Number Five: Pekka Rinne’s Jersey Retirement
The much beloved and newly retired Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne returned to Nashville in February so that the franchise could celebrate his career and contributions to the city by retiring his #35. The ceremony brought Rinne’s beautiful family and former Preds players Shea Weber and Kimmo Timonen back to Broadway to join Predators fans in showing their love to the longtime face of the franchise.
The pre-game ceremony highlighted not only the records Rinne holds for goalie games played, goalie minutes, wins, and shutouts, but also the deep relationships and investments the Finnish netminder made in the Nashville community through his 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund and work with Best Buddies TN.
Number Four: Big Offseason Signings
There was no doubt after the Predators were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2021-2022 playoffs that General Manager David Poile was going to need to get to work in the offseason. While many fans clamored for a more drastic rebuild, Poile set out to address the need for a second line scorer, defensive support, a back up goalie that could reliably give Saros more rest, and depth pieces.
Nashville was able to trade for a veteran defenseman with Stanley Cup winning experience in Ryan McDonagh. The Tampa Bay Lightning had to trade McDonagh for financial reasons, and the Predators were the lucky recipients of the deal. McDonagh has become a reliable partner for Roman Josi on the top D pairing while providing veteran leadership for the younger blue liners on the roster.
Poile also signed former Carolina Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter in July after all indications pointed to the Swiss player heading to Anaheim. A late phone call from Roman Josi helped secure the deal that brought Niederreiter to Nashville where he currently leads the team in goals this season.
Perhaps the most eyebrow raising signing in the offseason was the one year, $1.5 million dollar deal for former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen. After Vezina nominee Juuse Saros was injured in late April, it seemed young Connor Ingram would be the heir apparent to Saros. Lankinen’s stats in Chicago were less than impressive, but his play in training camp and the preseason convinced Poile and head coach John Hynes that Lankinen was the back up the team needed. Ingram was placed on waivers. Ingram ended up with the Arizona Coyotes, and Lankinen has earned the respect of the fan base with his .925 save percentage and solid play in net in his seven starts.
Number Three: Stadium Series
Never mind the outcome – the bottom line is that the Stadium Series game played at Nissan Stadium on February 26 was a defining moment for the city of Nashville and the Nashville Predators franchise. For all the people who believe that hockey can’t flourish in a southern market, the Music City and the NHL put on an event in Nashville that proved that theory wrong.
The sellout crowd (68,619 strong) enjoyed a good hockey game between the Preds and the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Musical guests Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley entertained the crowd, and the weather was chilly but bearable for the outdoor event.
After hosting the NHL All Star weekend in 2016, February’s Stadium Series, and the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft and NHL Awards Show in June, Nashville has become a popular destination for league events.
Number Two: Standout Seasons for Matt Duchene, Roman Josi, Juuse Saros, and Filip Forsberg
Yes, this makes our “Top stories of 2022” but not just because of the records the players set earlier in the year. Part of the story is how these top players did…or didn’t…pick up where they left off.
Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg ended the 2021-2022 season racing to the franchise single season goal record. Ultimately, Duchene made the record books with 43 goals, but Forsberg had a career best season just behind Duchene with 42 goals. Roman Josi beat David Legwand’s single season points record in 2021-2022, and recently bested Legwand’s franchise points record as well.
Juuse Saros became a Vezina Trophy finalist after the 2021-2022 season while Josi earned his second trip to the NHL Awards as a Norris nominee. Neither came home with the trophy – Josi finished second to Cale Makar and Saros was voted third behind winner Igor Shesterkin and Jacob Markstrom – but both deserved recognition for their outstanding seasons.
Unfortunately, part of this story is how difficult it has been for Duchene, Forsberg, Josi, and even Saros to replicate their success in the 2022-2023 season. Forsberg and Duchene are second and third in goals for the team respectively, but both have suffered through dry spells when they fought futilely to find the back of the net. Josi, too, has had stretches of games with no points, although he currently has 8 goals and 19 assists. Saros had a very slow start to his 2022-2023 season and struggled early, but he has returned to his Vezina worthy form in the last six weeks.
It is nearly statistically impossible at this point for Duchene, Josi, and Forsberg to come even close to their previous season numbers, but a significant turn around in play would be noteworthy in 2023.
Speaking of Filip Forsberg…
Number One: Predators Re-sign Filip Forsberg
That career best season in 2021-2022 came in handy for Filip Forsberg when it was time to negotiate a new contract. Both Forsberg and David Poile were very public about wanting the 28-year-old to stay with the franchise, but both parties were also tight-lipped about the progress.
Much to the relief of most Preds fans, Poile and Forsberg came together to announce an impressive 8-year, $68 million dollar contract on July 11. Forsberg, the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer, expressed his pleasure at remaining a Predator.
“I couldn’t be happier to spend the next eight years in the same city I’ve called home since my NHL career began,” Forsberg said.
Signing Forsberg locked in a core group through the 2025-2026 season barring any future potential trades. That core group and their ability to produce will be something Nashville Predators fans watch closely and debate as the team heads into the new year.
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