The Nashville Predators began playing in the NHL during the 1998-99 season, and since then, many iconic and elite players have worn the Smilodon Fatalis. The original roster, including current head coach Andrew Brunette, set the pace for the franchise, and each season’s rosters have been building upon those records set.
Here is a list of all the notable current franchise records, as well as insight into some that could be broken as soon as this season.
Most Assists
During the 2021-22 season, captain Roman Josi broke the franchise record for most assists. The previous record holder was David Legwand at 356. Josi surpassed the record in 235 fewer games than Legwand. He is currently at 505 assists.
Josi holds the record for most assists in a single season with 76, which he also set during the 2021-22 season.
Most Points
In the following season, Josi further established himself as a Predators legend, passing another Legwand record, this time for the most points. Legwand’s record stood at 566, which Josi tied and passed on the same night. Josi’s record stands at 686. He is only the second defenseman in NHL history to lead a franchise in points, joining Ray Bourque.
Filip Forsberg has also passed Legwand’s record and sits comfortably behind Josi at 605 points.
Josi also holds the record for most points in a single season. He tallied 96 points during the 2021-22 season. Forsberg sits second to Josi with the most points in a single season, where he tallied 94 points during the 2023-24 season.
Most Goals
Forsberg has been breaking franchise records since his rookie season when he broke the franchise rookie records for most goals, 26, and most points, 63, in the 2014-15 season. He broke the record for most goals as a Predator, previously held once again by David Legwand during the 2021-22 season. Legwand’s record stood at 210, and Forsberg currently holds the record at 287.
Forsberg also broke the record for most goals in a single season during the 2023-24 season with 48 goals.
Josi and Shea Weber hold the record for most goals as a defenseman in a single season, tied at 23. Weber achieved this during the 2008-09 and the 2013-14 seasons, and Josi achieved this during the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons.
Weber holds the record for most powerplay goals with 80 PPGs. This record will most likely be broken by Forsberg, who sits just behind Weber with 75 PPGs. Josi sits in third place with 63 PPGs.
Most Games Played
This record is still held by Legwand who played in 956 games for the Preds, but will most likely be broken by Josi this upcoming season. Josi holds the record for active players at 909 games. The earliest he could potentially break the record would be in late January 2025. If he stays healthy through the first half of the season, Josi will play in game 957 to break the record on the California road trip on January 25.
Most Penalty Minutes
Jordin Tootoo holds the record for most penalty minutes during his time as a Predator. He recorded 725 PIMs from 2003-2012. The currently active leader is Josi, who has 381 minutes, so it’s safe to say the record is safe in Tootoo’s hands.
A record untouched since the inaugural season is Patrick Côté’s most penalty minutes in a single season. He recorded 242 PIMs during the 1998-99 season.
Most Hits
Another notable record broke last season was by Jeremy Lauzon. Lauzon recorded 383 hits during the 2023-24 season to break not only the record for the Predators but for the entire NHL.
Goaltender Records
Pekka Rinne (2005-21) holds most of the records for the Predators goaltenders. He has the records for most games played (683), most wins (369), most losses (213), best GAA (2.43), and most shutouts (60). He and Juuse Saros are currently tied for best save percentage (.917).
For single-season stats, Rinne holds the records in best GAA (2.12), best save percentage (.930), most wins (43), and most shutouts (8), and is tied with Tomáš Vokoun for most games played (73).
As Saros continues with the Preds over the next nine seasons, his numbers should start to catch up with his mentor’s numbers.
It is exciting to see the current roster be able to set the pace for the future of the organization. Josi, Forsberg, Saros, and many more are elite players in their prime, leading the way for franchise success. What records will they break next?
