OT: Top 20 Nashville Predators of All-Time (#7)

[Jonesey]

1. Shea Weber - 22 Votes (66.67%)

GP: 763 G: 166 A: 277 P: 443
5 Time All-Star
2 Time 1st Team All-Star
2 Time 2nd Team All-Star
2 Time Norris Trophy Runner-Up
3 Time Norris Trophy 3rd-5th Place
6 Years as Captain of the Nashville Predators

2. David Legwand - 9 Votes (39.13%)

GP: 956 G: 210 A: 356 P: 566
1st Ever Entry Draft Selection (#2 Overall, 1998)
1st Ever NHL Overtime Penalty Shot Goal
Franchise Leader in Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points, and Game Winning Goals

3. Pekka Rinne - 25 Votes (71.43%)

GP: 508 REC: 269-155-62 GAA: 2.38 SV%: .917 SO: 43
2016 All-Star
2010-2011 2nd Team NHL All-Star
2 Time Vezina Runner-Up
1 Time Vezina 3rd Place
1 Time 4th Place Hart Trophy
Franchise Leader in All Major Goaltending Categories


4. Tomas Vokoun - 16 Votes (48.48%)

GP: 383 REC: 161-159-46 GAA: 2.54 SV%: .913 SO: 21
2004 All-Star
3 Top 10 Vezina Finishes
2nd in All Major Goaltending Categories

5. Kimmo Timonen - 10 Votes (33.34%)

GP: 573 G: 79 A: 222 P: 301
2 Time All-Star
1 Time 5th Place Norris Trophy
1 Year as Captain of the Nashville Predators
2nd Among Defeneseman in Goals, Assists, and Points

6. Steve Sullivan - 9 Votes (32.14%)

GP: 317 G: 100 A: 163 P: 263
2008-2009 Masterton Award Winner
3rd in Franchise History in Points Per Game
Hat Trick in First Game For Nashville


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[Scoresberg]

Kariya, then Erat.

 

[triggrman]

Josi. Not close either...

 

[Drake744]

The longer it goes, the more I don't know who to vote for. I voted for Johansen at 3, so I don't know if I should keep voting for him or legitimately try and rank the guys.

Either way, said Kariya

 

[Dadof5boys]

Going Josi, but I could vote for Kaiya or Erat here as well.

 

[PredsV82]

Josi. Not close either...

Voted Josi, I could live with either Josi or Kariya but not Erat. As much as we thought he was some kind of great layer his numbers are absolutely ordinary and his only claim to this poll at all is longevity

edit... if I had cheated and looked at the results before voting I would have voted Kariya to put him ahead of Erat....

 

[Adz]

I voted Kariya.

After this point it's a wash: Josi, Forsberg, Johansen...maybe Subban but he'd have to have a full year I think before I'd select him 8th. Suter's technically up there but I just can't make myself click that box.

Ryan Suter. #128 on the list. He's definitely after Fiddler and Bubba Berenzweig, but he'll come before Zidlicky and Andy Delmore, I suppose. Let me ponder.


Drake: Definitely vote for them again. In the end, it's overall how we rank them, not how we personally rank them.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

voted kariya. then will vote forsberg. erat shouldn't be in the conversation right now till about the 10 spot. playing here for so long is cool and all but he was pedestrian. a 2nd line winger on a franchise still playing little brother to the big dogs of the league.

 

[triggrman]

Don't understand Kariya over Josi

 

[Dadof5boys]

Suter, to me, will not be in the top 20. This poll, in my mind, isn't the most talented Pred else I wouldn't have voted for Leggy 2nd. It's for the best Predator's. If we were going on strictly talent, Peter Forsberg would be numero uno!

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Don't understand Kariya over Josi

i get both sides. im biased since kariya was my favorite player when he was here. in his 2 seasons here, he never missed a game, wore a letter and was part of our leadership group (showed young guys how to be a professional as he did the same routine every game), and really put us on the map as a legit franchise as he was our first big signing. 161 points in 164 games played. no one has touched his offensive production. the only guy to come close is sully but he couldn't stay healthy. his most productive season was the 03-04 season we got him at the deadline. kariya was a professional and most productive and talented player to play for us imo.

 

[triggrman]

I agree with that but he also played a year here were numbers were inflated and was never a top 20 producer. His best year he was 22nd in scoring overall, fyi, Forsberg was 25th year before last.

Josi in the other hand, has had 2 top 5 finishes already and was named Captain.

Kariya was great, but 2 years with good numbers doesn't rank him ahead of guys like Josi or Forsberg (who is much better defensively) to me.

 

[Legionnaire11]

I agree with Trigg here. I was torn on Erat and Josi. I don't see how Kariya has gotten so much consideration so early. Many players contributed more to the organization over a longer period of time than Kariya. He was definitely fun to watch, but he didn't really leave some mythical legacy, the teams underachieved in the playoffs and then he ran to St. Louis for more money.

