Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg’s Best Season Might Get Wasted

It’s easy to overlook because the Nashville Predators are performing so poorly as a team, but Filip Forsberg is on pace to have one of his most efficient seasons in his nine-year NHL career.

Forsberg has never performed at a point-per-game clip, with the exception of coming very close in 2017-18 with 64 points in 67 games.

Despite the grim outlook the Predators have for the remainder of the season, Forsberg is is doing what he can to dominate shifts and be aggressive on the attack. It’s just so hard to notice that due to the team around him mostly outmatched offensively.

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One-man offense for the Nashville Predators

Forsberg clearly can’t do it all on his own offensively. He can keep scoring some goals and maintaining his efficient pace, but it’s not going to pull the Predators out of this funk. He needs the players around him, especially the veterans who have the talent, to step up and match his intensity.

Unfortunately, Forsberg isn’t getting the attention or recognition he deserves. What might end up being his best season as an NHL player could very well go to the waste side if the team doesn’t dramatically change their play.

The constant line changes, which happened last season as well and was a big criticism of Peter Laviolette, is happening again this season under Head Coach John Hynes.

Forsberg has played with all sorts of different linemates this season, and yet has somehow remained very productive.

The latest starting lineup possibility for the Predators’ next game against the Columbus Blue Jackets has Forsberg on a line with Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin:

Putting Kunin on the top line is an interesting proposition, but with Ryan Johansen still out due to injury, Hynes is having to get creative.

The once dominant JoFA line is basically a distant memory now. Viktor Arvidsson has had the opposite effect to what Forsberg has done. Keeping Forsberg and Granlund together is a must, and Granlund is a player I could see joining Forsberg to ignite this offense.

How will Forsberg finish?

Considering how bad this offensive attack has been for the Predators, it’s all the more impressive that Forsberg is still as efficient as he his. He’s really one of the only players teams really have to worry about burning them from the Predators forwards right now.

Forsberg leads the Predators by a wide margin in expected goals for, or ixG, per NaturalStatTrick. There’s a big drop-off after that, with Matt Duchene and Viktor Arvidsson the next closest.

The Predators are one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL, averaging just 2.33 goals per game. Imagine how much that number would increase if a player like Granlund, Arvidsson, or Matt Duchene could match Forsberg’s production. Or at least come close to it.

Whether or not the Predators dig out of this hole and make things interesting, Forsberg is probably going to continue to put up some of his most efficient numbers of his career.

In the site’s recent quarterly report cards, the only reason I gave the Predators’ offense a D- was because of Forsberg, and also Roman Josi. Can someone else please wake up from their offensive slumber?

It would be really cool to see Forsberg snag an All-Star selection, which he’s only accomplished once in 2015-16 when he had 33 goals and 64 points.

Sadly, Forsberg’s season is going to be widely overlooked if the Predators remain a horrendous offensive team to watch.