Colton Sissons seems like he's been on the Nashville Predators for more than just a decade, but in reality he's just 30-years-old and has plenty of solid hockey left in him.
When the Predators drafted Sissons at 50th overall in 2012, they would've been thrilled if they would have known he'd eventually play in over 600 games for the organization and reach 200 points which is where he sits right now.
Assuming Sissons sticks around for at least one more full season with the Predators, he has a good chance to pass Calle Jarnkrok and Patric Hornqvist on the all-time Predators list and maybe even push Jason Arnott for top-20.
You can check out the Nashville Predators all-time points list among active players going into 2024-25 right here.
Sissons benefited greatly from Andrew Brunette taking over
As for the upcoming 2024-25 season, Sissons will once against be the foundational veteran of the bottom-six. The trusted leader. "Mr. Consistency", "Calm, Cool and Collected", the "Swiss Army Knife", or just plain "Siss". Whatever you want to call him, Sissons is going to provide the two-way game and do everything you need him to do to make the team better. No drama, just blue-collar hockey.
In his 10th NHL season this past year, Sissons set a new single season career high for points with 35. Tribute that to Head Coach Andrew Brunette's much more offensively friendly system, and Sissons played wherever they need him whether that's at center or at the wing.
Sissons saw his shots on goal explode to a personal NHL career best of 131 shots. His shooting percentage was commendable at 11.5 and he even saw a career best in average ice time at 16:34.
With the Predators making an enormous free agency splash, Sissons probably won't be needed to log any top-six minutes going into his 11th season unless the injuries pile up. Well, there is one caveat to that.
If Tommy Novak struggles to take on the 2nd line center role, could there be a scenario where Brunette wants to keep Stamkos at wing, and he calls upon Sissons to center that line. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would be a Plan B worth exploring if the first plan of going with Novak doesn't deliver positive results.
Also with Cody Glass now traded, that's one less primary center for the Predators to work with. That puts more importance on Sissons staying at center, with Michael McCarron expected to be the other bottom-six center.
Sissons will be the foundation for the bottom-six, but can move around if needed
However, Sissons' best role with the team is obviously on the third line. I like him playing alongside Luke Evangelista. That gives the youngster a chance to play with a high IQ player in Sissons, and gives Sissons an offensive playmaker. They can complement each other well.
As for the other wing on the Sissons line, Mark Jankowski looks like the safe bet to open the season. That gives you a well-balanced third line with Sissons centering. Of course there will be fluidity to this and training camp might change things.
Sissons is going to continue to bring value in the intangibles. He plays and carries himself like a captain. He does the dirty work that often gets overlooked. He's rock solid in the faceoff circles and often wins that critical special teams faceoffs while on a penalty kill.
Playing in Brunette's up-temp and offensively free system has unlocked a new potential from Sissons, so there's reason to be excited to see if he can replicate his best season on offense of his NHL career in Year 10.
So while Sissons may see a slight dip in his point production, he should keep on doing what makes him so valuable and such a bargain at less than $3 million per year, and that's doing all of the little things really effectively.
And if need be, Sissons can adapt and move anywhere in the lineup you need him to be to bridge the gap if there's chemistry issues or injuries.
Sissons was once rumored to be trade bait and was even once possible to be lost in the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken. I'm glad the Predators were able to keep him, and I'm sure GM Barry Trotz feels the same way.
The outlook for Sissons in 2024-25 looks to be similar to what he's been for the past few seasons for the Predators. His biggest value is on the penalty kill and winning faceoffs. If he keeps up his effectiveness in those areas. you're getting what you need out of him. Everything else he brings, including locker room leadership is just bonus.