Pekka Rinne: Retired
Rinne is Nashville's first franchise star. He's a Vezina winning goaltender and solidified his dominance under a single organization. In the magical run in 2017, Rinne made an astounding .930 SV% and 1.96 GAA with 2 shutouts which was better than the Penguins starter stats. He made a handful of key saves to help the Preds advance to their first cup final in franchise history. The Finnish netminder is the only player to have their number retired at Bridgestone. He's currently the team's European scout and goalie development coach.
P.K. Subban: Retired
Subban was acquired in the offseason prior to appearing in the finals. After being traded for defenseman Shea Weber, Subban knew he had to prove himself worthy to Smashville's fanbase. In his 1st year, he became a staple on Nashville's blueline, scoring in crucial moments while also providing some physicality. That summer, Subban recorded 12 points in 22 games and became a 1-2 punch with Josi. He was dealt to the New Jersey Devils a few years later and called it quits a few after. He now works with ESPN as a broadcast analyst, providing entertaining commentary to some of the biggest games in the league.
Ryan Ellis: Retired
It's safe to say that Ellis will never touch NHL ice again after encountering many rare injuries since being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers. While he wasn't the tallest on the Preds' defense, he definitely was one of the most impactful. He was the boys' 4th leading point scorer with 13 points (5g, 8a) in their run. When paired with Ekholm, Nashville had both shutdown defense and goal scoring offense at the back end. With the Flyers, he played 4 games before a torn psoas muscle got the best of him. Since 2021, he hasn't returned since.
Ryan Johansen: Retired
In his prime, Johansen was one of the Predators best players. Leading into the 2017 playoffs, he was coming off a 61-point season and was looking to continue dominating into the postseason. After recording 13 points in 14 playoff games, his season was quickly ended in game 4 of the WCF due to a devasting thigh injury. After recovering, he stayed with the Preds for 6 more years until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. A return to the NHL is pretty unlikely due to even more severe injuries which have put his career on mute.
Mike Fisher: Retired
While Fisher wasn't as present on the scoresheet (4a in 20 PG), he was very present in the locker room. The former captain of Nashville motivated his team on and off the ice, playing a large part in the team's success in 2017. He played with Nashville for 16 more games in the 17-18 season before hanging up the skates after playing nearly 8 seasons with the team. He passed the torch onto Josi who still holds the C patch on his jersey to this day.
Austin Watson: Free Agency
Even though he only played 13 minutes a night in 2017, Watson left a huge impact. He was the squad's 6th leading goal scorer (4) and 10th leading point scorer (9). At 6'4", Watson provided some physicality in important moments. He spent most of the season playing bottom-6 minutes and was often overshadowed by the bigger faces—his legacy should be remembered by Preds fans though. After the 2020 season, he spent a few years bouncing around teams with his last being the Detroit Red Wings. He is currently a free agent.
Other Notable Players
Pontus Åberg: EHC Kloten, NL, Last Played with Toronto Maple Leafs
James Neal: Retired, Last Played with St. Louis Blues
Colin Wilson: Retired, Last Played with Colorado Avalanche
Craig Smith: Free Agency, Last Played with Detroit Red Wings
Vernon Fiddler: Retired, Last Played Nashville Predators
Matt Irwin: Free Agency, Last Played with Washington Capitals
Cody McLeod: Retired, Last Played with Nashville Predators
Yannick Weber: ZSC Lions, Champions HL, Last Played with Pittsburgh Penguins