Nashville Predators: Naming the Next Captain
With the departure of Nashville Predators great Shea Weber, the role of team captain remains vacant. We look at who might step into the spotlight as captain of the 2016 season.
Former Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber was a force to be reckoned with. He was big, he was strong, and he had a slap shot that nobody wanted to get in front of. Aside from his physical attributes, Weber led the team with a quiet confidence as the captain. He wasn’t the most vocal but when he talked they listened.
Seeing that Weber will now call the Bell Centre home, the “C” that sat just above his heart for so long will also find a new home. The Preds roster has 26 candidates for the captaincy, but as per NHL rules, goaltenders can’t serve as on-ice captains, so that brings us to 24 choices. Let’s take a look at the true contenders.
Next: Story Continued: Elder Statesman
Mike Fisher
The grizzled veteran seems like a good place to start looking. Already an alternate captain for the Preds, Fisher tallied his 1,000th NHL game this past season and is well equipped with experience under his belt. When looking for a captain, experience is certainly something to take into heavy consideration.
Fisher had a down year as far as his stats go registering only 23 total points and ending with a -14 (the lowest on the team). As he continues to get older you might expect this but he can still produce when the team needs it. Who can forget his triple-overtime winner against the Sharks in the playoffs?
With Fisher’s clock continuing to tick, the time for retirement could be inching closer. Whether or not the Preds will want to give him the captaincy to have him retire in the near future remains to be seen.
Next: Story Continued: Scoring Alternate
James Neal
Neal was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2014 to bring some offensive firepower to the Predators. Since arriving, Neal has produced just shy of 100 points, which includes 54 goals and 41 assists. In addition, Neal is a +39 over the course of two seasons so when he is on the ice, the team seems to score.
When you want an offensive player to be captain, you want them to score and score a lot. Check. You also want them to be a leader on the ice, and Neal has shown he can do that as he serves as alternate captain. Check. Neal also has some attitude and flair that comes with his game which the fans like to see.
Neal has shown time and time again that he is the real deal. Enough to be the captain?
Next: Story Continued: Young and Passionate
Roman Josi
Josi is a flat-out stud. In the last three years, Josi has seen his point totals creep up from 40 to 55 to 61. It’s not often that you see a defenseman second on the team in total points, and he easily could have been first falling 3 points shy. Josi has been consistently involved in the offense and it doesn’t seem like that will change.
Not only does he put up big numbers but he is a leader too as he was appointed an alternate captain last year. Said Coach Laviolette, “His leadership inside the room and on the ice really shined last year as the person and player that he was and he fits into the group that we already have in place.”
We might as well be calling him Roamin’ Josi since he slices through opponents to make it into the offensive zone. He’s fun to watch and he helps the team win. Josi seems like a logical candidate.
Next: Story Continued: Youngest of All
Filip Forsberg
Forsberg has established himself as a goal scorer for the Preds. In the last two seasons, he has scored 26 and 33 goals, good for the honor of top goal scorer on the Predators each year. Sure, it helps when you can get a hat-trick two times over the span of three games.
The Predators signed the young forward to a six-year deal. Said David Poile about Forsberg, “Filip is among the most skilled, dynamic talents we’ve ever had in the organization and is an integral part of our success for the next six years and beyond.” So we at least get to see Forsberg for most of the next decade.
The offensive flash is there for Forsberg, but the jury is out on his leadership abilities as he is still young. I’d be willing to bet though if given a chance he would thrive.
Next: Story Continued: New Leader
P.K. Subban
While joining the Predators in only the last week, it is hard not to include the entertaining Subban. When a club is considering who the captain should be, they may contemplate having a young, fresh, flashy player to represent the face of the organization. Subban is just that and more.
Subban can put up points both in 5-on-5 situations as well as on the powerplay, which as we know the Preds desperately need. Between all of his jukes, swivels, and side-steps the guy still scores. Even though the Preds have an active blue line that knows how to score, the addition of Subban makes them even better.
It is going to be hard for people to get on the Subban train for captaincy, but if you want a headline player to lead an organization he fits the bill.
Next: Story Continued: Final Thoughts
The Next Captain
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There have even been talks about Pekka Rinne as captain. There is a league rule that states that the Goaltender is not allowed to be captain as in the past, goalies would come out to talk to the Refs instead of using a timeout. Somehow, Vancouver got around that by naming
for two seasons but it isn’t ideal.
There are so many talented players on the Preds roster that there could be a number of captains. Whichever player the team decides on will no doubt be a good choice with the hopes that the captain will lead the team to the promised land of winning the Stanley Cup.
Next: Nashville Predators Jarnkrok and Granberg File for Arbitration
With the Shea Weber chapter closed, it will only be a matter of time before we see the new captain of the Nashville Predators emerge from the saber tooth tiger.