Nashville Predators: Key Players Poised for Breakout Seasons in 2021

With no clear answer on how many games next season will be yet, it’s time to look at players who are poised for breakout seasons for the Nashville Predators.

Some new faces on the Nashville Predators are going to have to come up big next season if the team is going to stay relevant in the playoff race once again.

There’s still no announcement on how many games will played in the next NHL regular season. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is still hoping for the full 82-game slate in 2021:

Until we know for sure how many games there will be for 2021 , it’s going to be hard to predict actual stat totals. However, I still have four players on the Predators who should be set for breakout seasons.

These players are about to see their workload grow, their importance to their team grow and hopefully that will translate into career years.

The newcomer, Luke Kunin

There isn’t a lot of hype surrounding the signing of Luke Kunin from the Minnesota Wild over the offseason, and that’s understandable. However, he’s going to be an integral piece of the lineup.

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Kunin is entering the prime of his career as he’s about to turn 23-years-old. This is why Predators GM David Poile went after Kunin. To hopefully get a young up-and-coming player who can be a new weapon for the Predators.

This pickup is growing on me. I have my reservations, which aren’t fair to Kunin, due to the previous addition from the Minnesota Wild with Mikael Granlund. Obviously these two have nothing to do with each other, and I actually think Kunin will meet the modest expectations early on.

Assuming there’s at least 60-plus games next season and Kunin avoids injury, he’s going to have one of his most offensively productive seasons of his career. Especially if he plays most of his time alongside Matt Duchene on the second line.

Kunin played in 63 games last season and registered around half a point per game. If he can up that efficiency to around a 40-plus point scorer then I will consider that a big success. Can those 40 points come in the way of 20-plus goals? That will be interesting to see.

Keeps getting better

The story of ascension in the NHL for Rocco Grimaldi has been fun to watch, and it’s nowhere close to being over. Perhaps he hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet.

Grimaldi is going to be called upon to keep up his steady rise up the ranks on the Nashville Predators. He’s a proven veteran on this team, but will now have to adjust to new linemates after the departures of Nick Bonino and Craig Smith.

I’m not counting out Grimaldi for one second. The guy just doesn’t stop pushing to get better, and I won’t be surprised in the slightest if he manages another season of around 30 to 40 points, while his ice time should increase from his career average of 11:29.

Last season Grimaldi played in 66 of the Predators’ 69 regular season games, posting 10 goals and 21 assists. It was just his second full-time season in the NHL, with his NHL appearances before coming to Nashville all being minimal.

Look for Grimaldi to improve even more in 2021 as he’s one of the few returning players that the Predators have coming back in the bottom six. Grimaldi should also be a candidate for the second line if some younger options don’t work out.

I’d like to see Grimaldi’s goal output increase next season, and that should be conceivable. If he can come in around 15 goals and keep up his fiery pace to generate offensive pressure, then it should be another outstanding year for Grimaldi.

Better late than never

It’s taken some patience for the arrival of Eeli Tolvanen in the NHL. He’s played in just seven NHL games since being drafted with a lot of hype, fair or not, in 2017.

Tolvanen is doing all the right things to continue his development into an all-around NHL player. He’s currently playing in the KHL, a very respected league in Russia, and should be ready to claim a Predators roster spot whenever training camp opens.

This is the season for Tolvanen to become a regular on the NHL level. A spot on the second line with Matt Duchene is the ideal landing spot for him. A skilled puck handler and setup man like Duchene will be very beneficial to a young offensive gunner like Tolvanen.

Everyone defines “breakout” differently. I’m not saying Tolvanen is going to breakout into a 30-goal scorer this season, but I do think he can finally stick around in the NHL and become a regular point scorer.

I’m setting the bar at double digit goals and a notable presence on the power play for next season to be considered a success for Tolvanen. If he can tack on 10 to 15 assists and be strong with his possession metrics then we’ll be able to finally say Tolvanen has arrived in the NHL.