Nashville Predators: The Top-10 Franchise Players Over Last Decade

#9: Craig Smith

I really wanted to put Smith higher on this list, but objectively speaking this is a good spot for him. He was the essential role player you need for any contending team.

Smith was a model of consistency for much of his time with the Nashville Predators appearing in 661 games (7th on the franchise list) and scoring 162 goals (5th on the franchise list). Just five goals shy of being third in franchise history in that department.

Since Smith was lost to the Boston Bruins in 2020, the Predators have had trouble replacing him for depth scoring. Perhaps they’ve done that this offseason with adding Nino Niederreiter, but looking back on it they should’ve kept Smith to begin with.

Now there are rumors swirling that perhaps Boston is shopping Smith, and it begs the question of should their be a reunion with the Predators? If the deal makes sense, then the Predators front office should pursue it.

Either way, Smith will always be in class with some of the best Predators in history. He was originally drafted by the franchise and instantly made his presence known with 36 points in his rookie year.

If Smith ever comes back to the Predators, he can pass such legends as Shea Weber and Martin Erat, and heck maybe even come close to David Legwand, on the all-time goals list.