From a quality standpoint, the Nashville Predators have some serious questions on offense. GM David Poile made sure that the “quantity” category has been covered, though.
In fact, Poile would probably be wise to ship a redundant player or two out of town.
Cap Geek lists their NHL-ready forwards at 14 right now.
Central casting
One might best see the glut of similarly skilled players by looking at their candidates at center. The Predators added Matt Cullen and Matt Hendricks to a group that already included Mike Fisher, David Legwand, Colin Wilson, Paul Gaustad and Craig Smith.
Even if you believe that young forwards such as Wilson and Smith might be better off with fewer defensive responsibilities on the wing, that’s still quite an array of players who can line up in the middle.
Losing the Goose
The team could very well opt to stash players like Taylor Beck in the minors, yet it still seems like their forward group might be a little crowded. Can they really justify paying Gaustad $3.25 million per year if Hendricks bumps him to the fourth-line or if he even slides down to healthy scratch status, for example?
Maybe it’s a matter of assessing who fits best (and where) during training camp or finding the right trade partner at the right time, but the Predators would likely be served well to thin the herd a bit.
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