Colin Wilson Looks For Consistency

By Buddy Oakes

The Nashville Predators are expecting big things this year from former Hobey Baker winner, Colin Wilson in his second year as a pro. He has been given every chance to succeed in the pre-season, playing mostly on the wing with Matthew Lombardi and Marty Erat.

At the start of last season, Wilson was hobbled by a chronic groin problem and had only two points in 10 NHL games. Sent to Milwaukee to rehab after a slow start, he performed at a point per game pace.

Wilson was recalled by the Predators in early February and played in their last 25 games, scoring seven goals and picking up six assists. His minutes were reduced in the playoffs when he played all six games and picked up a lone assist.

Over the summer, the winger continued to rehab from his groin injury, incorporating much more stretching into his workout routine. It seems this has helped, "It's doing really good. It definitely feels a lot better than last season. I still feel tweaks here and there but that is a part of the game," says Wilson about his injury.

After the Olympic break last season, there were times when he appeared to be the best player on the ice and then would fade into background and go unnoticed for a while. When asked about this he explains, "That's what learning to be a pro is all about. You have to be consistent.

"It's a cliche to be never too high or never too low but sometimes I got too satisfied with myself after having a really good period or really good game and I would come out and not be quite as focused so I'm definitely striving to be more consistent this year.

"It's a mental approach, just learning the game, learning about yourself, and learning that you have to be focused all the time."

Like everyone else on the team, Wilson's ultimate goal for the year is to win the Stanley Cup. As an individual, he hopes to "become a regular NHLer with the Preds and score as many goals as possible and contribute to the team."

In the pre-season, he played in five of the Preds' six games, picking up two assists, and was +2 on a team that only scored 13 goals.

Once the season is underway, it seems plausible that if Wilson continues to play on one of the top lines, that a 20-goal, 50-point season is within reach, which would be considered a successful campaign for the one of the team's top prospects.