Dan Hamhuis (2003-2004)
For the Nashville Predators to really make the climb up the NHL ladder, they had to start building up their crop of defensemen. In came Dan Hamhuis for his rookie campaign in 2003-2004.
Hamhuis was a massive defenseman at 6’1″ who had just completed a successful season in the AHL ranks, and was ready to be a vital part of Nashville’s defense corps.
The most impressive stat of Hamhuis’ rookie season for the Predators was how much ice time he logged. Over 22 minutes of average ice time in his 80 games he played that season.
Hamhuis never really evolved into a high-scoring defenseman, but he did notch 26 points during his rookie season. All of this got him some recognition in the Calder Trophy voting as he finished 11th.
As the Predators become more known as a defensive-minded team, Hamhuis became a big part of that reputation over the next few seasons in Nashville before eventually moving on to the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.