Ranking The 10 Best Nashville Predators Of The 2000s

The early days of the Nashville Predators brought growing pains.

Nashville missed the playoffs in each of its first five seasons, fan attendance was underwhelming at times and the team was nearly sold to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie in 2007. But as the organization established itself in town, success eventually followed. 

Who were the 10 best Predators players during the 2000s? Let’s revisit the team’s foundational decade with a walk down memory lane.

Note: Players had to spend at least one full season in Nashville between 2000-09 to be considered for the list. The years each standout played for the Predators are shown in parentheses.

10. RW Martin Erat (2001-13)

Stats: 723 games, 163 goals, 318 assists, 481 points, plus-5 rating

Erat provided tremendous value for a seventh-round draft pick. He ranks third among Nashville’s all-time leaders in assists, fourth in points and fifth in goals. General manager David Poile turned a massive profit when he traded Erat and Michael Latta to the Washington Capitals for then-prospect Filip Forsberg in 2013.

9. RW J.P. Dumont (2006-11)

Stats: 388 GP, 93 G, 174 A, 267 PTS, plus-30

Nashville’s original teams struggled to generate consistent offense. Dumont was one of several free-agent additions who helped change that narrative in the mid-2000s. He was among the Predators’ top point-producers for four straight seasons from 2006-10.

8. LW Steve Sullivan (2005-11)

Stats: 317 GP, 100 G, 163 A, 263 PTS, plus-34

Sullivan became the first Nashville player to post a 30-goal season when he tallied 31 in 2005-06. He’s perhaps best remembered for his improbable comeback after missing parts of three seasons with a debilitating back injury. For his efforts, the 5-foot-9 winger received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2009.

7. D Ryan Suter (2005-12)

Stats: 542 GP, 38 G, 200 A, 238 PTS, plus-43

Suter isn’t exactly a fan-favorite in Nashville. He spurned Poile and the Predators in July 2012 to sign a 13-year, $98 million deal with the Minnesota Wild, citing family reasons. Before the breakup, Suter was highly productive for seven seasons alongside defense partner Shea Weber.

6. G Tomas Vokoun (1998-2007)

Stats: 383 GP, 161 W, 159 L, .913 save %, 2.55 GAA, 21 shutouts

Vokoun spent Nashville’s first four seasons developing as the No. 2 goalie behind Mike Dunham. The Czech’s patience paid off when he was elevated to full-time starter in 2002-03, and he landed an NHL All-Star spot the next season. Vokoun’s stellar play in net began the Predators’ enviable run of franchise goaltenders that later included Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros.

5. C Jason Arnott (2006-10)

Stats: 275 GP, 107 G, 122 A, 229 PTS, plus-36

Arnott’s arrival in free agency provided the Predators with size, skill and experience. He was named team captain ahead of the 2007-08 season and set the team’s single-season goals record a year later with 33. That mark stood until Viktor Arvidsson broke it by one in 2019.

4. D Kimmo Timonen (1998-2007)

Stats: 573 GP, 79 G, 222 A, 301 PTS, minus-6

Timonen earned three All-Star nods during his Predators tenure. At 5-foot-10, he was a bit undersized for a defenseman but was rarely hindered by it, logging heavy minutes with Nashville and throughout his 1,108 NHL career games. He retired after hoisting the Stanley Cup as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.

3. C David Legwand (1998-2014)

Stats: 956 GP, 210 G, 356 A, 566 PTS, plus-19

Legwand was Nashville’s first-ever draft pick as the No. 2 overall selection in 1998. Though he never developed into a true star, Legwand’s longevity helped guide the Predators through the ups and downs in their first 16 years of existence. He leads Nashville in career games played while trailing only Forsberg in goals and Josi in assists.

2. D Shea Weber (2005-16)

Stats: 763 GP, 166 G, 277 A, 443 PTS, plus-48                          

Weber’s case for the top spot is hurt by the fact that his most productive years with the Predators came in the 2010s. However, the 6-foot-4 blueliner had already proven himself to be a franchise cornerstone by the turn of the decade. Weber earned the first of his seven All-Star selections in 2009, the year he posted 23 goals, 30 assists and a team-high 192 hits. He will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame with Poile – who drafted him in 2003 – this November.

1. LW Paul Kariya (2005-07)

Stats: 164 GP, 55 G, 106 AST, 161 PTS, even rating

Kariya’s time in Nashville was brief but impactful. He was widely regarded as the biggest free-agent signing in Predators history when he inked a two-year, $9 million contract in 2005. The talented winger lived up to the hype, appearing in all 82 games both seasons and finishing with 85 and 76 points, respectively. Kariya, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, holds the franchise’s per-game high marks for points (0.98), assists (0.65) and goals created (0.35).     

Just missed: RW Scott Walker, D Marek Zidlicky, LW Scott Hartnell, D Dan Hamhuis

Follow Russell Vannozzi on X/Twitter @RussellV_MSP.

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