Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are building an incredibly fast team under Peter Laviolette who is entering his second year as Nashville’s head coach. With an emerging group of fast forwards who are able to attack with speed and close in on defenders on the rush, they could be a handful for opponents. I’m not surprised that Nashville and the Washington Capitals are working together since Barry Trotz used to be Nashville’s head coach and is still revered in Nashville.
Last year’s #11 overall pick Kevin Fiala has eluded defenders with his shifty and agile skating and can burst into the zone on a dime. He’s been praised for his stick-dangling skills and penchant for flair and could mold into a player similar to former Washington Capitals forward and current Nashville teammate Mike Ribiero. Fiala is a threat to make the Predators opening night roster.
The Washington Capitals and their emerging staunch defensive corps of Djoos, Lewington, Hobbs and Colby Williams will look to dampen the festivities for the Predators and their forwards. While Nashville’s forwards will try to crank up the game’s metronome, Connor Hobbs will try to break it with his bruising physicality and hard up-ice passes. As the current top pairing in Barry Trotz’ former WHL alum, Hobbs and Williams brought a style of play that resembles the current Washington Capitals defensive system.
Like Lewington, Hobbs uses his strength as an asset and while his skating is reportedly impoving, the ability to turn and burn on opposing defenses is still present. Christian Djoos should be able to bring the stability and consistency he’s shown on the blue line in previous camps as well as his forte for jumping up into the play.
Despite Nashville’s deep bench of talented forwards, hockey-intelligent prospect defensemen like Jack Dougherty and their well regarded goaltenders like Juuse Saros (who has a phenomenal name), I think the size, skill, speed and physical play of the Washington Capitals defense allows us to reverse the flow on Nashville. Much like what we saw during the playoffs series with the speedy New York Rangers, where we used sound positioning and quick outlet passes to stretch the ice and gain positive zone possession time, I think we keep these speedsters parked and scrambling after loose pucks.
What’s terrific about these types of tournaments is that the coaching strategy could look entirely different from game to game and everyone stands to benefit from the various system exposures. That will be important with their last opponent: the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Next: Thunderstruck