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.