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Is Management Finally Letting Go of Their Nostalgia?

August 1, 2021, 2:56 PM ET [26 Comments]
Clay Brewer
Nashville Predators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
A lot has happened in the world of hockey over the last few weeks and although nothing “blockbuster” from 500 Broadway, considerable moves have been made that not only impact the current makeup of the Preds, but also give a slight glimpse of the future ahead. Cautious optimism of course as any TN sports fan is used to setting expectations too high to only be met with sadness once more. But optimism in my view, nonetheless, as my gut is telling me that this team may have something special? Or a better word would likely be something “different” . . . finally! Love Hynes, hate Hynes. Love Poile, hate Poile. I really don’t care. If a team does not fully buy into a system, it won’t matter if you have Scotty Bowman behind the bench and Sam Pollack pulling the strings. It looks like there are a few players on the current roster that still have some distaste for the philosophy (not to mention names or anything . . . Duchene . . . his end-of-season remarks said enough to put him in this camp). But I feel that this new wave of players, along with some of the old guard, will have a strong training camp, a team that buys in under strong leadership (as opposed to feeling sorry for themselves and self-righteous from their past accomplishments), and the departure of close friends and teammates may light the fire under others who remained set on their ways thinking they were untouchable from a Cup run that is now nothing but a distant memory. A memory, I might add, that is explicitly prevalent in the Preds’ PR’s and pre-game presentation staff’s boring attempt at reliving the playoffs of yesteryear resorting back to even the same intro dynamic for each game. We need to move on. Admittedly I have fallen into this trap as well for whenever I attend a Preds’ game now, especially a playoff game, I always catch myself thinking, “Man, this isn’t like the Cup run experience.” I’m always looking for that feeling, this is a dilemma management has likely had repeatedly, letting emotional responses and nostalgia dictate current analysis and actions. Preds’ fans were on full display during the Carolina series this past season. My argument is not that they weren’t or that the environment isn’t great, but rather the entire mentality of this team, the organization, and its fandom has revolved around reliving and replicating 2017-2018 as opposed to envisioning something different, something unique to not relive or replicate that year and that team but to set forth on a new path that brings similar results and atmospheres under a new approach and philosophy.

Upon his departure, Arvidsson was quoted saying that he felt underutilized in Hynes’ system and that the team didn’t put him in positions to succeed. Even assuming this as half true, it’s not for the player to decide. There’s a coaching staff, there’s management, and then there’s the players. Not saying that a player’s opinion on how he is used isn’t valid. But there’s a hierarchy by design and management theoretically has a vision and finds the coaching staff to move in the direction of that vision by utilizing their system of play and working with management to find the right players (not necessarily the “best” on paper) to fit that system in moving towards that vision in a manner that brings out the best of the right players. Too many moves, moves that I agreed with at the time for the most part, were linked to past desires or paper talent. Even more that paper talent was demonstrating, once again, past actions and not necessarily how the player being signed today would fit into a set system to make the modified vision a reality. Along this point, it can be argued that Hynes’ system is defensive and gritty in nature, thus placing offensive limitations on a player’s scoring capabilities. I do not argue this conclusion, made by many, either positively or negatively but simply think this broad brush should be qualified to specific players as those who buy into a system can achieve remarkable results. Granlund has truly bought in and had strong results for example. Maybe this explains his agent two years running claiming that his client will not be back in Nashville, to only sign back with Nashville? But the most eye-opening response to this claim of inherently putting a player’s offensive capabilities on the backburner is none other than Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier during the 2018-2019 season with New Jersey under Hynes, where both Hall and Hischier had career years ending with Hall winning the Hart. It has been well documented that Hall admires Hynes, thus he truly bought in and saw success. Yes, there are a multitude of factors that went into those two players having strong performances that year, but it also raises genuine curiosity, from me at least, what could be achieved here with a team that fully believes in what the organization’s overall purpose is. Another problem with the buy in over the last few seasons has been the organization’s apparent lack of adequately expressing this purpose. Over reliance on the players’ desires to remain together seems to have blinded many to the fact that changes were needed, and emotions needed to be set aside for the harsh reality that 2017 was over. In this industry no one cares what you were, only what you are.

The biggest problem with the Preds since their failure to beat Winnipeg in the second round of the 2018 playoffs as President’s Trophy winners is twofold: (1) the forced manner in which management sought to mold the existing dynamic of players from that iconic Cup run into a new vision as opposed to modifying the system and adjusting the roster to fit that new vision; and (2) doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling down on this existing dynamic without giving credence to the modified vision and the structural changes that would need to be made to the core and not just those in secondary and tertiary roles. Management should manage, coaches should coach, and players should play with the informed opinions and recommendations from each of the others but not the mandate from the other. You can only listen to the mantra of ‘We can do it, give us one more chance’ so many times, until the message becomes dull, those involved become complacent and think they’re owed something because of what they’ve done in the past while ignoring the lack of performance in what they are doing now.

