NHL Power Rankings Week One: Capitals, Lightning, Predators, And Ducks Are Favorites

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

#4 – Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators look to contend for a Stanley Cup after a breakout season last year.

STRENGTHS: Their blue line is outstanding. Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Seth Jones give them four extremely talented defensemen. Filip Forsberg, Mike Ribeiro, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson, and James Neal give them five forwards that they can count on for goals. Mike Fisher is getting old, but he’s still a pretty productive player. Pekka Rinne is one of the best goalies in the league.

WEAKNESSES: The Predators are a relatively inexperienced team. They’re going to have to get over their playoff hump. Barrett Jackman should help with that. They also rely a bit too heavily on their top two forward lines for scoring. Their third line needs to score more so that their top two forward lines aren’t carrying all of the weight.

OUTLOOK: The Predators are about as complete of a team as you can find in the league.

Next: #3