Nashville Predators: Four Key Players Who Will Need to be Leaders

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Filip Forsberg #9 and Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators celebrate Forsberg's third period goal against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 30, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. The Predators defeated the Devils 6-5 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Filip Forsberg #9 and Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators celebrate Forsberg's third period goal against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 30, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. The Predators defeated the Devils 6-5 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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The Nashville Predators will find themselves in a situation they haven’t been in for quite some time once the puck drops on the 2021-22 season. Nashville will be entering the 2021-22 season with more questions than answers.

Call it  “competitive,” “soft,” or whatever other term you’d like. The Predators are entering a rebuilding phase next season. And this new chapter in their history has been coming for several years now.

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The loss of fan favorites such as Ryan Ellis, Viktor Arvidsson, and Calle Jarnkrok created holes in Nashville’s roster that younger players and prospects will fill, some of which have been in the Predators’ prospect pool for quite some time.

Players such as Alexandre Carrier, Tanner Jeannot, and Cody Glass are young and talented and have NHL experience but will be looking for expanded roles.

Other players like Philip Tomasino and David Farrance will be looking for shots at full-time roster gigs.

With a younger group of players taking the ice and a lack of scoring forwards on the roster, the team may experience growing pains next season. And while the Predators put on a clinic in the second half of last season, there are no guarantees that they can replicate that performance next season.

The team’s Captains will need to step up and provide leadership to their younger teammates for this upcoming season. These four players will be heavily relied upon to help navigate the choppy waters that could be ahead for the Nashville Predators in 2021-22.