pick and Santorelli for a 20-year-old prospect who may not have much of an NHL future.

Some scouts peg Leipsic as potential 3rd/4th liner tho some say he's not a lock to play regularly. 7-28-35 in 47 AHL games this season.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 15, 2015

Santorelli can play wing or center and can do so on any of the Predators' four lines. Again, this really wasn't a pressing need for the team; Matt Cullen, Colin Wilson and Craig Smith all possess the ability to move from wing to center and secure a spot in the top nine. Santorelli is just another guy who can do this role—quite well, of course—but he wasn't a necessity.

Unlike Franson, who can help the power play, Santorelli doesn't have much in the way of special teams value.

The Predators are 15th in penalty-killing at 81.3 percent. Santorelli was used sparingly on the Leafs' PK, averaging 38 seconds of shorthanded ice time per game. One season ago with the Canucks, Santorelli was used more often (1:43 per game) but wasn't one of the go-to forwards. Whatever the impact Santorelli has on the Predators' penalty-killing, if any, it can't be expected to be anything more than minimal.

Everything about this trade—which, again, the Predators won—screams "minimal upgrades." That's not what you want from an all-in move.

If the Predators really wanted to make a meaningful deal, they should have considered adding reliable scoring forwards.

Scoring forwards? For a team scoring 2.95 goals per game, which is sixth-best in the league?

Yes.

Remember when the St. Louis Blues traded Jaroslav Halak for Ryan Miller last season? It was a confounding deal because Halak, who is backstopping the Islanders to one of the best records in the league this season, was arguably better than Miller, who provided at best a minimal upgrade for a team that was scoring more than three goals per game yet could've used more scoring punch.

The Blues' offense faded down the stretch, Miller was horrendous and the team was bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

A lateral trade by a Cup contender that yielded no tangible upgrades? Sound familiar?

Here are the Blues' important numbers at the time of the Miller trade, along with the Predators' numbers today:

Team	Record	Points	Goals per game	5-on-5 SH%	PDO
St. Louis Blues	39-14-6	84	3.20	9.4	101.7
Nashville Predators	38-12-6	82	2.95	8.4	102.1

Like a stock market bubble, all the signs were there for the Blues that their goal-scoring rates were unsustainable and a crash was coming, yet the team chose to ignore it and bafflingly traded to fill a nonexistent need. The Blues scored 2.17 goals per game after Miller's arrival and 2.33 per game in six playoff contests with the Blackhawks.

The Predators aren't at the same alarming levels as last season's Blues, but there are some warning signs and still time to address them.

Take a look at the Predators' five leading scorers among forwards: Filip Forsberg, Mike Ribeiro, Colin Wilson, James Neal and Craig Smith.

Forbserg is a rookie with zero playoff experience; Wilson and Smith combined have one goal in 15 playoff games; Ribeiro is a playmaker, not a scorer, but six goals in 49 games isn't great; and perhaps the biggest reason the Penguins traded Neal was because they felt his game wasn't tailored for the postseason—and two goals in 13 games last year speaks to that.

Santorelli has never experienced the postseason.

Look, hockey is a weird game, and maybe Forsberg, Wilson and Smith are prime-time playoff performers, Ribeiro earns himself a handsome new contract by teeing them up and Neal is so motivated by the trade that he scores a goal a game. Anything is possible.

But if you're Poile, that's the area you need to look to bolster, not the defense, not the bottom six. It's not as though the market is flooded with those types of forwards, and the price for adding Phil Kessel must be astronomical if a first-round pick and prospect is the going rate for a second-pairing D-man and a third-line forward. But that should be the area of concern.

The Predators won this trade. It would have been better if they had won a different one.

All statistics via NHL.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.

The Nashville Predators matched a franchise record by scoring nine goals in Tuesday's 9-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN).

Fifteen different Predators scored points in the game, with eight recording a goal and 13 players tallying at least one assist. Only two players—defenseman Shea Weber and left winger Taylor Beck—notched three points, but seven players amassed exactly two. Beck was the only player with two goals, and Weber was the only player with three assists.

Toronto never really had a chance, as Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier was removed at the end of the first period after allowing three of the 12 shots he faced to go in.

