Nashville Predators: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

Every NHL team has now played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this article, we will be discussing the Nashville Predators. At this time, they are currently second place in the Central Division with a solid 16-10-1 record. They have plenty of surprises to pick from this season, but these two stand out the most.

Matt Duchene: Matt Duchene had just six goals and 13 points in 34 games last with the Predators. People were understandably disappointed with that kind and wondered if the 30-year-old's best days were behind. That is what makes his hot start so impressive now, as he already has 13 goals and 25 points in 26 games this season. The Kraken now must be feeling some regret for not selecting him at the Expansion Draft, but it was way too big of a risk at that time. Hindsight is 20/20, eh?

Mikael Granlund: Mikael Granlund has seen a major surge in production this season, too. In 27 games, he already has five goals and 27 points. Keep in mind, that is the amount of points he had last season, but in 51 total contests. If he can maintain this kind of production up from here, the four-year, $20 million contract he signed over the summer will continue to look like a real steal for Nashville.

Check out our last piece on the Tampa Bay Lightning. In our next installment, we will be focusing on the Toronto Maple Leafs.