The Fan Blog : There’s No Happiness as a Preds Fan, Only the Mirage of It Upon the Horizon

This is what having someone interested in writing about the team (vs shameless self promotion) looks like!

Nice write up; more please.

Hard to dislike the Preds (actually more like a huge swath of their fans) as much as I do when something is this well thought out and well written. Take a bow. Extremely balanced and thoughtful. The last guy only wrote stuff after a win and then blew smoke up everyone's tail. The tank is probably what needs to happen but it often doesn't yield that needed game changer. Look at Arizona and Buffalo. Sometimes you don't tank, have an epic-ally bad season anyway, lose the lottery, fall to 4th and then the most talented defenseman of his generation falls into your lap. But they should still probably pull the cord and rebuild. And if you can somehow get Duchy to Seattle consider that a bullet dodged. Or a huge mistake fixed. That dude has a bad aura around him.

- FoppaForever[...] And if you can somehow get Duchy to Seattle consider that a bullet dodged. Or a huge mistake fixed. That dude has a bad aura around him.

how exactly would that further his country music aspirations?

anyway, I know what you mean about his 'aura' but he does at least say the right things. I think he even spent time with a skills coach (or maybe it was skating or a fitness guru) .. point is he seems to be trying.

how exactly would that further his country music aspirations?

anyway, I know what you mean about his 'aura' but he does at least say the right things. I think he even spent time with a skills coach (or maybe it was skating or a fitness guru) .. point is he seems to be trying.
- farooge

He's an interesting cat. And I think I'm sufficiently past the bitterness of him demanding to be traded so he can "play playoff hockey" to be fairly objective about him, especially after watching him flounder around for a few years. And there just seems to be something off about him. I suspect he's very into himself and sort of phony about that not being the case and that all becomes apparent to his teammates pretty quickly. Remember Roy calling him out about going nuts after he scored his 30th goal in a loss when the Avs were fighting for a playoff spot? In fact, looking back, a lot of his Mark Stoneish, porn star climaxing goal celebrations were a bit more 'look at me' than most players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inuxOB0U0E0

Probably is a fitness coach, I can't imagine he'd need help with his skating, the guy could always skate like the wind.

He's an interesting cat. And I think I'm sufficiently past the bitterness of him demanding to be traded so he can "play playoff hockey" to be fairly objective about him, especially after watching him flounder around for a few years. And there just seems to be something off about him. I suspect he's very into himself and sort of phony about that not being the case and that all becomes apparent to his teammates pretty quickly. Remember Roy calling him out about going nuts after he scored his 30th goal in a loss when the Avs were fighting for a playoff spot? In fact, looking back, a lot of his Mark Stoneish, porn star climaxing goal celebrations were a bit more 'look at me' than most players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inuxOB0U0E0

Probably is a fitness coach, I can't imagine he'd need help with his skating, the guy could always skate like the wind.
- FoppaForever

Sigh, you're probably right. I know/see all of those things too and can't stand his body language 99.9% of the time .. but I really really hope I'm wrong

Wow. This is more insightful information in one shot then I've seen in the last two years of Preds blogs combined.

I'll always love Trotz, but I'm not one of those fans that bemoan him leaving. At the time it did feel like an amicable split was the right thing to do for both parties... There is such a thing as a coach staying in one place for too long and the message gets lost. As much as I'd love to have him back now, I don't spend too much time dwelling on that what if.

I just don't see Seattle doing Nashville the favor of taking Joey or the Duche. Trust me, I've been on Seattle's blog practically begging them too, but unless the Preds are willing to pay a premium in sweeteners, I don't see it. More than likely, we'll either lose Fabbro or Carrier if one of them is exposed. Outside shot that Kunnin or Sissons get taken. You can never entirely predict what certain GM's are thinking.

I do fell like Fabbro's situation is one of the Preds most 'under the radar' issues this off- season. He's clearly not developing like the team has hoped, and Carrier basically booted him out of the lineup. Still, he's too valuable of an asset to just give up on without compensation, so Poile almost has to protect him during the expansion draft. Can't help but notice the similarities to the Seth Jones situation before he got shipped off to Columbus. Not exactly the same thing but definitely similar.

Sorry, but I can't unpack everything you've touched on here without this post becoming a blog in itself.

This is a honest and objective blog. What a breath of fresh air. Paul was the propaganda minister for the Preds.

This is a honest and objective blog. What a breath of fresh air. Paul was the propaganda minister for the Preds.
- Polecat

Correction: Paul was the propaganda minister for Paul. The Preds were his means.