Many have repeatedly stated that Poile has no plan or that it’s indecipherable. And others have stated that Hynes’ system will never work to invigorate the offensive capabilities of the Preds. I’ll answer these in reverse. Hynes won’t be Laviolette. Hynes will be Hynes, and I will be the first to admit I have not yet bought in, but I’m a Preds fan so I’ll complain all I want with my decisions having zero impact on how the team performs. As a fan (although I try to be unbiased as best I can) I don’t need a vision, I can have hot takes and try to be true to my views and express them here as fully as I can. There’s no risk for me in being wrong. The only ones that need to buy in are those 20 individuals that lace them up each night and the rest will follow. Hynes has had a Covid ridden season where he came in January to a disorganized team frustrated with losing, to return to a weird bubble experience, and then a shortened season to follow that where he likely got the most out of a very disgruntled team who never bought in fully despite all the paper talent. I think we may have witnessed glimpses against Carolina though, which invigorates my optimistic perspective.

This year, with a full training camp and an ordinary season (hopefully), should bring the true system and vision out of this team via the combined vision of the Preds under Poile and Hynes. We have to remember that Hynes has yet to coach a full season absent Covid or any other craziness. He’s only coached a total of 84 regular season games and 10 playoff games. So, in analyzing this system, although it sounds like he’s been the coach for an eternity (trust me I feel the same), it may be a more rational and hockey-sensed approach to view his entire time with the Preds as simply one season, kinda. From that perspective, many I would wager would change their tune and attempt to see the big picture of what may be occurring now, absent the frustrations that we, as Preds fans, have endured more recently.

This now turns me to a purely speculative nature in answering the age-old question, “What is Poile’s plan? If you’ve followed my argument this far, then I hope I’ve led you to the answer without even telling you. But to spell it out, Poile is now establishing the necessary system and the right (not “best”) personnel to fit that new vision that has evolved since the 2017 Cup run and truly showed its colors after the 2018 loss to Winnipeg. Wishful thinking? Sure, but I can at least see how things have changed and the departures of Ellis and Arvidsson, once thought to be untouchable assets, illustrate winter is not coming and there’s still hope, even if only so slightly in the distance.

In short, Preds’ management now find themselves departing from franchise players who were a big part of the Preds’ success in getting to the Cup final and winning the President’s Trophy, while narrowing the “star power” to welcome in new blood with considerable talent who are fighting for the opportunity to prove their buy in within this new vision that is finally put into practice. It could be a faulty vision, but at least I can rationally begin to convince myself I see the connections being made. And by rationally, I mean I’m able to write this assessment with a straight face as unbiased as I can be. Again, the “best” players are not always the right players for that vision and the vision may not always be the right path. So, let’s sit back and enjoy the show, with a critical eye though. There will be no passes given by me on Poile’s Last Stand.


Brief Updates

Shea Weber to set to miss the 2021-2022 season due to a multitude of prolonging injuries. If he were to retire during his current contract and LTIR is not an option, then the Preds would be subject to a roughly $4.9 million cap hit for the remainder of that deal set to expire in 2026. This stems from the offer sheet Weber signed from Philly in 2012 and the Preds matched, the 14-year deal. The odds of both Weber retiring and the PReds not getting relief via LTIR or some other mechanism is slim I would say, but it’s good to have the idea present for any doomsday scenarios that may arise.

Saros contract talks may be headed to arbitration. Will continue to follow this story as I would guess Saros will try to use Seattle’s recent signing of Grubauer as a comparable (6 years with a $5.9m AAV) but it is my opinion this is way off the mark. I’d be ok with a one-year arbitration contract and take the risk of having to pay up next summer and put the onus on Saros to prove he’s worth what he’s asking for and that last year’s numbers weren’t just inflated one-offs. I’d gladly accept being proven wrong in that scenario. But I don’t want to immediately pay up for a goaltender who, in my opinion, is a stronger 1B than a 65+ game starter. Then again, I anticipate a deal being reached before arbitration is conducted so it will be a fun contract to analyze and project going forward.

In addition to Saros, Preds are still looking to sign key RFAs Fabbro, Tolvanen, and Pitlick.

Preds drafted 6 players in the 2021 Draft (3 forwards, 3 defensemen). More analysis of these players will feature in a later article as none will have an impact in gold this season and will likely have at least a few years before we begin to hear their names on a more consistent basis even in Milwaukee.
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