James Reimer slowed down the onslaught by allowing just one goal in the second period, but the Maple Leafs were still down 4-0 entering the final 20 minutes.

Any glimmer of hope was quickly snuffed out, as the Predators scored four even-strength goals on Reimer within the first six minutes of the final period.

After the Maple Leafs knocked home a pair of meaningless goals, Predators center Colin Wilson scored his team's record-tying ninth goal with two minutes and 32 seconds remaining.

The Preds scored nine goals on two other occasions: first, in March 2004 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and then, in March 2006 against the Calgary Flames, per Hockey-Reference.com's Play Index.

For the first time since the franchise entered the NHL way back in 1998-99, Barry Trotz will not be behind the bench of the Nashville Predators. 

For 15 years Trotz was at the helm, but Stanley Cup champion bench boss Peter Laviolette, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders, has taken his place for the upcoming season.

The change was made because general manager David Poile wants to take the team in a new direction, and Laviolette has a track record with taking over teams and helping them become more offensive in nature. The Predators have a great goaltender in Pekka Rinne and a great defender in Shea Weber, and management took steps this summer to improve Nashville's offensive output.

The coaching swap should change the dynamic of the Predators, but will it be enough to help the team make its first playoff appearance since 2012?

What We Learned in 2013-14

We learned last season that a change was needed. After 15 years, a move behind the bench needed to be made. Trotz is a good coach who has made the most of what was given to him, but the team is at a point where it needs to make the playoffs consistently.

2013-14 was a tough season, and for the first time in a while, the team had to alter its game plan. Usually, the Predators were able to get by with sensational defense and the goaltending of Rinne, but that didn't happen last year.

A bacterial infection/injury limited Rinne to 24 games. Carter Hutton proved to be a capable replacement, as the 28-year-old netminder went 20-11-4 with a .910 save percentage in 40 games.

Although Hutton did well despite being thrown into a trial-by-fire situation, his play wasn't sensational enough to cover up for the Predators' lackluster offense. They scored 216 goals last year, nine fewer than the NHL average of 225, according to Hockey-Reference.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttpc7FMqB24

Weber led the team in scoring with 56 points, followed by Patric Hornqvist with 53 and Craig Smith with 52. 

Weber is a solid offensive defender, but it is usually a bad sign when your defender is your leading scorer and top offensive threat. There are exceptions (see: Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators), but generally you want to have a number of forwards who can be counted on to score key goals.

While Weber's offense output was welcomed, the Predators lacked bodies up front who could carry the play and make an impact offensively.

Poile and the Predators realized during the summer that they had to address this glaring hole, and 2014-15 should be a year in which the team's offense improves.

Outlook for 2014-15

Heading into the upcoming season, there will be a ton of eyes on new forwards James Neal, Mike Ribeiro and youngster Filip Forsberg. Starting with Neal, the edgy goal scorer has averaged 31 goals throughout his career.

However, his offensive output increased when he was paired with Brad Richards feeding him the puck in Dallas, and it spiked when he went to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Adam Gretz of SB Nation had a great breakdown that touched upon Neal's performance and the Evgeni Malkin effect:

Neal did not really burst onto the scene as an elite goal-scorer until he arrived in Pittsburgh, where he spent almost all of his time skating on Malkin's wing.

To try to get a better idea, here is a list of every forward who has spent at least 300 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey playing alongside Malkin since the start of the 2007-08 season and the shots, goals and points (per 60 minutes) they have produced with him versus without him.

Player	Shots 60 W/Malkin	Shots 60 W/O Malkin	Goals 60 W/Malkin	Goals 60 W/O Malkin	Points 60 W/ Malkin	Points 60 W/0 Malkin
James Neal	11.50	8.50	1.24	1.00	2.56	1.93

There's the possibility that Ribeiro proves to be an adequate setup man for Neal, but that remains to be seen. Ribeiro is an interesting case, because his off-ice issues were so bad that the Arizona Coyotes, a team starving for talent, felt it necessary to use a regular buyout to prevent him from playing for them in 2014-15.

Ribeiro went from tallying 49 points in 48 games with the Washington Capitals during the 2012-13 campaign to 47 points in 80 games with the Coyotes last season. Maybe the fresh start and new lease on life will help his game, but being a big fish in a small pond could have an undesired result on his overall game.

