Shea Weber: Why Predators Can Still Contend for Playoff Berth Without Captain

Even if the Nashville Predators don't match Shea Weber's 14-year, $110 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers and lose their captain, earning a playoff spot in the 2012-13 NHL season is still an attainable goal.

Even though the loss of Ryan Suter and the potential loss of Weber would certainly affect the Predators' success at both ends of the ice, the team still has an elite No. 1 goalie in Pekka Rinne.

One advantage that Nashville has over other Western Conference contenders such as the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks is that it has a legitimate No. 1 goalie who can play 65-plus games and carry a team.

Rinne has been a Vezina Trophy finalist in two straight seasons and is in the prime of his career.

Defensively, the Predators have several talented prospects who are ready to step into the vacant holes on the roster created by Suter, and possibly Weber's departure.

Ryan Ellis is the team's best prospect and played in 32 games last season, while scoring 11 points. He is a great offensive talent and will be a top-four defenseman who can quarterback a power play in the near future.

Blue-line prospects Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm also have the potential to be quality NHL players.

Despite all of the criticism its offense has received, Nashville actually finished eighth in goals per game and first in power-play percentage last season. Nashville also had seven players who scored 15 or more goals last year.

Last season, the ninth-place team in the Western Conference was the Calgary Flames with 90 points, who finished five points behind the No. 8 seed and eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. The Predators had 104 points this past season and would have to drop 14 points to reach Calgary's level from last season.

It's hard to imagine that happening when you consider the fact that the Central Division won't be as tough next year as it was in 2011-12.

The Detroit Red Wings lost Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart, and have yet to find a suitable replacement for either player. The Chicago Blackhawks have issues between the pipes and on the blue line and could also suffer from injuries as well. The St. Louis Blues surprisingly won the division with 109 points, but it would be shocking if goaltender Brian Elliott had another incredible year.

And, of course, the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to be a team that could finish with the worst record in the league.

While the Predators will not be as strong next season as they were last year, the rest of their division rivals haven't improved much at all. In fact, you could easily argue that the Red Wings have taken a major step back this summer.

If Pekka Rinne continues to shine in net, the offensive talent continues to develop and the team's young defensemen contribute at the NHL level, then the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference will be a reachable goal for Nashville.

When you also consider that Barry Trotz is one of the five best head coaches in the league and does a great job with less talent than most other coaches on contending teams have, there is no need for Predators fans to give up on the 2012-13 season.

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