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.

While it was projected that Shea Weber was going to have a good career in the National Hockey League, the native of British Columbia turned out to be an absolute steal for the Nashville Predators, who landed him late in the Second Round.

A large and imposing Defenseman, Weber debuted for the Predators in 2005-06, appearing in 26 Games, but it did not accurately foreshadow what was to come.  Weber exploded with 40 Points in 2006-07, showing strong two-way play.  Using his size to lock down attackers, Weber became one of the most potent rushers, and his booming shot made him a terror on the power play.  Weber would net at least 40 Points as a Predator eight times, with all of those years netting 15 Goals or more.

Weber was the player who Nashville built their team around, and individually, he was a four-time post-season All-Star; two First Team and two Second Team.  He was not just their best player but emerged as the team leader and was recognized as such with the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2016.  It would be the last honor that Weber received in Nashville, as he was traded to Montreal for P.K. Subban.

With the Predators, Weber accumulated 443 Points in 763 Games, with a Plus/Minus of +48, a very impressive tally considering that Nashville was not a contender for much of his stay.

A First Round Pick from Moscow, Alex Frolov debuted with the Kings two years after he was drafted.  The Left Wing had a promising rookie year, finishing eighth in Calder voting with 31 Points, but the Kings brass were hoping for a lot more from the Russian.  That is what they got.

Frolov increased his production gradually, going to 48, 54, and 71 Points respectively over the next three years.  71 would be his highest tally, but he had at least 50 Points over the next three years and was an asset to the Kings, especially considering they did not have a lot of scorers on their roster.

He left the Kings for the Rangers in 2010, but a torn ACL ended him there, and he finished his career in Russia.  Frolov had 381 Points for Los Angeles.

Jake Muzzin had a unique path to the NHL, as despite being drafted By Pittsburgh in 2007, the OHL Defenseman was not signed.  Muzzin reentered the draft in 2009, but this time no NHL took him.  Muzzin was eligible to play one more year in the OHL, and he maximized the opportunity, winning the OHL Defenseman of the Year.   The Kings took notice, signed Muzzin, who made the team.

Over the first two seasons, Muzzin mainly played in the AHL over the first two seasons, though he was on the roster (though he did not play) when the Kings captured the 2012 Stanley Cup.  Muzzin was in the NHL to stay in 2012, gradually gaining more playing time with each playing year.  Helping the Kings win their second Stanley Cup in 2014, Muzzin would have at least 40 Points in three of the following four seasons, and he was arguably one of the better players for Los Angeles in the mid-10s.  

The struggling Kings traded Muzzin to Toronto in 2019, leaving the Kings with 213 Points.