This is Bob Cobb coming to you from Southgate Bar & Grill in downtown Nashville with our 1st report of the season on our beloved Preds~

Well, last year didn't end the way we'd have hoped..   so many things went right -- the boys were on the verge of the elusive 3-peat..  but Calvin Pickard & the playoff-hardened Habs refused to let it happen.  And as we all know, if ya ain't first..  you're last.  So that brings us to the new season.  What's new going into the season of revenge?!

Glad you asked. A few big changes around Nashville have been the departure of Steven Stamkos & Kevin Fiala up front. Their replacements in the top 6 are long-time GM favorite Mikey Sgarbossa (in from EDM) & another favorite, speedy Johnny Dahlen (in from VAN). Both players are downgrades on paper for sure, but both are also amongst the more intriguing forwards in the FNHL today. On the blueline, the stalwart top 4 remain intact..  while long-time fan fav Charles Olivier-Rousse left for free agency. That means young Luke Hughes will step into the steady 3rd line role and reportedly also see some PP2 minutes. And in goal, it will be year 2 of the Talbot/Wallstedt combo -- definitely no need for a change there (yet)*

Overall, not a ton of adjustments to the main pieces on the roster.. but some significant ones to be sure. Through 8 games of the season, it seems to be going well with the team sporting a rock solid 7-1 record with a +17 goal differential. 

In my next report we'll discuss the team's Farm team & see just how dirty those farmhands get when the boss ain't lookin.  Until next time, I'm Bob Cobb and when my great-grandma asks me for a smoke, I say "no prob."