Ranking The 10 Best Nashville Predators Of The 2010s

The Nashville Predators hit their stride in the 2010s.

Not only did they win a playoff series for the first time in 2011, but six years later, the team pieced together an improbable run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, galvanizing the city and fan base in ways which have yet to be replicated.

Who were the 10 best Predators of that transformational decade? Let’s rank them.

Note: Players had to spend at least one full season in Nashville between 2010-19 to be considered for the list. The years each standout played for the Predators are shown in parentheses.                                             

10. C Mike Fisher (2010-18)

Stats: 429 games, 111 goals, 130 assists, 241 points, plus-6 rating

Fisher’s points per game average of 0.56 doesn’t exactly jump off the page. However, his leadership was critical as the Predators made the jump from perennial playoff qualifier to Stanley Cup contender. He served as captain in 2016-17 – a historic season for the organization – to bridge the gap between Shea Weber and Roman Josi.

9. LW James Neal (2014-17)

Stats: 219 GP, 77 G, 59 A, 136 PTS, plus-29

Neal scored 20-plus goals in each of his three seasons as a Predator, led by a 31-goal finish and a trip to the All-Star game in 2015-16. His time with Nashville was cut short by at least one year when the Vegas Golden Knights snatched him away in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

8. LW Viktor Arvidsson (2014-21)

Stats: 385 GP, 127 G, 112 A, 239 PTS, plus-45

Arvidsson enjoyed some of his best seasons playing with Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen on Nashville’s top line. Arvidsson led the Predators in goals for back-to-back seasons, setting a high-water mark for the franchise with 34 tallies in 2018-19. That record stood until Forsberg and Matt Duchene broke it three years later.

7. D Ryan Ellis (2011-21)

Stats: 562 GP, 75 G, 195 A, 270 PTS, plus-114

Ellis is Nashville’s all-time leader in plus-minus despite being on the smaller side for a defenseman at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. It didn’t often hinder him during his 10-year stint with the Predators, but since Nashville traded Ellis to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021, he has played just four NHL games while dealing with a multitude of injuries.

6. D P.K. Subban (2016-19)

Stats: 211 GP, 35 G, 95 A, 130 PTS, plus-15

The Subban-for-Weber swap between Montreal and Nashville was franchise-altering for both teams. With a larger-than-life personality and the on-ice skills to match it, Subban helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 and win the Presidents’ Trophy a year later. Weber, meanwhile, battled through injuries to make a Cup Final appearance of his own in 2021.

5. C Ryan Johansen (2015-23)

Stats: 533 GP, 110 G, 252 A, 362 PTS, plus-11

Nashville used its defensive surplus to acquire Johansen from Colorado in exchange for Seth Jones during the 2015-16 season. The move paid dividends for several years, with Johansen holding down the top center spot at times while dishing out more than two assists for every goal he scored.

4. LW Filip Forsberg (2012-present)

Stats: 698 GP, 287 G, 318 A, 605 PTS, plus-42

Forsberg might rank higher on a best-of-the-2020s list when it’s time for one. Even though both of his 40-goal seasons have come over the last three years, Forsberg has been a scoring machine since his first full NHL season in 2014-15. He is Nashville’s all-time leader in goals, game-winning goals (54) and hat tricks (10).

3. D Shea Weber (2010-16)

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

Yes, Weber was named to our best-of-the-2000s list. His accomplishments in the 2010s – which included four All-Star appearances with the Predators and two more with the Canadiens – are also deserving of recognition.

2. D Roman Josi (2011-present)

Stats: 909 GP, 181 G, 505 A, 686 PTS, plus-85

Like Forsberg, Josi’s high level of play has continued into the current decade. He has served as team captain since 2017, providing leadership along with top-end production in the offensive and defensive zones. In 2020, Josi became the first Nashville player to earn the Norris Trophy, awarded each year to the best NHL defenseman. He holds franchise records for career assists, points and shots.

1. G Pekka Rinne (2005-21)

Stats: 683 G, 369 W, 213 L, .917 save %, 2.43 GAA, 60 shutouts

There’s just one statue outside Bridgestone Arena. It’s of Rinne, whose place in franchise lore was cemented long before the 12-foot, bronze replica of his likeness was unveiled in 2023. He was the face of the team during its most successful years, earning the Vezina Trophy in 2018 and All-Star bids in 2016, 2018 and 2019 while routinely delivering clutch playoff performances. The Predators still lean on Rinne post-retirement, employing him as their European development coach and scout.

Just missed: D Mattias Ekholm, RW Patric Hornqvist, C Craig Smith

For our ranking of the best Predators from the 2000s, click HERE.

Follow Russell Vannozzi on X/Twitter @RussellV_MSP.

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