Preds Newcomers Building Chemistry, Camaraderie With Teammates as Training Camp Continues

When Ross Colton was asked last week what he’s noticed about Nashville since arriving via trade over the summer, one thought was top of mind. 

“It’s really hot here,” Colton smiled as Nashville was in the midst of unseasonably warm 100-degree September days. “I’m just hoping that it cools down here in the next couple days. I feel like you can't even go outside. It's almost unbearable.”

Other than that, the veteran forward stated he was a fan of being a part of his new club. 

He must be even happier now. 

It’s finally feeling like fall in Tennessee, but the pace continues to heat up at Predators Training Camp, which all of a sudden has just days left before the preseason schedule concludes on Saturday ahead of Nashville’s opener on Oct. 1.

The 30-year-old Colton is just one of a number of fresh faces who are not only acclimating to life in a new city, but also working to solidify their place in the Preds lineup for Head Coach Andrew Brunette and company. 

“Playing against this team these last couple years…they play at such a high level and play with so much pace, and when you're on the other side of it, it's obviously not fun to play against,” Colton said. “Being here, you could sense it from day one. They get up and down the ice. They play super fast within the structure. So, I feel like for me personally, it's going to fit my game really well. I'm super excited to be part of that.”

Colton isn’t alone in that sentiment, especially with the amount of change this franchise underwent during the summer. 

Once Chris MacFarland arrived as Nashville’s new President of Hockey Operations and General Manager in June, it wasn’t long before he acquired Colton, Jack Drury, Mavrik Bourque, Nils Hoglander, Adam Edstrom and Ilya Lyubushkin through various trades. 

He also signed Alexander Kerfoot in free agency and added other pieces like Jack Ahcan - also through the aforementioned trades - who have gotten opportunities in the preseason thus far. 

Indeed, Nashville’s roster looks rather different than it did when the Predators last played a regular-season game, and part of the test of a shorter training camp this time around is simply getting to know all the newcomers not only as players, but also as people. 

“That's a challenge,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “We’ve had a lot of changeover. Some teams probably haven't had as much as we've had, especially up front. So, it's going to be a challenge to get to know them right away, get to know their strengths, who they match up with, where's a good chemistry, how they like to play; you’d see them from 10,000 feet away, but it's hard to get them and see them every day to really get to know them right away and know their game right away. So, we're paying extra attention…to get to know them and see where they fit best.”

So far, some bonds have already started to emerge. 

For one, Hoglander helped to make up a trio along with Matthew Wood and Filip Forsberg that combined for 12 shots and two goals in Nashville’s comeback victory against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. 

Drury and Colton, who both played under MacFarland with the Colorado Avalanche in recent seasons, have seen time together in training camp practices. 

And Bourque, who has yet to appear in a preseason game, has been skating predominantly with fellow Quebec native Jonathan Marchessault over the past week. The veteran Marchessault has already expressed how Bourque has helped him to feel reinvigorated headed into a new season, and the young forward has appreciated the new friendship. 

Plus, the 22-year-old Bourque believes he has plenty to give to his new club after signing a six-year deal following a trade from Dallas. 

“I just feel like my game has been growing a lot since I got to the pro level in the NHL,” Bourque said. “I think from the second half of last year, I was able to show a bit what I can do at this level. And I think for me right now, I just keep getting better, keep building on that, and I still think I'm far away from what I can become in this League. I'm coming here with the mindset of just keep getting better and improving my game. I'm sure I can become an established top-six player in this League.”

Speaking of established, not everyone in the Predators locker room had to move this summer. 

Nashville’s leadership core, consisting of veterans like Captain Roman Josi, as well as Ryan O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos, have made an impression on the newcomers, an element that’s particularly important when welcoming others into the group. 

“I think there's great leadership here that's done a great job, kind of jelling everyone together already,” Drury said. “[Josi, O’Reilly, Stamkos], all those guys have done a really good job of making everyone feel at home. And I think certainly the guys they brought in here, high-character guys, too. So, they're guys that want to fit in and be a part of the team right away. I think it's a good mix of the veteran leadership, guys bringing everyone in, and then the guys coming in being willing to kind of jump right into being part of the team.”

While being teammates is a new thing, every established NHL player at least has some sort of familiarity from facing each other as the opposition over the years. For Stamkos, players like Drury and Colton are a perfect fit for this current iteration of Preds. 

“They both fit that mold of what we're going for - very established NHL players, guys that have been on winning teams, guys that certainly fill certain roles on our team that we're missing, and just two great people as well,” Stamkos said. “I mean, that's the thing about this group. We have an unbelievable group in terms of the camaraderie within the group, and that helps.”

Time will tell how the individuals come together as a collective unit, and with Opening Night just over one week away, forming those bonds quickly is a must. 

But considering the amount of turnover on the ice, there’s plenty of optimism to go around for what’s to come, no matter what the temperature reads. 

“We have so many new guys, and they're all really good NHL players, so there’s a lot of excitement,” Josi said. “A lot of guys come here with maybe a bigger role. You think of a guy like Mavrik Bourque who's going to have a huge role with us, he looks amazing out there. But all the new guys, they bring so much energy. They come from really good teams, and I think we’re going to have some really good depth this year.”