Breaking Down the Predators New-Look Defense

"One of the best defense corps, all the way, top to bottom, in the entire National Hockey League."
That's how former Predators goaltender and current TV Color Analyst Chris Mason recently described the Preds blue line - and with good reason. The defense that finished the 2021-22 regular season ranked 17th in the NHL with 3.05 goals allowed per game suddenly has a much rosier outlook for 2022-23 thanks to some key moves by President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile and the front office.

An embarrassment of riches on the blue line creates plenty of opportunities for head coach John Hynes and his staff to get creative with defensive pairings in 2022-23. Let's break down the key components of this year's defense core and examine some possible combinations for the upcoming season.
The New Guy
The biggest addition this year is 33-year-old defenseman Ryan McDonagh, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning before the start of free agency in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward prospect Grant Mismash. A former captain with the New York Rangers and alternate captain with the Lightning, McDonagh has reached the Stanley Cup Final four times in his 13-year NHL career and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning. He brings a winning pedigree and veteran leadership that help bolster Nashville's chances of being a legitimate Cup contender this season.
"McDonagh, I thought, was a huge get," Mason said. "Last season any time there was an injury, the depth of the Preds defense came a little bit to the forefront. So I think when you get a guy that's won, is a leader, one of the best penalty killers in the National Hockey League, I think it's obviously a positive."
McDonagh is likely to be paired with 32-year-old alternate captain Mattias Ekholm in the top four, adding experience and depth - not to mention size and stability - to the Predators blue line.
The Old Guard
Entering his 12th season with the Preds, team captain Roman Josi finished the 2021-22 regular season with an NHL career-high 96 points (23g, 73a) en route to a second-place finish in Norris Trophy voting behind the Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar as the league's top defenseman. The 32-year-old has been a pivotal piece on the Predators back end for years, and he dominates on both sides of the puck. The Preds will depend on Josi to carry over last year's momentum into 2022-23, providing stability and reliability on a pair with one of Nashville's younger, less experienced defensemen.
After signing a four-year contract with an AAV of $6.25 million prior to last season, Ekholm continued to evolve as one of Nashville's franchise defensemen in 2021-22. As he, too, enters his 12th season with the organization with a $2.5 million-per-year raise, the Preds will look to Ekholm for both defensive stability and offensive generation - particularly the latter if he is paired with McDonagh.
The Young Guns
Dante Fabbro, the Preds first-round pick in 2016, has typically played opposite Josi on the top defensive pair over the previous four seasons. The 24-year-old was thrust into a top-four role early in his career and has yet to have the true "breakout" season that many expected from him, but he is a reliable, disciplined defender.
However, Fabbro's spot on the top pair could be in jeopardy with the emergence of Alexandre Carrier, whose stellar rookie season earned him a place on the 2021-22 NHL All-Rookie Team. The 25-year-old has quickly cemented himself as an integral piece of the Preds future and demonstrated offensive playmaking abilities that complement Josi's on the blue line. Carrier defends the net fearlessly and finished his first full NHL season with 124 blocked shots - the third-most among NHL rookies and just nine behind Josi himself. He has arguably the highest ceiling of any of the Preds young defenders, and the addition of new depth pieces provides an opportunity for him to take on an even bigger role in 2022-23.
Should Carrier replace Fabbro on the top pair, the latter will likely move to a bottom-two role opposite left defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Lauzon came to Nashville in March via trade from the Seattle Kraken and quickly proved his value to the team in 13 critical games down the stretch. His size and physicality fit in well with the Preds identity under Hynes, prompting the team to ink the 25-year-old to a four-year, $8 million contract extension in June.
The Insurance Policy
With McDonagh, Ekholm, Josi, Carrier, Fabbro and Lauzon appearing to be locks for everyday roles, Mark Borowiecki could end up being the odd man out. That said, having an experienced, reliable veteran as an extra depth defender is certainly not a bad situation to be in. If injuries begin to plague the blue line as they did last season, Borowiecki could feasibly slot in alongside an offensively skilled defenseman like Josi or Carrier and provide stability on the back end.
The Bottom Line
Though some individual roles may not yet be determined, there's a lot to be excited about with the Predators defense in 2022-23. Loaded with experience and brimming with potential, this core group is one of the deepest the team has seen in years - and could be one of the best in the NHL this season.
So sit back and enjoy the show, Smashville - this will be fun to watch.