Last but surely not least is Forsberg. He is a 20-year-old center who stands 6'1" and weighs 194 pounds. Last year he spent most of his time with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and tallied 34 points in 47 games. 

Heading into this season, Forsberg is a leading candidate in the Calder Trophy race for top NHL rookie due to his speed, offensive abilities and potential. Under Laviolette, there is the chance that Forsberg's game takes a step forward, and that would help improve the outlook for the 2014-15 Predators.

In addition to those listed above, players like Gabriel Bourque, Seth Jones, Colin Wilson and Roman Josi will be watched with a trained eye. Each represents a key part of the Predators' youthful lineup from last year, and they will have to work harder to ensure they take a step forward in 2014-15.

With that in mind, here's a projected starting lineup when it comes to forwards for the upcoming season.

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Colin Wilson	Mike Ribeiro	James Neal
Gabriel Bourque	Olli Jokinen	Craig Smith
Viktor Stalberg	Calle Jarnkrok	Filip Forsberg
Eric Nystrom	Derek Roy	Matt Cullen
Richard Clune	Paul Gaustad

Despite the additions made this summer, the Predators are unlikely to be a playoff team in 2014-15. The Western Conference, and the Predators' division, is just too stacked with talent for Nashville to emerge.

Although it would be disappointing to fans, having a losing season wouldn't be the worst thing in the world when you consider that the upcoming draft features talents like Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid and Noah Hanifin. Landing one of these players could drastically alter the future of hockey in Smashville, and it would make the team deeper for the future.

No one is saying that the Predators will be a lottery team, but a change to the lottery system will give non-playoff teams more of a chance to win the first selection.

For example, if the Predators finish the same way they did in 2014 for the 2015 season, their odds of winning the lottery would be at 6.5 percent, an increase of 1.8 percentage points from last year.

The addition of Laviolette was a wise move for a team that only needs to develop its offense to be successful, but the transformation could take a full season or two before fans see positive results.

Player: Vlad Kamenev

Drafted By: Nashville Predators (42nd overall)

Position: Center

Final Central Scouting Ranking: No. 13 international skater

Height/Weight: 6'2'', 203 lbs

DOB: August 12, 1996 (17 years old)

Most Recent Affiliation: KHL, Magnitogorsk Metallurg

Background

You're going to turn some heads when you debut in a professional league at the tender age of 17. That's what Vlad Kamenev did this season, though, appearing in 16 games at the KHL level. He didn't play a major role with Magnitogorsk Metallurg, but that's because they're one of the top squads in the KHL.

It's rare to see teenagers being counted on as impact players for high-end NHL franchises, so it makes sense that Kamenev played less than seven minutes a night on a championship caliber team. Still, NHL scouts got to see him compete in what is arguably the second-best hockey league in the world.

Kamenev didn't only play in 16 games in the KHL this year, however. He represented Russia at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and appeared in the U18 tourney as well.

Full Scouting Report

Looking at Kamenev's frame, stature and playing style, it's easy to see why some scouts are reminded of 2013 Dallas Stars first-round pick, Valeri Nichushkin. The current KHLer doesn't have the same upside as the current Star, but he still projects as a power forward capable of getting the puck to the net at the NHL level.

Aaron Vickers of FutureConsiderations.Ca described the Russian center like this back in November:

Kamenev is a talented forward with good sized who uses his physical gifts to protect the puck and win board battles. He sees the ice well, has good hands and a strong shot. Has to keep his emotions in check as he can get overzealous taking stupid penalties at times.

Kamenev continued to turn heads over the course of the year, and made Ryan Kennedy's prospect hot list in February. As per The Hockey News:

Big, talented and not afraid to throw his weight around, Kamenev has three points in his past two games for Stalnye Lisy. The 6-foot-2 pivot has split his time between the Russian junior club team and the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk this season, getting in 16 games with the big squad.

While he's not considered a tier-one talent in the draft, he's still an intriguing option due to his NHL-ready size and willingness to battle for the puck.

