Nashville Predators: The Top-10 Franchise Players Over Last Decade
By Chad Minton
#4: Filip Forsberg
Where would the Nashville Predators be, and would they have ever made that magical run in 2017, if the trade robbery of the last decade doesn’t happen with the Washington Capitals to acquire Forsberg?
The Predators sent off an aging Martin Erat to get the hightly talented, but raw Forsberg. It worked out better than anyone could’ve imagined at the time.
It can be argued that Forsberg is the most talented and elite forward the Predators have ever had, and I wouldn’t push back against that take at all. Last season was his coming out party of sorts, but he has a lot of pressure in 2022-23 to not fall back to ordinary status.
Forsberg is a walking, or skating, highlight reel. The Predators have always had superstar talent with defensemen and goaltenders, but dynamic forwards like Forsberg have been few and far between.
Last season Forsberg reached the pinnacle in Predators franchise history by becoming their all-time leading goal scorer with 220 goals, passing Legwand’s 210. He’ll keep padding that record for a long time coming, and it’s a record that will stand for many, many years to come.
Forsberg will also pass Erat, ironically, for all-time points this season and will eventually only trail Josi on that list.
Additionally, Forsberg is fifth in assists on the franchise list and needs just one more game-winning goal to pass Legwand for the franchise lead in that category. Simply put, he’s No.4 for now, but has the strong probability to move up to top-three if you ask me about this list next offseason.