Nashville Predators: Forgotten Unsung Heroes of the Past

By Chad Minton | Dec 1, 2020

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 17: David Legwand #11 and Joel Ward #29 of the Nashville Predators congratulate teammate Martin Erat #10, center, on scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bridgestone Arena on April 17, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

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Kevin Klein

The Predators have come a long way in terms of having superstar talent on the roster. But it’s important to remember the players who were part of building the foundation.

Kevin Klein is definitely one of those players. He was never a dynamic scoring defenseman like Roman Josi, Shea Weber, or Ryan Ellis, but he was reliable and steady.

I didn’t realize it until looking back that Klein played so many seasons for the Nashville Predators. Nine seasons for Nashville and just over 400 games played.

Klein became a regular in the lineup for the 2008-09 season, which was a team that featured Jason Arnott, Patric Hornqvist, David Legwand and even Pekka Rinne.

That team narrowly missed the playoffs and didn’t have a lot of talent defensively. Klein was the reliable contributor and was a true defenseman. He wasn’t flashy by any means offensively, but made the smart defensive plays to help the team finish 11th in the league in goals against.

Klein will never get much respect from the average fan for being an integral part of the lineup, but he made a difference. He was eventually dealt to the New York Rangers in 2014.

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