Nashville Predators: Key Players To Watch During The Playoffs

The Nashville Predators head into the playoffs with a loaded roster, but which one of these players should we expect to see make an impact during the playoffs?

This will be the fifth season in a row that the Nashville Predators will be entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that means that there is a solid sample size for most everyone on the roster to show who are the guys who come to play during the playoffs.

The playoffs are a completely different atmosphere than the regular season, it is a time where the pressure is on and you have to give every last bit of energy you have to try to compete for the hardest trophy to earn in sports.

Only certain players are able to shine in an atmosphere like this, and those players will be highlighted in this article as the Nashville Predators look to take Lord Stanley’s Cup.

1. Viktor Arvidsson

Viktor Arvidsson is fresh off breaking the Nashville Predators franchise record for goals in a single season, despite only playing in 58 games this season, and is well suited to guide the Preds by adding even more to that scoring prowess this postseason.

Arvidsson isn’t a stranger to success in the postseason, totaling nine goals and 24 points in 49 playoff games in his career, including 13 crucial points during the Preds run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016-17.

Arvidsson has really evolved as a goal scorer this season, and that evolution should very well continue into the playoffs as the Preds face off against the stars. He has a very nice shot that could beat pretty much any goaltender in the league and he is fast enough to burst past most NHL defensemen.

He has been a crucial weapon for the Predators over the past four seasons and should continue to be during this year’s playoffs, as he looks to soar to new heights with the Nashville Predators.

2. Nick Bonino

A forgotten depth piece on the Nashville Predators roster, Nick Bonino has been a huge contributor to some Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins teams in 2016 and 2017, including the one that ousted the Preds in the finals.

Nick Bonino has tallied 45 points in 88 career playoff games, most notably scoring 18 points in the Penguins 24 game cup run in 2016 where they defeated the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Most notably, he scored the overtime winning goal in game six of the second round of the 2016 playoffs against the Washington Capitals to send the Penguins to the conference finals that year.

Bonino is a solid two-way player who brings a veteran presence to the locker room, so his playoff experience is a much-needed attribute for the Nashville Predators this season.

Watch out for Nick Bonino, because he could be a major contributor to this year’s cup run, even though he isn’t exactly the biggest name on the Preds roster.

3. P.K. Subban

For a player who hasn’t even hit the age of 30 yet, P.K. Subban has become a playoff veteran, playing in 90 playoff games over eight appearances in his career, as well as adding 17 goals and 59 points, which is amazing for a defenseman.

PK Subban has always had a knack for coming through in big moments in his career with the Montreal Canadiens and the Nashville Predators, including countless clutch goals in the Canadiens playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

When you have a guy who can perform in the playoffs in one of the biggest rivalries in sports, you can do pretty much anything.

If Subban can do what he does best again this season, then the Nashville Predators could very well find themselves with a Stanley Cup this season.

dark. Next. Stars and Preds clash in Round 1

The Stanley Cup playoffs create a wide array of unsung heroes, but these guys have made major contributions to playoff teams in seasons past, which is why Nashville Predators fans should be on the lookout for something similar this season.

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