Predators Power Ranking Roundup: Week 1

by Chris Burton on Oct 6, 2010 3:30 PM EDT

Herein lies the return of a feature from last year, in which we gather all the power rankings from around the mainstream media and present them to you in one place. Click on the logos for the full rankings, and expect many more to be added as various media outlets get their seasons underway.

Outlet	This Week	Last Week	What They're Saying
	16		As usual, the offseason was about tweaking judiciously. But Nashville has added some speed and works hard enough to make every night a tough one for opponents.
	13		On paper, this team can't be as good. Not after shedding Dan Hamhuis, Jason Arnott, Dan Ellis and Denis Grebeshkov, among others. But by now, one has to stop doubting GM David Poile and coach Barry Trotz. Few teams draft and develop better. The Predators will challenge for a playoff spot again.
	15		With a rock-solid defense and Pekka Rinne in goal, the Predators won't have any trouble keeping the opposition off the board, but putting the puck in their opponent's net will be a different story. The club also needs to shore up its holes on special teams where the team finished 28th on the PK last year and 24th on the power play.
	24		The Preds are feeling their usual lack of respect. Odds-makers put them 50-to-1 to win the Cup, and finish ahead of only Columbus in the Central Division. Actually, that sound about right.

Many thanks to Japers' Rink for the improved format.

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Yahoo Sports

“Actually, that sound about right.”

Only to those who don’t understand basic verb conjugation.

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Oct 6, 2010 3:48 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs

See, this is the problem

with largely basing predictions on name value. The Predators “lost” Arnott and Hamhuis? Why, those poor penny pinchers cannot possibly ice a respectable team. The Blues are bringing in Halak? Wow, St. Louis is ready to roll toward the top! The idea that a canny GM like Poile can actually improve a team through subtraction never occurs. A similar notion never considered: paying top dollar to a young goaltender who just recently made a name for himself in last season’s playoffs—and releasing a proven netminder in the process—may not prove to be quite the panacea the Blues expect. Every season brings “surprises” like the Yotes and the Avs in 2009-10 whose stars were, for the most part, unsung in pre-season. I have every confidence the “experts” are going to learn to recognize names like Wilson and Franson in due course. Surely they’ve heard the name Hornqvist by now?

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 6, 2010 4:39 PM EDT reply actions

Grebs?

I love that they cite losing Grebeshkov as a reason for our decline. Uh… he only played, what, 10-12 games for us? Yeah, clearly a major loss for us.

Blog- http://nicholsonrecords.com/paul
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by pwnicholson on Oct 6, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions

10-12? I wish...

I’m sure I’ll be corrected also, but I believe he played 3 games after we acquired him and then 2 or 3 playoff games… Your point still stands though, for sure!

EASports' NHL 11 doesn't suck; in fact, it's really damn good! Wait, what!?
Go Predators!!!

by Poiju on Oct 6, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

lombardi

I appreciate how they completely ignore him. Yeah we “lost” Arnott, but we only replaced him with someone younger who scored more last year. Yeah “losing” Arnott is such a lost I don’t know how this team will rebound.

"It's gonna be fun on the bun."

by flyalder on Oct 6, 2010 4:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Panacea is a big word...you sure you're a hillbilly?

by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Oct 6, 2010 4:45 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

Absolutely

Chris Chelios said so himself!

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 6, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios describing Predators fans on the WCXS JJ & Lynne Morning Show: “Yeah, they’re hillbillyish. … I don’t know what to say, hillbilly or country. They are a very emotional crowd, exciting crowd, loud, so it’s actually a fun place to play on the road.”

Detroit Free Press

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 6, 2010 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah, well...

…Chelios is a sissy.

by Chris Burton on Oct 6, 2010 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 6, 2010 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Proof

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hockeyhillbilly/5058459652/

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 6, 2010 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh yahoo, you’re so creative! I love how everybody is simply placing the Blues in the Playoffs just because Halak plays for them now.

by preds4ever on Oct 6, 2010 6:27 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, because Chris Mason is chopped liver. Blues are going to need more than a slight upgrade (maybe) in net to beat us this year.

by DonBorvio on Oct 6, 2010 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I sent yahoo! guy an email. I should have known that slop was written by a sharks fan.

by preds4ever on Oct 6, 2010 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions

The only difference between these writers and the rest of us is that they are paid to spout nonsense and we do it for free! lol That being said, who cares? We are going to the playoffs, we are going to get past the first round, and who knows, we just might make the finals!

"I am you, you are me, and we are all together" Beatles

by amyinsparta on Oct 7, 2010 4:07 PM EDT reply actions