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

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.

Associate Captain Mattias Ekholm

You would be hard-pressed to find another player on Nashville’s roster who plays with as much passion and intensity as Mattias Ekholm. There is a reason his name was mentioned so much during the trade deadline last season. He is the type of player that any team in the NHL would be more than happy to have on their roster.

With the departure of Ellis, the Predators’ coaching staff will have to shake up the defensive lines a bit. Ellis’ departure and the emergence of Carrier should mean that Ekholm’s normal defensive partner, Dante Fabbro, would be a better fit on another defensive pairing.

If Fabbro does find himself on another pairing next season, then newly-acquired defenseman Philippe Myers can even play alongside Ekholm.

With their size, the second pairing of Ekholm and Myers would be daunting. Plus, Myers would gain valuable experience playing with a player of Ekholm’s caliber.

With changes in the defensive lineup looming, the Predators will rely upon Ekholm for his leadership and ability to demonstrate to the younger players what it is like to play with the same intensity and passion that he has for the game.

Associate Captain Ryan Johansen

Ryan Johansen is a first-line centerman and will be for the upcoming season. He is always looking to make plays that help his teammates score, but he also has the ability to find the back of the net.

I foresee Johansen lining up with Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene this upcoming season. These three players showed lots of promise last season when matched together.

Although, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to see Eeli Tolvanen make an appearance on the first line at some point.

If there was ever a season where Johansen needs to step up and lead by example, it is this one. The Predators will have some struggles, and his veteran leadership will be leaned upon to help keep the team on track.

Even though we are still waiting on Johansen to have a break-out season and return to the days of scoring 60 points or more, he is a teammate that the younger guys can and will look up to.

Associate Captain Filip Forsberg

If there is one Nashville player who is on the cusp of becoming an elite forward in the NHL, it is Filip Forsberg. He has been knocking on the door for the past few seasons but, unfortunately, hasn’t been able to take that next step.

Forsberg is another player that has struggled a bit these past few seasons but is still a leader and considered the best forward on the team. He is capable of putting up 70 points or higher in any given season, which would be a welcome sight.

With scoring forwards at a premium on this team, Forsberg has a great opportunity to take that next step in his career and move into elite status. If he can pull off a career type of year, then it will do wonders for keeping the Predators from being a dreaded lottery team in the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery.

Forsberg sets a high bar for the forwards to aim for. With his leadership on and off the ice, he can help lead the younger players by example. They will need all of the help they can get if the Predators are to have a shot at making a splash in the Central Division.