Swede Filip Forsberg is having a great time in Nashville, where he is having a very productive season with the Predators. And if he continues at this pace, he could even flirt with the 100-point plateau in 2023-2024.
Forsberg currently has 36 points in 31 games, including 16 goals; a record 16th place in the NHL rankings. If he stays the course, he will finish the season with more than 40 goals and 95 points. That could put him closer to the 100-point plateau he hasn't reached since his debut on the Bettman circuit in 2012.
His best season was 2021-2022, when he scored 84 points in 69 duels.
The Swede with the flawless mustache is playing with two newcomers for the Predators this season in Ryan O'Reilly (26 points) and his compatriot Gustav Nyquist (20 points).
“We played well together,” Forsberg said, as reported by Daily Faceoff media. They are veterans and very good players. I think we have the same vision of hockey. We want to keep the puck and not give it away for no reason. We want to be strong with the puck and try to find ourselves. Of course I want to give them a lot of credit.”
Change
The Predators approached the 2023-2024 season on a new foundation. In fact, the Tennessee team missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014. Some players like Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm left the team. Andrew Brunette replaced John Hynes behind the bench. And the immortal David Poile gave way, after 26 years as general manager, to Barry Despite, another legend of the organization.
“There was an adjustment period for everyone during training camp and the first ten games,” Forsberg continued. Everything was new. So it was definitely a new beginning and it took us a few weeks to get used to it. We have played better in the last few weeks and the results have come.”
With a record of 18-13-0, the Predators were in fourth place in the Central Division heading into Tuesday's games. But the Tennessee team has won its last four meetings. Forsberg also contributed six points in this sequence.
If he keeps this up, can he become the first player in Predators history to reach the 100-point plateau? It's a possibility… as long as he stays healthy.