Nashville Predators: Players Who Will be Critical to the Rebuild

Eeli Tolvanen

This one seems obvious, but one I didn’t want to gloss over. If you can find one glimmer of hope from this season so far, it’s that Tolvanen is indeed ready to be a regular starter in the NHL. It was along wait for that to happen.

Tolvanen absolutely should be a vital part of the rebuild. I love the idea of Forsberg and Tolvanen being linemates for the long-term future. They have played well together so far, and Forsberg seems to be maximizing Tolvanen’s value.

The Predators might be in for a few rough years of making the playoffs, but you still need a solid line to build around. I love what I’ve seen from Tovlanen so far this season, and intrigued to see him continue to grow throughout the remainder of 2020-21.

Tolvanen is also in the last year of his entry level contract that has a low cap hit, but one that the Predators will have to work out in the offseason with a new contract.

You should continue to see Tolvanen’s role grow on this team, and even more so as players are traded away as the team becomes sellers leading up to the trade deadline.