Defense. The Preds have continued their history of locating young talent on the back end. Samuel Girard, Alexandre Carrier, and Jack Dougherty have all shown promise, and all three certainly deserve call-ups before our old friend Petter Granberg. Girard showed off his pro-ready speed during the preseason. He looked like a perfect fit in a Predators system that encourages defensemen to activate up into the play. At only 19, no one should be surprised if the 2016 2nd rounder starts the season playing on the bottom pairing. He may have moved above his countryman Alexandre Carrier on the organizational depth chart, but Carrier still has top-4 NHL potential.
Nashville Predators 2017-18 Season Preview: Fringe Players
