For all you fantasy hockey players out there, I’d like to offer up a summary of the key Nashville Predators heading into each weekend, so you can make your roster adjustments accordingly.
Follow after the jump for all the details, and if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below…
J.P. is off to a solid start to the season, despite getting relatively little ice time (12:36 per game) compared to some other Preds. With all the current injuries, he’s skating on a line with Colin Wilson and Martin Erat, and he is working over two minutes a night on the power play, so he should continue at something close to his current pace for the time being. Status: Good To Go
Back spams which bothered him since training camp slowed his start, but in his return to action Tuesday night vs. Calgary he did fire 4 shots on goal, and had probably the best scoring opportunity of the night for Nashville, which was only stopped by a highlight-reel save by Miikka Kiprusoff. He appears to be physically OK, and will be put in every possible position to succeed offensively. Status: Good To Go
As I’ve said before, it’s all about putting shots on net for this guy, and he’s off to a good start. He’s had at least two shots on goal in every game so far, and is getting 4:27 of power play ice time per game. Status: Good To Go
Leggy’s off to a decent start as well, but his primary focus is matching up against the other team’s top forwards, and thus has a tougher battle to pile up points than many of his teammates. With Marcel Goc out of the lineup, he’ll also be relied upon for more penalty killing work, which can detract from his offensive game. Status: Caution
After suffering an upper body injury (that most likely rhymes with “percussion”) against Chicago, Lombardi has gone on injured reserve. Wait for news of him practicing for at least a day or two before returning to game action. Status: Out Of The Lineup
Cal makes for a good sleeper pick if he’s still sitting on your league’s waiver wire. He’s centering Steve Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist, a line which has managed to stay together for a couple weeks now, and is getting loads of power play work. He needs to be more aggressive about shooting the puck, but in Lombardi’s absence, O’Reilly is acting as the lead offensive center right now. Status: Good To Go
Preds fans got a scare when he was injured in a goal-crease pileup against Anaheim, but Rinne looked very strong in his first game back against Calgary, stopping 34 of 35 shots in an overtime loss. With back-to-back games coming up this weekend at Dallas and Tampa Bay, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anders Lindback (who performed well in relief) grab one of those starts. Status: Good To Go
Quite simply, Sully is flying these days. He leads the team in goals and shots, and has the highest average ice time among forwards at 18:49. If your league rewards penalty minutes, you’ll be glad to know that the Timmins Tornado is racking up a few of those, too. Status: Good To Go
He was placed on injured reserve yesterday after taking a hit on the knee in a collision with Calgary’s Cory Sarich, which means the earliest he can come back is Thursday, October 28 vs. St. Louis. Stay tuned early next week to make sure he’s practicing at least. For the moment it looks like Francis Bouillon will take Suter’s place paired with Shea Weber, so Suter’s injury doesn’t likely have much impact on the offensive opportunities for Cody Franson. Status: Out Of The Lineup
Don’t worry about the fact that the Captain hasn’t scored a goal yet, that will come in due time. He’s getting his chances to wind up that big slapper, and stands 7th in the league in average ice time. Yes, he’ll miss having Ryan Suter alongside for the next few games, but that’s no reason to take him out of your fantasy hockey lineup. Status: Good To Go
Having recently written a blog post in which he put a goal out there to score 40 points this season, Wilson’s campaign took an unexpected turn with the injuries to Marcel Goc and Matthew Lombardi. Instead of playing the wing on the top line, he’s been moved back to center between Martin Erat and J.P. Dumont. He also got a season-high 3:57 on the power play, so there’s some extra opportunity there filling Lomardi’s shoes for the time being, especially if your hockey pool gives extra weight to PP scoring. Status: Good To Go
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