Former Nashville Predators Fan Favorites and Where They Are Now

Calle Järnkrok (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Järnkrok was lost in the 2021 Expansion Draft to the Seattle Kraken, and looking back on it now, did the Nashville Predators make the right choice not protecting a player that just posted a career high in points for a season with 39?

With the rising talent of the Nashville Predators prospect pool, it’s unlikely that Järnkrok would’ve stuck around past the 2022 offseason anyway. He made $2M AAV in six years with the Predators.

However, the Predators did choose to protect four players (Luke Kunin, Tanner Jeannot, Mattias Ekholm and Philippe Myers) who are no longer on this team. If they could go back, maybe they leave Kunin or Myers unprotected and retain Järnkrok for a little longer.

Since then, Järnkrok has moved on to the Stanley Cup contender Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s going into his second year of his four-year deal he signed in 2022, making $2.1M AAV. A pretty decent bargain for the Maple Leafs.

Järnkrok is of course on a loaded roster and is currently projected by Daily Faceoff to play on Toronto’s fourth line. He just turned 32-years-old, so it’s rather impressive that he just hit his career high in points and doesn’t seem to be on the downward trend of his career just yet.

Järnkrok was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2010 and traded to the Predators for David Legwand. He’s 16th in franchise history in goals with 94.

Craig Smith (Dallas Stars)

There’s probably not a former Nashville Predators player that I’m more bitter about losing, when they could’ve been easily retained, than Craig Smith. An underrated bad move, among many, by former General Manager David Poile.

Smith played his last season with the Predators in 2019-20, the prematurely ended pandemic year, and tallied 18 goals which was tied for 2nd on the team. He then became an unrestricted free agents, and while a pay decrease was to be expected, the Predators could’ve found a way to keep him.

And don’t we all miss this energy after a Craig Smith goal?

Instead, Smith joined the Boston Bruins on a $3.1M AAV deal and proceeded to rack up 84 points and 23 goals. Not bad production for a depth player, and you can’t even measure the intangibles that Smith brings to any locker room.

Now Smith heads to division rival Dallas, and has a very strong chance at winning his first Stanley Cup. He’s the one that got away, but good for him on landing on a Stanley Cup caliber team at age 34.

Smith is fifth all-time in Nashville Predators history with 162 goals, with only Roman Josi being the next active player close to passing him. He’ll remain in the top-10 on the franchise list for years to come.

Viktor Arvidsson (LA Kings)

It has worked out pretty well for Viktor Arvidsson, better known as “Arvy” here in Smashville, in his post-Nashville Predators career. I have to be honest here when I say that I didn’t see Arvidsson reigniting his NHL career after joining the Kings.

At most, I figured Arvidsson would remain a role player of sorts, but the guy just came up two points shy of his single season career high in points with 59. Clearly he’s not on the downturn of his NHL career just yet, and he’s on a really talented Kings team that can make some noise in the Western Conference this upcoming season.

Arvidsson was traded in the offseason of 2021 for a 2nd Round and 3rd Round pick. The 2021 pick, Scott Morrow, is now in the Carolina Hurricanes system. The 2022 pick ended up being defenseman Kasper Kulonummi, who is still in the Predators system but is unsigned.

It definitely shook up the core of the Predators roster when this trade happened, including Arvidsson’s long-time buddy and linemate, Filip Forsberg:

Hindsight is always easy to turn to, but at the time of the trade it did feel like Arvidsson’s time with the Predators had run its course. He was tailing off and had seemed to have been figured out by NHL defenses.

Sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery and a better system to thrive in, and that’s was appears to have happened with Arvidsson and the Kings. Arvidsson still has a couple years left in his prime and is projected by Daily Faceoff to be on the Kings’ third line in 2023-24.

It doesn’t take away from the great memories from Arvidsson in a Predators sweater, with the energy and engaging personality to go with it. He sits at No.7 on the Predators all-time goals list with 127.

Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle Kraken)

This is still a fresh wound that hasn’t healed yet for Predators fans, so sorry for bringing this up so soon but it has to be done.

Arguably the final blow to Poile’s legacy as the General Manager of the Nashville Predators. The one that fans that maybe were still clinging on and defending him finally just threw their hands up and said “I’ve finally had enough”.

“This could be a mistake on our part. That’s on me if he turns out to be really successful, but we thought we tried him in a lot of different areas, different places.”-David Poile Told 102.5 The Game back in January

Tolvanen was sent to waivers by the Predators on December 11, 2022. No one in their right mind thought that he would clear, and sure enough, he didn’t. The Seattle Kraken wisely swooped in and claimed him, and Tolvanen went on to pot 16 goals.

To that into painful perspective, that’s just nine goals shy of his five years with the Predators. And it further added to the need of not only moving on from Poile in the front office, but John Hynes as Head Coach of a system stuck in the mud and relying too much on elite goaltending.

Elite goaltending can sweep your problems under the rug for a little bit in the regular season, but usually those things show their ugly faces at the worst time.

Heck, even Poile himself admitted that waiving Tolvanen could end up being a mistake. At least he saw his mistake. He originally told Predators flagship station102.5 The Game that they tried him in different areas and that Seattle is playing him higher in the lineup, giving him better opportunities to succeed.

That takes personal accountability that you can respect, but doesn’t absolve you from the massive lapse in judgement.

Tolvanen now has a chance to watch his NHL career take off with a Kraken team who is certainly playoff caliber, and building towards being a Stanley Cup contender in short order. He is going into his final year of his contract that was originally signed by the Predators.

Rocco Grimaldi (Unsigned on NHL Level, Last Played in AHL)

Rocco Grimaldi is a prime example that you don’t have to be the most talented to take over a fanbase and get the crowd behind you.

Grimaldi last played in the NHL with the Predators in 2021-22, but hasn’t gotten NHL playing time with another team since. He was placed on waivers by the Predators in November 2021 and cleared, and then followed up the remainder with the Milwaukee Admirals with 52 points in 44 games.

No one is going to fault the Predators with moving on from Grimaldi when they did. The roster was starting to gradually be torn apart, and it was clear that some sort of a rebuild was in order.

Grimaldi at 5’6″ and 180 pounds to play in over 200 NHL games is simply remarkable and inspiring for any young player looking to play hockey but feels like they might be undersized. The guy left it all out there every shift and put up 67 NHL points.

Despite not playing in the NHL since leaving the Predators, Grimaldi has kept his hockey career going and found success. He put up 56 points for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL before being traded to Rockford where he added another 17 points.

Grimaldi exceeded over a point-per-game and didn’t let losing his NHL status hold him down. He then got the ultimate honor of represented Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he again showcased his offensive abilities with seven goals and seven assists.

I’m not sure where Grimaldi lands next, but he was a pleasure to watch with the Nashville Predators and know he’ll find more success wherever he goes in the future.