Projections for Nashville Predators Forward Lines after Monster Free Agency Haul
First Line: Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
This one right here is the no-brainer of the group after what the trio accomplished last year. Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Nyquist were extremely productive and played the second most minutes of any forward line in the NHL, logging 766.5 minutes together in the regular season.
It would be a crazy decision for Brunette to break these guys up at the start of the 2024-25 season, but it is fair to wonder just how long they can last throughout. The biggest reason why is because Nyquist is coming off a career year that came out of nowhere, and with him turning 35 in September, there is a very real chance he fails to repeat that success.
Barry Trotz mentioned weeks ago the reality that some lines are super lethal one year and suddenly fade away the next, and I think this one is a prime candidate for that. Based on the acquisitions Trotz made in free agency, it seems like he is more than prepared for that possibility.
The biggest question here is if Nyquist comes back down to earth, who takes his spot, and it would almost certainly have to be Marchessault. He has versatility on both the left and right side of the ice, has an extensive history of quality production, and has a blue-collar mentality and tenacity to his game that is likely to age well.
Stamkos would not make sense to be the guy in this case because his shot would not be showcased the same way if he played on the right side. Some might make a case for Luke Evangelista, but that is a lofty ask for someone so young and inexperienced, and with the Predators trying to be a win-now team.
Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Nyquist might maintain their high level play from last year, or they might not, but the last time we saw them they had incredible chemistry together. Until they prove otherwise, they should be kept together, and they almost certainly will be when October rolls around.
Second Line: Steven Stamkos -- Tommy Novak -- Jonathan Marchessault
Now here is where things start to get interesting. Even though two of the guys on this line are near obvious choices, the third is nowhere near as close and is likely to be a major battle come training camp.
Although it is up in the air, the popular choice seems to be Novak being the finishing piece on this line and claiming the center spot, and I am in line with that thinking. The biggest thing going against him is that he just had a dismal playoff performance which has made some people think he is incapable of playing in the top six anytime soon, but I frankly do not agree with that at all.
Novak's lack of experience got exposed in the postseason and he needs to play with some more toughness, but there is still plenty of reason to believe in him. He has 88 points in 122 games in the past two years and clearly has offensive skill, and that is with him not even averaging 15 minutes of ice time per game.
It is plausible to think he could experience an increase of production and overall impact with more ice time and around more talented teammates, and he should only get better as he looks to correct the issues that bogged him down in the playoffs.
Of course, you still have to be well rounded as a player, and Novak does lack qualities that someone like Colton Sissons possesses. But Sissons certainly is not a top six producer, and with Novak's offensive floor and the likelihood that he gets better, he makes way more sense as a second line center.
Stamkos is open to playing center which is possible, but he can no longer be relied on to be the offensive driver he once was. It is far more ideal if he is on the left wing so that he can shine as the one-timer specialist that he is, and of course Marchessault makes perfect sense as the right winger.
It may ultimately not work out with Novak centering Stamkos and Marchessault, but the Predators can make in-season moves to address that weakness if that is the case. With the way their roster is currently assembled, it is perfectly fine to give Novak his chance in this role.
Third Line: Mark Jankowski -- Juuso Parssinen -- Luke Evangelista
While there is only one big question in the top six, nobody knows what is going to happen in the bottom six, and it starts with the third line. The one easy decision Brunette has, however, is putting Evangelista here.
He is a young and promising player and had plenty of good moments in 2023-24, which was his first full year in Nashville. He has been impressive since he debuted and with his offensive skill, the expectation is that he only gets better, so he should be on the third line at minimum going forward.
After that, the spots are completely up for grabs, but I like the idea of Parssinen centering this trio. Trotz has talked about how he likes younger guys playing in the top nine, and the team seems to prefer Parssinen as a center over a winger, so this is a situation that makes a lot of sense for him.
He was also called up and even played in a game for the Predators in the 2024 playoffs, which says a lot about their belief in him, even if they re-assigned him to Milwaukee to finish the season. There is a good chance he is in the starting lineup in October 10, and if he is, the team will likely trust him enough to play above the fourth line.
Rounding out the third line is Jankowski, who played some strong hockey for the Predators during their recent 18-game point streak. He certainly does not have the ceiling that Evangelista and Parssinen have, but he does a little bit of everything offensively and defensively, and overall is a great guy to have for team depth.
He played almost all of his games last year on the opposite side of Evangelista, so it makes sense to keep that chemistry going. And even though guys like Philip Tomasino and Zachary L'Heureux have their arguments, the Predators are expected to be a serious playoff squad, and the dependability of Jankowski gives you a better chance to win games that the unknowns of the younger guys.
Jankowski, Parssinen, and Evaneglista all have skillsets that complement one another, so they would have a chance to be very solid together if they got that chance. Brunette should absolutely give them a shot.
Fourth Line: Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Colton SIssons
Finishing things up for the Predators is the identity line, which has become a staple for many teams, including ones that go far in the playoffs. Trotz has mentioned that he is a believer in its importance, and Brunette showed the same by rolling with it for the last few months of last season.
Smith and McCarron are of course the first two to mention here, as they played on this line last year and are undoubtedly two of the more bruising, physical players on the Predators. McCarron especially had one of his better years in the NHL last year and has proven to be an glue guy in the locker room, so he absolutely should remain.
Sissons has to be the biggest question if one exists here, as some might not only wonder why he is so low in the lineup, but why he is on the wing instead of at center.
To answer the pure posiitional question, he has seen frequent action on the wing before and it has never seemed to bother him or affect his play. McCarron also played almost every game last year at center and did well, so Sissons' positional versatility makes it possible to keep McCarron put.
And in terms of someone who is an identity guy, let's just say that Sissons is tailor-made for the role on and off of the ice.
It always makes your team harder to play against when you have a trio of guys that can hit, kill penalties, and do the dirty work at both ends of the ice, and all three guys listed here can do so at a high level. If the Predators want to keep the identity line tradition going, this is the surest way they can do it.
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