Defense Line 1: Josi & Hague
Just like with Forsberg, Roman Josi is guaranteed to get first line minutes. The Norris Trophy-winning defenseman is nearing the end of his career but is showing no signs of slowing down. He missed the end of the season due to a concussion which ultimately resulted in a POTS diagnosis. If his health remains in shape, we could see Josi put up another good year. It won't be anything crazy like his 96-point season in the 2021-22 season but maybe a 70-80-point year.
Even though having two lefties on the first pairing didn't work well for Nashville, I believe Nicolas Hague could make it work. The difference between Hague and Skjei is their flexibility. Skjei was stuck on the left side which forced Josi to play right. With Hague, he's stated his confidence playing both sides of defense which makes me believe that a pairing between him and the captain could work. He's also working on his offensive game which better suits an offensively driven Josi.
Defense Line 2: Skjei & Perbix
Brady Skjei's contract is pretty controversial but that doesn't mean that he isn't worth it. Per MoneyPuck, Skjei scored 2.5 more goals than expected and ranked 36th among defensemen for takeaways in all situations. At 6'3", Skjei is able to snag the puck from his opponents and start breakouts. He scored 10 goals and tallied 23 assists with Nashville last season. For reference, 10 goals is his 3rd highest, impressive considering the playoff caliber team he was on in Carolina.
Nick Perbix is known for his ability to sneak up on opponents and steal the puck on the fly. His 21 takeaways was one of the highest among players in a similar role. He was often overshadowed by Tampa's bigger defenseman like Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak. The 27-year-old RHD had 19 points and a +8 with the Bolts last year while only averaging 14 minutes a night. In an elevated role in Smashville, his performance would only improve. His frame and offensive skill should work well under Brunette's system.
Defense Line 3: Wilsby & Blankenburg
In his first NHL season, Adam Wilsby played pretty well, tallying 5 points in 23 games before being injured. He's a disciplined defenseman who loves to stay out of the box. When he does take penalties, he makes sure to draw one for his team. While he is one of the shorter guys on the blueline, Wilsby was a solid leftie and I can see him playing again.
Nick Blankenburg shocked many with his skilled performance in the second half of the season. He often played on Nashville's top pairing alongside Skjei and carried the team's offense. Blankenburg rarely shot a 'blank', matter of fact, nearly 68% of his unblocked shots made his way to the net. Unfortunately, due to the roster change, Blanks might not get as much icetime since the right side has more depth. However, I do believe that he will get equal time on the powerplay with Josi or Skjei.
Goaltenders: Saros & Annunen
Juuse Saros may have had an off year but so did the team. Trotz signed big, physical defenseman which in turn should bring Saros back to normal levels. Statwise, Saros still performed better than the league average. MoneyPuck recorded that Saros had above average stats in saves on SOG and saves. There's a chance we could see Saros in the Vezina conversation if the defenseman can carry some of the weight he's been carrying since he joined the team.
Sure, Justus Annunen wasn't the greatest with Nashville, but he's still a good backup. He only slightly underperformed in the main stats like expected goals against the save percentage. Like Saros, the defense got more physical and confident overnight so it could translate into Annunen's confidence. Plus, the Finnish connection in net has typically proven to be the best way to go for Saros, as shown with Pekka Rinne and Kevin Lankinen.