GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 15: Goaltender Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It’s midseason grade time, and I get the privilege of grading the Finnish Reindeer himself, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne.
Since Rinne was picked in the 2004 NHL Draft, he has become a uniquely Nashville thing like hot chicken and the angel wings mural. He’s a fan favorite, and I will weep when he retires and be thrilled when they raise his number to the rafters and cement #35 into Predators’ history forever.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first.