Five Players Who Have Been Vital in Keeping Nashville Predators Afloat
By Chad Minton
Colton Sissons (27 Points, 3 Away from Tying Career High)
I’ve been saying for years that Sissons is vastly underappreciated, and now more than ever we need to be thankful he’s around.
I had Sissons as a possible trade piece back leading up to the trade deadline, but I’m glad the Predators brass decided to hold onto him. On a team currently with very little veteran experience and going through the growing pains, Sissons’ value is higher than ever.
Sissons is the Swiss army knife. He does so many little things that go unnoticed. His biggest value that has come to light in recent weeks as the Predators penalty kill has become so reliable is his clutch ability at winning faceoffs in the defensive zone and not allowing opposing power plays to set up.
Overall in the faceoff circle Sissons has a 53.3 percent win rate. And then there’s his quiet and methodical leadership. He has captain qualities all over him and has been leaned on in the bottom-six through all of this adversity.
Sissons still has a chance to establish career highs, in his ninth year in the NHL, in points (30) and assists (21).
Furthermore, showing his ironman trait, Sissons has played in all 74 games for the Nashville Predators this season. The only player on the team to do that. In a season clouded by so many injuries, Sissons has remained the constant to be leaned on.