- Squatchy[...] More than likely, we'll either lose Fabbro or Carrier if one of them is exposed. Outside shot that Kunnin or Sissons get taken. You can never entirely predict what certain GM's are thinking.

I do fell like Fabbro's situation is one of the Preds most 'under the radar' issues this off- season. He's clearly not developing like the team has hoped, and Carrier basically booted him out of the lineup. Still, he's too valuable of an asset to just give up on without compensation, so Poile almost has to protect him during the expansion draft [...]

If Fabbro commits to seriously improving his skating I'll agree with you. He's a pylon right now.

Carrier's got game

If Fabbro commits to seriously improving his skating I'll agree with you. He's a pylon right now.

Carrier's got game
- farooge

He's valuable in the sense that he'll be worth something on the trade market. Even if Poile decides he's not worth resigning, you can still get something for him. He's a young defensemen with upside that other teams may take a chance on if they feel he was thrown into the fray before he was ready. (Which he obviously was) It just doesn't make much sense to let him go for free. If Poile ever gets his head out of his butt and realizes the team at least needs a partial rebuild, you're going to need assets other teams actually want to be able to pull it off. You protect Fabbro for the same reason you protect Ellis. To hopefully move them on somewhere else and get something in return, if Poile decides they're not part of the Preds future going forward.

Let's face it, it's not like the Preds have a ton of top-end talent crucial to the teams success that they need to protect, so protect the ones with value, whatever that value might be.

This is a really good read. Excellent job. Wish there were more writers here like this.

Lets be real. Fabbrow and Aircraft are the future of this organization. It's the truth don't even @ me...

Nice job Clay !

A lot of good information and statistics. I think the biggest issue with the Preds organization is they have used the playoffs as the barometer of success not the Stanley Cup. As the statistics show, the talent on the team is average at best. Specifically offensively, a more glaring statistic is looking at the top teams and most teams have 7-8 players with better statistics in every category than any preds player. The idea that that's a good thing because they have so many players contributing is another excuse or just BS. The preds window has closed. Ownerships loyalty to Poile is admirable but that's not bringing the cup to Nashville. I understand ownership makes more money if the team makes the playoffs but again, playoffs are not the cup. 21-22 looks like the ideal year to clean up several salaries and players and build for the future. The "new identity" of the Preds being a bigger tougher team that can push other teams around will most likely be a short term identity because bigger and tougher isn't putting pucks in the net. While I haven't figured out Hynes system, he seems to have gotten more with inexperienced and less expensive players so what the heck.

Lets be real. Fabbrow and Aircraft are the future of this organization. It's the truth don't even @ me...
- EcstaticNoodle

I thought that Fabbio and Air Conditioner were. Now I'm confused.

Lets be real. Fabbrow and Aircraft are the future of this organization. It's the truth don't even @ me...
- EcstaticNoodle

did you butcher their names in such an awkward way on purpose or are you just a terrible speller?

did you butcher their names in such an awkward way on purpose or are you just a terrible speller?
- farooge

What do you mean? Fabulous Brow and Aircraft Carrier? Come-on these are like common nicknames.......

What do you mean? Fabulous Brow and Aircraft Carrier? Come-on these are like common nicknames.......
- EcstaticNoodle

are you sure?

i'm pretty sure it would be something like Fabbie (or Fabs) and maybe Carrie? Fabs (what I'm going to call him in my head) has a few possibilities. Donnie would probably work too. Maybe Carrier could be Sashsa? That would be kinda funny

nicknames usually aren't a mouth-full

are you sure?

i'm pretty sure it would be something like Fabbie (or Fabs) and maybe Carrie? Fabs (what I'm going to call him in my head) has a few possibilities. Donnie would probably work too. Maybe Carrier could be Sashsa? That would be kinda funny

nicknames usually aren't a mouth-full
- farooge

I'll accept Brow, but nothing less. Have you seen his beautiful, luscious eyebrows?

Who thinks Arvidsson is on the downside of his career? I do.. injury bug

Who thinks Arvidsson is on the downside of his career? I do.. injury bug
- Polecat

He has been for a couple of years now, and yes injuries play a large part in that. It feels like the mounting injuries have forced him to change the way he plays, and how he played early in his career was what made him special. Arvy hustle has turned into Arvy take a dive if a stick is anywhere near his skate. I can't say I blame him, that style of play was landing him on IR far too often, but he's just not as effective the way he's playing now. He still can be useful in a middle six capacity, but the days of pretending he's a 1st line talent are over.

Sadly the Preds only have one of those... And he's injury prone too.