Nashville Predators: Will Impact Players Drive Predators to Success?

Filip Forsberg

You can’t discuss impact players from the Nashville Predators without mentioning Filip Forsberg. He has led the Predators in goals through each of his three full seasons with the team, though last year he shared the prize with Viktor Arvidsson.

If there’s a phrase that describes Fosberg’s impact to a team, I’d offer “timely goals.” More than any other player on the bench, Forsberg has a knack for finding the net when the team needs it most. As an example, look to the first round of last year’s playoffs. In the third period of game three, Chicago led Nashville 2-0. Forsberg scored two goals in ten minutes to bring the game to overtime, where Kevin Fiala sealed the deal.

It’s obviously worth mentioning that Forsberg has been absent for several weeks after sustaining an upper-body injury. That said, here’s a look at his comparison to last season.

Like the majority of the team, his expected goals for percentage has taken a hit this season. However, on a positive note, his zone starts indicate that he is being given more defensive responsibility. With that in mind, the decrease in expected goals is, well, expected.

Filip Forsberg is still getting it done on the score sheet, make no mistake. In 37 games, he’s put up 15 goals and 19 assists. It is slightly concerning that just 17 of his 34 points have come at five-on-five. However, with the team as a whole performing well, the issue is not overly worrying.