NHL Player Comparison

The lazy comparison here would be a poor (poor, poor) man's Evgeni Malkin, but Kamenev just doesn't have offensive instincts like "Geno." That's fine, as few forwards in the NHL do. What Kamenev has going for him is that he could easily slot into a checking-line role because of his defensive awareness.

Think David Backes here, just with less offensive upside.

NHL Timetable

Players that can earn some good money in the KHL (understandably) can take a bit longer to make it to the NHL than some of their counterparts. Even if you don't consider that, Kamenev could still use some extra developmental time elsewhere.

The earliest we should see him in the NHL is the 2015-16 campaign, but there's a good chance he's more than two years out if he's going to be counted on as a top-six option.

Top-End Potential

High quality defensive centers that can also score some goals are a precious commodity in the NHL. It's that combination that makes centers like Anze Kopitar and Pavel Datsyuk so special. Kamenev won't ever score like those two, but he could evolve into a Backes-like player.

Good for 15 or 20 goals, while playing a responsible brand of hockey in all three zones.

Player: Kevin Fiala

Drafted By: Nashville Predators (11th overall)

Position: Left Wing/Right Wing

Final Central Scouting Ranking: No. 3 European skater

Height/Weight: 5'10'', 180 lbs

DOB: July 22, 1996 (17 years old)

Most Recent Affiliation: SweHL, HV71 Jonkoping

Background

As the son of a coach, Kevin Fiala has been on a freight train headed straight for the 2014 draft from a young age. That may be a bit hyperbolic, but when you consider what the 17-year-old accomplished this season, there's little question that the shift winger has the talent needed to be an impact player at the NHL level.

Born in Switzerland, Fiala quickly outgrew the competition level of his home country and moved to Sweden when he was 16. He didn't miss a beat, despite leaving his home at a young age, and made his SHL debut at the ripe age of 17.

Fiala has been sneaking up the pre-draft rankings all season long and climbed all the way to the third-highest ranked European skater available.

Full Scouting Report

If you're looking for a slick and entertaining forward, Fiala is your guy. Breaking the Swiss mold a bit, the 17-year-old thrives in the offensive zone and can break games open with his dynamic skill. He played in the World Junior Championships, Under-18 Championships and the World Championships (alongside NHL-caliber players) as a teenager and held his own.

Following Fiala's showing at the WJC, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News shared his early impressions:

Gritty player with great hands, doesn't mind going into traffic for a scoring chance. Got into it with [Bo] Horvat early on. Saw decent power play time and made great effort early in second to get excellent wraparound chance on [Zachary] Fucale. Assisted on Swiss goal but also coughed up the puck 4-on-4 on Canada’s 3-1 goal.

Kennedy touches on the pros and cons of Fiala in this snippet. He's an offensive dynamo but isn't good defensively. It's in this way he breaks the typical Swiss mold.

Thomas Drance from TheScore.com describes Fiala this way:

Fiala is a gifted playmaker, with excellent puck-handling abilities and off-the-charts hockey IQ. While he's undersized, he's gritty and extremely difficult to bump off the puck, though his play without the puck will require improvement before he makes an impact at the NHL level.

Most scouts agree that Fiala isn't quite NHL ready, but he did produce at a noticeable level against grown men this season. Eleven points in 17 games as a teenager against adults is incredible when you think about it.

NHL Player Comparison

Small, slick and smart? After watching one of his highlight reels, it's only natural to compare Fiala to Patrick Kane. That's a lofty comparison for a teen, but he backs off defenders with his speed in the same fashion and is capable of making defenders look silly in the style of Kane.

NHL Timetable

Fiala was able to bump it out against professional players in Sweden, but the NHL is a different beast altogether. Must prospects need to bulk up, but Fiala is a player that likes to get to traffic with the puck while trying to make things happen.

It would take a desperate team to bring him to the best pro league in the world for 2014-15, but don't be surprised if you see Fiala among the Calder Trophy favorites for the 2015-16 season.

Top-End Potential

At best, Fiala will develop into a high-end goal producing forward with high possession metrics. Like Kane, he loves playing with the puck on his stick, but it remains to be seen whether or not he'll be able to do that against NHL defenders.

He does have a bit of an edge, though, and could eventually develop into a strong presence in all three zones. Fiala has a lot to work on defensively, but he has the IQ needed to round out that part of his game over time.