The NHL Community has been placing out prime 20 lists in every of the positional classes this offseason. They most just lately ranked the highest 20 defensemen heading into the 2024-25 season; however they’ve additionally put out lists for the highest 20 facilities, prime 20 wingers, and prime 10 goalies. The Nashville Predators have fairly just a few gamers who’ve made it onto these varied lists. Who made the rankings and the place did they place?
Roman Josi
Predators captain Roman Josi was ranked the fourth-best defenseman by NHL Community of their 2024 rankings. The defensemen who completed forward of him had been Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Josi was top-of-the-line at his place in the course of the 2023-24 marketing campaign. He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy, together with Makar and Hughes. Hughes received the Norris, however Josi proved how even nearing his mid-30s he’s nonetheless top-of-the-line blueliners within the NHL.
Josi performed in all 82 video games final season. He scored 23 targets and produced 62 assists for a complete of 85 factors. It was the second-most factors he has ever notched. The one marketing campaign that had extra was in 2021-22 (he scored 23 targets as effectively, however had 73 assists for 96 factors in 80 video games). It is going to be fascinating to see if that time complete goes up much more in 2024-25. He may have new forwards to construct chemistry with, and in addition has some good teammates on the backend too. Dante Fabbro, Alexandre Service, Jeremy Lauzon, and Luke Schenn are all coming back from final season.
The Predators additionally landed a big expertise on the blue line by bringing Brady Skjei aboard by way of free company. Skjei bolsters Nashville’s protection, and may put up his personal offensive manufacturing too. He supplied 47 factors in 80 video games for the Carolina Hurricanes (13 targets and 34 assists). Whoever head coach Andrew Brunette decides to pair with Josi, that duo will make a big effect for the staff on the ice. Taking part in with a talented veteran like Josi can even assist carry out the most effective in his defensive companion.
Juuse Saros
The NHL Community ranked Juuse Saros because the ninth-best goalie within the league. He completed forward of Linus Ullmark, now with the Ottawa Senators. The highest three netminders had been the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, and the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin.
Within the 2023-24 marketing campaign, Saros performed in 64 video games for the membership, posting a document of 35-24-5. He had a goals-against common (GAA) of two.86, a save share (SV%) of .906, and three shutouts. In his profession thus far, he has an total document of 182-119-32 in 350 video games performed. He has an total GAA of two.63, an total SV% of .917, and 23 shutouts. He has been precisely what the group has wanted ever since Pekka Rinne hung up the skates, and he’ll proceed to be one of many faces of the staff for a lot of seasons to return. Normal supervisor Barry Trotz made certain of that too. He signed Saros to an eight-year contract extension value $61.92 million. He’s going to be the Predators’ netminder for a very long time, and he earned it.
Saros ought to proceed to remain within the Vezina Trophy dialog. He has vital competitors for certain. Hellebuyck is nominated each season due to how proficient he’s for the Jets. He has two Vezina Trophy wins (2019-20 and most just lately in 2023-24). Shesterkin additionally has a Vezina to his title as effectively from 2022. Each of these goalies are usually not going to be slowing down, and others will play effectively to place themselves in consideration too. Whereas Saros could not have a Vezina Trophy but below his belt, I firmly imagine that he’ll be capable to win one in the course of the seasons forward. Possibly he’ll get multiple like Hellebuyck. Saros will win one ultimately although. With how a lot talent the Predators have in entrance of him, a Stanley Cup Closing look could also be within the midst as effectively.
Filip Forsberg
Kicking issues off for the Predators on the highest 20 wingers record, ranked at 14th is Filip Forsberg. Heading into his Thirteenth marketing campaign with Nashville, he has accrued 287 targets and 318 assists for 605 factors in 698 video games. He and Josi are the highest two level producers in Predators franchise historical past. Final season, Forsberg scored 48 targets and registered 46 assists for 94 factors in 82 video games. That was his greatest marketing campaign but for Nashville. It was a career-high for the 30-year-old in targets, assists, and complete factors. His earlier greatest for all three stat classes was in 2021-22 when he gathered 42 targets and 42 assists for 84 factors in 69 video games.
As nice as Forsberg has been for Nashville over the seasons, it looks as if he will get higher as he will get older. He has persistently been one among their key offensive forces within the lineup. In his first full NHL marketing campaign in 2014-15, he nearly acquired 30 targets. Forsberg completed his first huge season with 26 targets and 37 assists for 63 factors in 82 video games. As he has gotten older although, he has grow to be much more harmful for the Predators.
Might his greatest be but to return? Is he able to being a 100-point participant? I imagine that time complete may be very attainable. If he can rack up near that many factors earlier than, he may very effectively accomplish that. That is very true if he will get placed on a line with a few his new teammates. With that being mentioned, a kind of new forwards additionally made the record.
Steven Stamkos
The final participant who was ranked for NHL Community was slotted in because the Thirteenth-best winger within the NHL. He’s additionally the one newcomer for Nashville on these lists. Coming in at 13 is Steven Stamkos. The 34-year-old ahead spent his whole profession with the Tampa Bay Lightning and had been their captain from 2014 to this previous season. Throughout his time with the Lightning, Stamkos scored 555 targets and registered 582 assists for 1,137 factors in 1,082 video games. Moreover, in his postseason profession thus far, he scored 50 targets and supplied 51 assists for 101 factors in 128 video games.
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In his final marketing campaign for the Lightning, Stamkos tallied 40 targets and 41 assists for 81 factors in 79 video games. If he had suited up for Nashville as a substitute final season, his 81 factors would have positioned him third on the record. The one two Predators who would have had extra factors than him in 2023-24 would have been Forsberg and Josi. Stamkos’ 40 targets would have been second in Nashville, with solely Forsberg having extra with 48. He, together with winger Jonathan Marchessault, ought to be capable to present extra offensive output for the membership. Including these two to an offense that additionally has Forsberg, middle Ryan O’Reilly, ahead Gustav Nyquist, and others ought to put them as a Stanley Cup contender out of the Western Convention. It is going to be as much as Brunette and his teaching workers to determine who works collectively greatest for the ahead strains, in addition to the facility play and penalty kill models.
The Predators have an important marketing campaign forward for the group. They’ve an excessive amount of talent to not be top-of-the-line squads within the West. If they will put all of it collectively, they might presumably win their first championship. The quantity of success that Nashville has is dependent upon many gamers, together with the 4 that had been highlighted on the NHL Community’s 2024 lists.
