Turris the perfect solution to Predators' weakness down the middle

What was once a weakness might now be one of the Nashville Predators' most lethal aspects of their lineup.

Prior to the blockbuster trade that saw Matt Duchene shipped to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris dealt to the Predators, Nashville had been a club incredibly thin down the middle of the ice.

While the club boasts Ryan Johansen - who oddly enough is still searching for his first goal of the season - the Predators have been missing a second centerman who can entice fear into the opposition.

That is until now. With Turris now in the fold, the Predators can ice one of the better one-two punches at center in the league and can now dress a more well-balanced forwards corps.

Prior to the Turris deal - and due to the injury of Nick Bonino that has limited him to just five games - the Predators had been forced to roll with Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, and Frederick Gaudreau down the middle. And while the three are surely serviceable options, they don't compare to Turris.

Here is how the four have fared since the start of last season:

Suggesting that Turris is the more lethal offensive option between the three is quite obvious even without looking at the numbers, but the stats illustrate just how much better he is. In fact, Turris has tallied more goals and points than the other three combined.

On Saturday night Turris played his first game with the Predators and made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal with the team and adding an assist while playing 21:38 of ice time - the second-most of any Predators forward.

Turris' inclusion into the lineup allowed head coach Peter Laviollette to - on top of dressing a stronger top-six forward group - ice a better second power-play unit. Turris centered the club's second unit along with Kevin Fiala, Craig Smith, Viktor Arvidsson, and Mattias Ekholm.

Additionally, Bonino has been skating with the club and appears to be close to making his return to the lineup. When he finally returns, the Predators will have even more strength down the middle.

And as general manager David Poile suggested following the Turris trade, Bonino could be slotted on the wing of the Predators' second or third line when he returns, according to Thomas Willis of NashvillePredators.com. It's another sign of the versatility Turris gives the team. Meanwhile, it gives the potential to house a mighty top-nine with Johansen, Turris, and Bonino at center.

The acquisition of Turris has completely changed the complexion of the Predators' offense, and should instill a fear in opponents going forward that simply didn't exist a week ago.

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