2 Predators Who Bounced Back During 2021-22 Season

The 2021-22 season is in its final stages, and it's fair to say that it's been an incredibly entertaining year. One reason for this is that we have seen plenty of players bounce back from rough 2020-21 campaigns. Thus, it feels like the perfect time to shine a light on two players from each NHL team who have done just that. To make this more fun, we will be choosing teams randomly based on a wheel.

In this piece, we will be taking a gander at the Nashville Predators.

Matt Duchene: After a disastrous 13-point campaign in 34 games with Nashville last season, Matt Duchene found himself unprotected at the Expansion Draft. The Predators have to be ecstatic that the Kraken did not select him, as he not only has bounced back but also has put together the best season of his career. In 68 games, he has set career-highs in goals (38) and points (75). If he can keep this up, his $8 million cap hit over the next four seasons will be worth it.

Ryan Johansen: Like Duchene, Ryan Johansen struggled significantly last season. In 48 games, he had seven goals and 15 assists - which was far too low for his standards. However, he has turned it around significantly this year, as he has 22 goals and 56 points in 69 games this season. With numbers like these, he is starting to look like a top-six center again.

Want to read more? Check out our last piece on the Boston Bruins.