Craig Smith Could Take Nashville Predators to New Heights

It seems like the Nashville Predators begin every season with mostly doubters, and 2011 has been no different for a team that is one of the youngest in the NHL.

The Predators have always managed to have success despite the lack of star power on their roster, but they may have caught lightning in a bottle with rookie Craig Smith.

Smith has surged ahead for seven goals and seven assists in the first 15 NHL games of his career, which leads all rookies right now.

He's been a key component for why the Predators are tied for the 13th in goals per game instead of near the bottom of the list where they usually are.

The Predators finally got over the hump last season by getting past the first round of the playoffs. Now the franchise is looking to make a run at the Stanley Cup with a crop of raw talent helping the still defensive-minded Predators.

A Barry Trotz-coached team will never be a team that is necessarily the most exciting brand of hockey to watch, but with goalie Pekka Rinne and key defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, this team might finally be constructed to go all the way.

What may have been the one missing piece for the Predators they may finally have in Smith.

Smith is a guy who pushes the tempo every second he's on the ice and he seems to be working well with Patric Hornqvist, Colin Wilson and David Legwand.

The best example of this came in the Predators' latest win over the Ducks, a game that Legwand missed due to injury.

The Smith-Hornqvist-Wilson line created scoring opportunities all night, and the Predators could have very well ended up with five or six goals as opposed to four.

After a month of the season the Predators have already notched up seven key Western Conference wins that will be huge at the end of the season.

Expect the Predators to make yet another trip to the playoffs this season with Smith making a strong run for the Rookie of the Year..