2023 Fantasy Hockey Team Previews: Nashville Predators
The 2023 DailyFaceoff Fantasy Hockey Projections has projected stats for over 650 skaters and goalies.
The Fantasy Hockey Team Previews have all the projections for that team and mini-bios for all the Re-Draft and Dynasty relevant skaters and goalies. We will release the previews from September 5th through September 14th.
| Anaheim Ducks | Columbus Blue Jackets | Nashville Predators | Seattle Kraken (Sept.11) |
| Arizona Coyotes | Dallas Stars | New Jersey Devils (Sept.9) | St. Louis Blues (Sept.11) |
| Boston Bruins | Detroit Red Wings | New York Islanders (Sept.9) | Tampa Bay Lightning (Sept.11) |
| Buffalo Sabres | Edmonton Oilers | New York Rangers (Sept.9) | Toronto Maple Leafs (Sept.11) |
| Calgary Flames | Florida Panthers | Ottawa Senators (Sept.10) | Vancouver Canucks (Sept.12) |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Los Angeles Kings | Philadelphia Flyers (Sept.10) | Vegas Golden Knights (Sept.12) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Minnesota Wild | Pittsburgh Penguins (Sept.10) | Washington Capitals (Sept.12) |
| Colorado Avalanche | Montreal Canadiens | San Jose Sharks (Sept.10) | Winnipeg Jets (Sept.12) |
In addition to the Fantasy Hockey Previews, Daily Faceoff is previewing all 32 NHL teams for 2022-23, with a new in-depth breakdown dropping every weekday! Click here to find every preview in one place.
Skaters
Roman Josi
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 79.6 | 18.9 | 58.1 | 77.0 | 6.6 | 44.0 | 6.4 | 23.0 | 29.4 | 267.7 | 7.1% | 25.5 | 0.0 | 128.2 | 62.3 |
Last year, Josi went later in fantasy drafts than he usually does, and he rewarded owners who still had faith in him with a ridiculous season. He had 20 points (7G / 13A) in the first two months of the season (22 games) but exploded once December hit. In his final 58 games, Josi had 76 points (16G / 60), which ranked 12th in the entire NHL, ahead of players like Leon Draisaitl, Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. His 96 points were the most by a defenseman since 1993 when Phil Houseley had 97. Despite ranking first in defensemen in assists (73) and points (96) and second in goals (23) and power-play points (37), he shockingly finished second in Norris Trophy voting. It’s not reasonable to expect him to approach 100 points again. Still, he should be the second or third defenseman off of draft boards behind Cale Makar.
Filip Forsberg
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 73.3 | 34.5 | 39.2 | 73.2 | 2.6 | 28.5 | 9.2 | 15.4 | 24.6 | 239.4 | 14.4% | 18.4 | 2.0 | 40.3 | 103.9 |
Forsberg produced at a modest level for the first seven years of his career, averaging 30 goals and 35 assists (65 points) per 82 games. He struggled to take the next step year after year but finally exploded in 2022. Despite playing only 69 games, Forsberg was tied for ninth in the NHL in goals (42) and tied for 24th in points (84). His 1.22 points per game was tied with Sidney Crosby for 17th. However, it’s tough to expect Forsberg to repeat these impressive results. He shot a career-high 18.6 percent, and his on-ice SH% (14.9) was the fourth highest in the league. Those are typically unsustainable rates but playing a full 82 games could help offset any potential regression. Heading into the draft, it’s best to expect 35 goals and 40 assists.
Matt Duchene
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 73.6 | 30.4 | 35.8 | 66.3 | 1.1 | 31.6 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 20.9 | 198.4 | 15.3% | 19.1 | 201.7 | 26.7 | 41.8 |
Linked to Forsberg for 66 percent of his 5v5 ice-time, Duchene also enjoyed career-highs in goals (43) and points (86) in 2022. He, too, shot over 18 percent (18.9) and had an on-ice SH% over 14 (14.3), suggesting there’s regression heading his way as well. However, there are encouraging signs. He played over 19 minutes per game, two and half minutes more than he did in his first two seasons in Nashville. The increased role led to increased shot production, and that should allow him to reach 30 goals in 2023. Duchene should be a reliable mid-round pick at RW, a position with very few quality options.
Mikael Granlund
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 78.2 | 16.2 | 37.8 | 54.0 | -2.1 | 31.2 | 5.2 | 15.1 | 20.3 | 129.2 | 12.5% | 20.1 | 470.2 | 51.9 | 77.1 |
Granlund is a challenging fantasy player to own because he doesn’t shoot or score a lot. Last season he was top-40 in Assists/60 and 390th in Goals/60. Still, he plays huge minutes in the Predators’ top-6 and is a quality producer on a power-play that ranked sixth in the NHL last year. He has some value at the bottom of your roster but likely won’t reach the 20-goal plateau.
Ryan Johansen
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 78.4 | 19.7 | 31.6 | 51.3 | -0.1 | 46.4 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 17.8 | 116.0 | 17.0% | 16.9 | 686.2 | 32.5 | 66.5 |
Like many Predators skaters, Johansen enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2021-22. Johansen scored 20-plus goals (26) for the first time since 2015 and registered his sixth 60-plus point (63) campaign. However, regression is certainly heading Johansen’s way. He shot 22.0 percent (seventh-highest in the league), and his 14.5 on-ice SH% won’t be repeated. Given his lack of shot volume, Johansen likely won’t reach 20 goals again. Still, the quality of Nashville’s power-play, a 30-plus assist, 50-plus point season is doable.
