A late round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 1993, Kimmo Timonen continued to play in his native Finland for a few years, but when he decided to try his luck in the NHL it was with the Nashville Predators, who traded for his rights.

The Defenseman split his first North American year between Nashville and their AHL affiliate, Milwaukee, but Timonen proved a commodity worth keeping at the top level of pro hockey.  After a pair of respectable seasons, Timonen put forth three consecutive 40 Points seasons, culminating with his first All-Star Game in 2004.

The NHL locked out their players in the 2004-05 due to a labor disagreement, but Timonen’s skills continued to improve.  When play resumed, Timonen had his first 50-Point Season, which he followed up with what would be his career-best 55 Points in 2006-07.  Timonen would go to his second All-Star Game, and was fifth in Norris voting.

Timonen’s stay in Nashville ended when the Preds traded him and Scott Hartnell for a 2007 First Round Pick, who turned out to be Jonathon Blum, who never played a game in the NHL.  In 2015, his final NHL year in the NHL, Timonen aided Chicago in winning a Stanley Cup.

As a Predator, Timonen scored 301 Points in 579 Games.

In 1998, the Nashville Predators made David Legwand the first ever Draft Pick in team history, and in terms of longevity and character, it was an A+ all around.

The American-born Center spent his first year in the minors (save for one Game), and while he never had the skills to be a first line Center in the NHL, he was a workhorse who provided consistency to Nashville for years.  Legwand was a regular in his second pro year, and while his peak scoring year was a respectable 63 (2006-07), he had seven other seasons where he achieved at least 40 Points in a year while wearing a Predators uniform.  He would also appear on the penalty kill often.

The Preds only made the playoffs four times while Legwand played there, but considering they were an expansion team, this was no reflection on Legwand.  He was traded to Detroit during the 2013-14 Season, and he is still the all-time franchise leader in Games Played (956), Goals (210), and Points (566).

Already the greatest Swiss-born hockey player of all time, Roman Josi has to date played his entire NHL career with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him in the Second Round in 2008.

Josi continued to play in Switzerland for two years, honing his skills there, and then had another entire season in the minors.  His first two NHL years could be considered average, but he evolved, using his high-tier skating skills and passing ability to become one of the top offensive Defensemen in the game.

Josi scored 40 Points in 2013-14, beginning a seven-year streak where he hit that point with at least 12 Goals.  He had two 60-Point seasons, the latter in 2019-20, where he won the Norris Trophy as the league's best Defenseman.  Prior to that, Jossi finished in the top ten in balloting four times.  He has also become a team leader and was one of the biggest reasons that the Preds made the 2017 Finals.

In 2021/22, Josi had his best statistical season, setting personal bests in Goals (23), Assists (73) and Points (96), and obtaininghis second First Team All-Star Selection, though the Norris eluded him as it went to Colorado's Cale Makar.

Josi is already the best player in Nashville history, and he isn't done yet.

Pekka Rinne was an afterthought in the 2004 NHL Draft, where Nashville took the Finnish Goalie with the 258^th Overall Pick.  For a "throwaway," Rinne is to date the best Predator Goalie of all time and likely will be for years.

Rinne played in three Games from 2005-06 to 2007-08, but he broke through in 2008-09, playing in 52 Games and finishing fourth in Calder voting.  Nashville had a new backstop, and he was ready to elevate the Predators.

In the 2010-11 Season, Rinne had his breakout campaign, with a 2.12 GAA that won him a Second Team All-Star, a runner-up for the Vezina, and a fourth place finish in the Hart Trophy.  Rinne was now an upper-tier Goalie, and this was not a one-year aberration.  

Rinne led the NHL in Wins (43) and Saves (2,153) in 2011-12, with a 2.39 GAA, and he was third for the Vezina.  Rinne's next two years were a step back, but he rebounded with another Vezina runner-up year (2014-15), with a Stanley Cup Finals appearance two years later.  It was evident that with Rinne in the net, Nashville had the building block from the end.

The Predators went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017, and Rinne was incredible to get them there and had they beat Pittsburgh, he would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy.  They didn't, but his accomplishments should never be forgotten.  Rinne finally won the Vezina the year after, proving his backstopping prowess as a top hockey Goalie.

Rinne finished his career with the Predators, winning the King Clancy Award in 2021, which turned out to be his last season in North American hockey.  Retiring, the Predators announced that his #35 would be retired, earning the Goalie the honor of being the first Predator to have his jersey retired.