Nashville Predators: NHL Four-Cast

1 . Why is this team worth watching?

Well, I watch to see former Ranger Jed Ortmeyer (get well soon!)—but for someone not in the Jed fanclub, you should tune in to see Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo is the Little Ball of Hate for the new generation, and is a little crazy to boot.

Other than that—well, I don't know what to tell you. They play some up-tempo hockey, but don't necessarily have the guns to pull it off—at least not yet.

2. Are they better or worse than last year?

Worse. They gave away puck-mover Marek Zidlicky, goaltender Chris Mason, and tough guy Darcy Hordichuk, while acquiring a few minor leaguers and some draft picks. And you can't forget that sniper Alex Radulov jumped ship to go to home.

That adds up to one unhappy fan base. All five of those guys must be pissed!

3. Who should YOU draft in fantasy?

J.P. Dumont and Jason Arnott are both good for 70 points, while the streaky Martin Erat should come in around 60. Ryan Suter is on his way to becoming a top-flight defenseman, and is good for numbers across the board—points, plus/minus, and PIM.

Shea Weber will get a lot of ice time as well, and he likes to shoot the puck. Dan Ellis put up some magical numbers last season so it will be interesting to see how he handles the burden of being a starter.

If Steve Sullivan can actually make it back to the NHL from the back problems that kept him out of the league last year, then he will certainly be worth grabbing. But he is no Mario, so I don't think we will see him again—and that is a shame, because he was a helluva player.

4. What should we re-name this team ('cause Predators is lame)?

Back in the early '80s there was a minor, minor league hockey team in Nashville named the Southern Stars. Why the hell didn't they go with that? It would have been fantastic and endearing—and I would imagine that the jersey wouldn't end up on a zombie somewhere.