 

[Adz]

Kariya turned heads when he came here and was the reason we began to attract other high quality free agents. All of a sudden Nashville wasn't just a glorified farm team and was in the conversation where the Cup was concerned--just because we had Kariya on the team and he said we were good enough for him to sign on. So,IMO he wins out slightly over Josi/Johansen/Forsberg/Subban because he did a lot for the Predators regarding legitimacy. Sure, Leipold destroyed what was being built 2 years later, but that Kariya would choose to come to Nashville was a big deal. So #7 all time Pred--sure. I think it's warranted.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

yep ditto. ive got forsberg then josi next.

 

[triggrman]

What other high quality free agent did Kariya attract?

 

[NoNecksCurse]

What other high quality free agent did Kariya attract?

i think it goes back to him making people around the league take us seriously. it surely helped when we signed arnott or when dumont came here. he helped get forsberg here too, as they were in contact before the trade.

 

[KurtAngle]

Everyone entitled, but how can you vote Kariya best Pred of all time and he was here only 2 years? He brought credibility with his signing, but still, best Pred of all time when he didn't help us at all in the playoffs?

For longevity and excellence, I think it's Weber followed by Rinne, Suter, and Legwand in that order.

If Forsberg continues as is he will be far more than Weber.

I just can't see nominating anyone here like Subban and Johansen who have been here 2 years or less.

 

[triggrman]

i think it goes back to him making people around the league take us seriously. it surely helped when we signed arnott or when dumont came here. he helped get forsberg here too, as they were in contact before the trade.

Forsberg yes but we still had to give up a lot to get him.

Arnott was going to the highest bidder. Dumont loved Nashville, and I'm pretty sure he had family here already.

 

[Drake744]

Everyone entitled, but how can you vote Kariya best Pred of all time and he was here only 2 years? He brought credibility with his signing, but still, best Pred of all time when he didn't help us at all in the playoffs?

For longevity and excellence, I think it's Weber followed by Rinne, Suter, and Legwand in that order.

If Forsberg continues as is he will be far more than Weber.

I just can't see nominating anyone here like Subban and Johansen who have been here 2 years or less.

I think you're putting too much emphasis on tenure. I see people voting for Erat over Kariya and Johansen and I only see the logic if how long the guy was here counts for something. I think Legwand is owed his ranking bc of longevity but that's about the only guy who can get away with being ranked that high without great numbers. Erat was fairly average for a lot of his time here and the best thing he did was request a trade. I would rank guys like Josi, Forsberg, Subban, and Joey over Erat. He should be on the list, but as the franchise has evolved over time, and especially with the strides made in the last few years, I think you can be rated high on this list without being here very long, compared to guys who were here for a long time back in our earlier days, but only had a relatively small impact league-wide because we weren't very successful and they quite frankly weren't really that good.

 

[Adz]

What other high quality free agent did Kariya attract?

Jason Arnott
Yanic Perreault
J. P. Dumont

I don't think any of those were trades, were they? They weren't the best players ever, but they were a step above where we'd been.

 

[triggrman]

Didn't JP have a sister at Belmont? I don't think Kariya influenced that.
Arnott was going to the top bidder

 

[KurtAngle]

I think you're putting too much emphasis on tenure. I see people voting for Erat over Kariya and Johansen and I only see the logic if how long the guy was here counts for something. I think Legwand is owed his ranking bc of longevity but that's about the only guy who can get away with being ranked that high without great numbers. Erat was fairly average for a lot of his time here and the best thing he did was request a trade. I would rank guys like Josi, Forsberg, Subban, and Joey over Erat. He should be on the list, but as the franchise has evolved over time, and especially with the strides made in the last few years, I think you can be rated high on this list without being here very long, compared to guys who were here for a long time back in our earlier days, but only had a relatively small impact league-wide because we weren't very successful and they quite frankly weren't really that good.

Well, first of all, I never mentioned Erat.

Anyway, Kariya was very good here, but it's not like he set the world on fire. No playoffs success, which is not all on him of course.

But, if a guy here only 2 years is the best player ever in this franchise after 20 years, that doesn't say very much for the Preds.

 

[KurtAngle]

Jason Arnott
Yanic Perreault
J. P. Dumont

I don't think any of those were trades, were they? They weren't the best players ever, but they were a step above where we'd been.

Arnott? Didn't he say "high quality"? Yeah, I know, he put up some good numbers here, but I don't think it's a coincidence the team got much better when they didn't re-sign him. I couldn't stand seeing him coast around on the ice and just from my outside view he didn't seem to be a good influence on the team. I can't prove it, but they just never seemed to rally around him like they would for Weber.

 

[Drake744]

Well, first of all, I never mentioned Erat.

Anyway, Kariya was very good here, but it's not like he set the world on fire. No playoffs success, which is not all on him of course.

But, if a guy here only 2 years is the best player ever in this franchise after 20 years, that doesn't say very much for the Preds.

I know you didn't say Erat, I said I've seen people talk about him.

My point was that, you're right, it really doesn't say much about the Preds in my opinion. For about 10 to 12 years we were basically an overacheiving expansion organization with very little in the way of major talent, especially on offense. The last few years we've been a different team. The stakes are higher. The talent is better, and I think that translates when you think of the greatest Predators of all time. I guess there's a difference between greatest and most important, but I still think I'd prefer the contribution of Johansen for two years or Forsberg for three over a lengthy but pedestrian contribution from a Scott Walker or an Erat spanning years when we were irrelevant.