The All-Time 25 Games or Less Nashville Predators Lineup
The Nashville Predators All-Time 25 Games or Less Lineup
Center – Peter Forsberg (17 games, 2 goals, 13 assists, 15 points)
The trade deadline in 2007 brought the uber-talented Swede to the Predators from the Flyers, in exchange for a first and third round pick in 2007, Ryan Parent, and Scottie Upshall. Injuries kept him from signing a contract until he decided to sign with Colorado in 2008, but clearly, Foppa still had it.
In the playoffs for the Predators, Forsberg had four points in five games and was still a point-per-game player at that point. If not for injuries and his return to Sweden and almost retirement, it is possible that he could’ve returned to the lineup.
Alas it was not to be, and Forsberg only played 12 more NHL games for the Avalanche. Still, his career itself got him into the Hall of Fame.
In just 708 games, Forsberg produced 885 points, winning two Stanley Cups, a Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year, a Hart Trophy for MVP, an Art Ross trophy for the league’s leading scorer, and a highlight reel that remains jaw-dropping to this day.
Winger- Wayne Simmonds (17 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points)
Is it ironic that the first two players from this list have been traded from the Flyers to the Predators? Yes, but that doesn’t mean the lineup is any less valid, it just means the teams made some convenient trades.
Simmonds was dealt for Ryan Hartman as part of the 2019 playoff push to bring some toughness, net front talent, and power play jump. It didn’t quite work out during the regular season, and then in the playoffs he took a Roman Josi slapshot to the knee which ended his Predators career.
Simmonds has seen his scoring totals decrease in recent years, but he is still a feared fighter.
Currently a free agent it might be the end of the line for Simmonds, but he’s put together quite the career.
In 1,037 NHL games, Simmonds has 263 goals and 263 assists for 526 points and 1,313 penalty minutes. In 2018-19 he also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, given to community leaders on and off the ice.
Simmonds averaged 12:27 of ice time and had nine penalty minutes while also appearing in two playoff games for the Nashville Predators.
Winger- P.A. Parenteau (8 games, 0 goals, 1 assist ,1 point)
Not an illustrious Predators career by any means, P.A. Parenteau joined the Predators for just 8 games in 2017, a late addition for the playoff run.
Unfortunately, Parenteau didn’t have much gas left in his NHL tank. Just one assist in regular season action, and he only played in five games during the Predators’ Stanley Cup Finals run, averaging under 10 minutes of ice time.
Post Preds, he was gracing the lineup for the KHL team Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg after failing to latch on with the Detroit Red Wings after a PTO offer. His career as a whole was pretty good. In his 491 NHL games, he scored 114 goals, and 182 assists for 296 points, most of which came with the Islanders. He was a decent gun for hire with Colorado, Montreal, New Jersey, and Toronto but not Nashville.
The interesting thing about Parenteau is how much time he had to put in the AHL before making it to the NHL. He spent 450 games down in the AHL, totaling up 403 points. He spent an entire career’s worth of games scoring at a pretty serious clip before being promoted.
Defense- Matt Carle (6 games 0 goals 1 assist 1 point)
Carle wasn’t a trade deadline acquisition but an offseason one. He signed a 1 year $700K prove you’ve still got it deal, and well he didn’t have it.
Carle played in just six games with minimal minutes, and was promptly healthy scratched, and then placed on waivers. Once he cleared waivers he announced his retirement.
Before that, Carle was a relatively productive player from the back end. He produced five seasons of at least 30 points or more and played in 730 NHL games. He totaled up 45 goals and 238 assists for 283 points and would go on to add another 44 points in 127 games of playoff action.
Carle didn’t appear in any of the Predators’ 2017 playoff games.
Defense – Erik Gudbranson (9 games 0 goals 1 assist 1 point)
You could’ve gone any number of ways for this last defense spot (MDZ was considered and he’s a former Flyer) but so far this is a lineup that could use some size and grit and Gudbranson brings just that.
A 2021 trade deadline pickup, Gudbranson didn’t do much offensively in his 9 games and only got in 2 playoff games that season. He did manage 12 PIMs during his time. Over his career, he’s played 711 NHL games, with 28 goals and 79 assists for 107 points.
A defense-first guy, Gudbranson has played for 8 teams and continues to find ways to stay in the league. He’s very much a Luke Schenn-type player and clearly has value around the league.
Goalie – Devan Dubnyk (2 games 2 starts 1 loss 1 overtime loss )
Back in 2014, Dubnyk got brought in, with Matt Hendricks heading to Edmonton, as a backup when the Predators had to shuffle their lineup with a Pekka Rinne injury.
Dubnyk only got in two games and ended up on the losing end of both, and was demoted to the AHL and then shipped out quickly after the return of Rinne.
Dubnyk was a good goalie in Edmonton before that but would need some time with Arizona before finding his form again in Minnesota. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for resurrecting his career, and would eventually finish his career with 542 games 253 wins, a SV% of .914, and a GAA of 2.61.
Think you can build a better lineup? Is there anyone you would sub out? Let us know in the comments or reach out on X and tell me!
