(Best E Casino) - The summer prior to the start of the 2007-08 season was a tumultuous one for the NHL's franchise in Nashville, but that didn't stop the Predators players from performing on the ice.
An ownership change after the 2006-07 season threatened to end the franchise's tenure in the Music City and doubt surrounding the team's future caused the team to unload a great deal of its high-priced talent in the summer of '07.
Still the remaining Preds players, led by the club's first and only head coach Barry Trotz, pulled together and made the postseason for the fourth straight season.
The Predators are involved in more drama this offseason, as the future status of Alexander Radulov is in jeopardy after the winger signed a three-year contract to play in Russia despite having the 2008-09 season left on his deal with Nashville. The Russian Kontinental Hockey League and the NHL have agreed to binding arbitration, which will determine if Radulov is free to play in the KHL or if he has to honor the final year of his deal with the Preds.
Trotz and the Predators are trying their best to ignore the Radulov fiasco, already assigning themselves to playing the upcoming season without their third-leading scorer from the 2007-08 campaign.
Still, the Preds were able to look past last year's turmoil and who's to say they won't be able to do it again.
FORWARDS - The Predators had four players with 20 goals last season and nine forwards with double digits in tallies. Nashville will return all of those players with the likely exception of Radulov, who has been officially suspended by the club.
Jason Arnott was the top center and also tied for the team's scoring lead in 2007-08, as he notched 72 points (28 goals, 44 assists) in 79 games. The 33- year-old is the picture of consistency, having tallied at least 20 goals in his last nine NHL seasons.
With Radulov's status still up in the air, it's uncertain who will play the right wing on the top line, but Martin Erat should play on the left side. Erat notched a career-high 57 points for the second straight season in 2007-08 and also set a new personal best with 23 goals.
Another star for Nashville is left wing J.P. Dumont, who had his finest NHL season in 2007-08, over a decade after he was selected by the Islanders with the third overall pick in the 2006 draft. Dumont set career highs in goals (29) and points (72) last year and was signed to a a four-year, $16-million contract extension during the season.
David Legwand is a steady second-line centerman and hopes to bounce back from an injury-plagued season last year, when he notched 44 points (15g, 29a) in 65 games.
Patric Hornqvist, a 21-year-old rookie, could earn a spot on the second line after turning in three solid seasons with Djurgardens of the well-regarded Swedish Elite League.
The forward depth continues from there for Nashville with returning players Radek Bonk, Vernon Fiddler and Jordin Tootoo, who each posted 10 goals or more in 2007-08.
Tootoo is also very important to the Predators for his physical play, which resulted in his second straight season with 100 or more penalty minutes last year.
DEFENSE - The biggest test for the Predators on defense this year will be to find someone to replace the 43 points scored by Marek Zidlicky last season since the veteran blueliner was dealt to Minnesota over the summer.
Still, Nashville boasts a solid blueline that features a handful of rising stars.
Ryan Suter, the seventh overall pick in the 2003 draft, is the Preds' top returning scorer on defense after turning in a career-high 31 points (7g, 24a) in his third NHL season.
Dan Hamhuis is as steady as they come and the Preds still expect improvements in 2008-09, the fifth NHL season for the 25-year-old. Hamhuis had four goals and 23 assists last year and led the club with nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Shea Weber had 20 points in an injury-shortened 2007-08 campaign that saw him play in just 54 games, but is expected to be a part of the top pairing with Hamhuis.
Ville Koistinen was very productive in just 48 games for the Predators last season, recording four goals and 13 assists in that span. The 26-year-old Finn should see increased time on the power play now that Zidlicky is gone.
Elsewhere, Nashville will get minutes and shot-blocking ability from Greg de Vries and Greg Zanon.
GOALTENDING - The Predators were so impressed with the play of Dan Ellis last season that they opted to trade Chris Mason, last year's starter, to St. Louis this offseason.
Ellis started 37 games to Mason's 45 last season and wound up with the NHL's best save percentage (.924). All told the 28-year-old Ellis went 23-10-3 with six shutouts and a 2.34 goals against average during the 2007-08 campaign.
Pekka Rinne, a 25-year-old backstop from Finland, will back up Ellis this season after turning in a strong year for Nashville's AHL affiliate in Milwaukee last year.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - With Trotz behind the bench preaching a team-first strategy, the well-balanced Predators always have a shot to make the playoffs. The loss of Radulov could be the deciding factor that prevents Nashville from making a fifth straight trip to the postseason, but the Preds will likely be in the battle for the postseason until the end.
