Nashville Predators: Yakov Trenin is the Train that Never Stops

One player on the Nashville Predators who doesn’t get nearly the amount of praise that he deserves for how important he is to the team is Yakov Trenin.

Being primarily a depth role player who plays hard minutes on the penalty kill, Trenin can sometimes be easily overlooked in the box score. However, if you watch the games closely, you’ll quickly discover just how vital Trenin is to this team and how it operates.

Trenin is the prototypical high-motor player that makes the most of every second he logs on the ice. He only gets an average of 14:08 of ice time per game, but still manages a lot of shots. He is sixth on the Predators in shots on goal with 80. He is on pace to set a career high in that category.

The biggest attribute from Trenin is obviously his role on the penalty kill. A part of the team that has become a strength and calling card for the team. They commit a lot of penalties, but more and more they’re showing that they can be called upon to kill off some big penalties in critical moments.

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Trenin is never shy about laying out a big hit, either. He’s sixth on the team in hits with 97. He uses his power forward abilities to pressure puck handlers and often times creates scoring rushes of his own by powering his way up the ice like a bull in a china shop.

In the latest win over Winnipeg on Tuesday, Nashville went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill with Trenin logging 15:33 of ice time overall.

In a Predators win over the Kings the game before, Trenin piled up seven hits in just 12:59 of ice time. Yes, we’d like to see him on the scoresheet more often, but what he does in all of the other areas of the game that gets overlooked shouldn’t be discounted.

Trenin’s goal scoring is the next step up he needs to take in his game. For all of his shots, his shooting percentage is a bit low at 7.6 percent. If he can improve that number a bit, then he has a strong probability to eventually become a reliable 20-plus goal scorer every season.

Before the season started Trenin signed a two-year deal at $1.7 million AAV. He is playing for a more long-term and lucrative deal, hopefully with the Nashville Predators, by the time the 2024 offseason rolls around and he becomes a UFA.

At age 26, Trenin is entering the prime stage of his NHL career. I like him playing alongside some combination of Tanner Jeannot and Tommy Novak, which has been one of the more efficient offensive forward lines on the Nashville Predators with over 80 minutes together.

You need players like Trenin in your bottom-six to do some of the dirty work, bring the intensity level at all times and chip in with some clutch scoring when needed.

It will take significant improvement on the offensive end for the Nashville Predators to have a realistic chance of not only extending their playoff streak to nine seasons, but also if they’re going to actually get out of the first round for the first time since 2018.