Nino Niederreiter
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 79.5 | 23.8 | 22.2 | 46.0 | 9.4 | 39.1 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 8.3 | 163.9 | 14.5% | 15.8 | 11.8 | 22.0 | 104.9 |
Niederreiter signed a two-year, $8.0 million deal with the Predators this offseason and should be a key member of their top 6 this season. Niederreiter is an analytical darling but has never played a big enough role to make a significant impact. During his three and a half seasons in Carolina, he averaged just 15:34 TOI/gm and 48 points (24G / 24A) per 82 games. The Predators lean heavily on their third line, suggesting that Niederreiter may still play less than a typical top-6 forward. Keep an eye on him early in the year; if his usage is up, a breakout could be in the cards. If not, he’ll continue to be a 25-25 player and a fringe fantasy player.
Philip Tomasino
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 78.0 | 13.7 | 23.3 | 36.5 | 2.1 | 13.4 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 9.0 | 123.5 | 11.1% | 12.6 | 23.3 | 32.6 | 62.0 |
Tomasino had a quality rookie season while playing a limited role in the Predators’ bottom-6. He scored 11 goals with 21 assists (32 points) in 76 games. It looked like he was poised for a more significant role in 2022-23, and then Nashville signed Niederreiter to fill the void in their top 6. Unfortunately, that leaves Tomasino to play fourth-line minutes again, so he’s probably still one year away from being fantasy relevant.
Tanner Jeannot
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 78.5 | 18.8 | 15.9 | 34.7 | 3.8 | 116.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 121.3 | 15.5% | 15.6 | 9.4 | 56.9 | 287.3 |
Jeannot, an undrafted free agent that signed with Nashville in 2018 after four years in the WHL, finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting last season. He was outstanding in the AHL in 2021 and was a full-timer in 2022, scoring 24 goals with 17 assists (41 points) in 81 games. Through 96 career games, he’s shooting 19.7 percent. That likely won’t continue moving forward, but he still has plenty of value in banger leagues. Last season he led the NHL with 318 hits and was one of just four players with 40-plus points and 200-plus hits (Brady Tkachuk, Tom Wilson, and Marcus Foligno were the other three). Another 40-point season may be challenging to replicate, but he’s a must-own in banger leagues.
Mattias Ekholm
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 77.3 | 7.7 | 25.9 | 33.6 | 8.9 | 36.1 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 154.1 | 5.0% | 22.7 | 0.0 | 91.1 | 64.6 |
Ekholm is a consistent multi-category producer but doesn’t excel in any single category. He’s a No.4 defenseman option in deeper leagues, but he should probably start the season on the waiver wire in standard 12-team leagues. He won’t supplant Josi on the top power-play unit, so his upside is limited. Instead, expect another season of precisely what he’s done for the last seven seasons. Ekholm rarely misses games and will score around eight goals with 25-to-30 assists and five-to-ten power-play points.
Eeli Tolvanen
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 75.6 | 15.3 | 16.3 | 31.6 | -3.9 | 19.6 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 10.9 | 147.7 | 10.3% | 14.7 | 0.2 | 43.2 | 172.3 |
It seems like we’ve been waiting for Tolvanen to break out for a long time, yet he’s only 23 years old. He could not build off of a productive COVID-shortened season, shooting just 7.3 percent and scoring 11 goals in 75 games. This season he should replace Luke Kunin and play more regularly in the Predators’ top-6, a spot that should allow him to take the next step. Depending on his usage, Tolvanen could be a 20-20 player in 2022-23. That said, it’s best to leave him on the waiver wire to begin the season.
Goalies
Juuse Saros
| GS | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 63.0 | 35.0 | 20.9 | 7.6 | 0.918 | 2.60 | 5.1 |
After five seasons behind Pekka Rinne, Saros finally had the opportunity to take over as a true No.1 netminder. As a result, he set new career-highs in games played (67) and wins (38), finishing third in Vezina Trophy voting. In addition, Saros was eighth in SV% (.918) and 15th in GAA (2.64) and enters 2022-23 as one of the top goaltending options in fantasy. With Kevin Lankinen behind him, he’s one of the safest bets for 60-plus starts and could be fantasy’s No.1 goalie at season’s end.
Remaining Predators Projections
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 79.2 | 3.2 | 24.6 | 27.8 | 13.1 | 65.2 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 104.1 | 3.1% | 21.0 | 0.0 | 126.9 | 97.5 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 75.4 | 4.6 | 19.0 | 23.6 | 8.5 | 21.2 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 98.0 | 4.7% | 21.5 | 0.0 | 134.6 | 90.7 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 71.0 | 3.8 | 17.6 | 21.4 | 3.9 | 32.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 99.9 | 3.8% | 19.1 | 0.0 | 105.3 | 69.8 |
| Yakov Trenin | LW | 77.0 | 13.8 | 11.4 | 25.2 | 4.7 | 42.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 127.1 | 10.8% | 14.2 | 11.3 | 35.0 | 179.0 |
| Jeremy Lauzon | D | 68.0 | 2.0 | 6.8 | 8.8 | 0.3 | 63.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 69.6 | 2.9% | 15.9 | 0.0 | 66.0 | 168.3 |
| Zach Sanford | LW/RW | 77.0 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 23.2 | -2.0 | 40.2 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 97.5 | 11.7% | 13.7 | 10.0 | 56.8 | 132.5 |
| Colton Sissons | C | 77.5 | 9.3 | 14.7 | 24.0 | 1.2 | 27.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 82.9 | 11.2% | 15.2 | 593.8 | 42.2 | 141.7 |
| Cody Glass | C/RW | 66.5 | 7.3 | 13.3 | 20.5 | 0.1 | 11.7 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 8.0 | 72.4 | 10.0% | 12.2 | 160.1 | 18.7 | 45.3 |