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Who Was the Greatest #40 in Nashville Predators History?

By Dirk Hoag
Frederick Breedon

As our jersey number series moves into the 40's, we consider four players who didn't exactly achieve great things while wearing that number. One of them, however, stands out as a fan favorite from the early days of the Nashville Predators, who was taken from us far too soon.

Karlis Skrastins

One of the stalwarts from the Predators' early days, Skrastins played 307 games for Nashville from 1999-2003, anchoring the defense by playing 20 capable minutes night in, night out. After being traded to Colorado, he continued an ironman streak that saw him play 495 consecutive games, which was a record at the time (since broken by Jay Bouwmeester) for NHL defensemen. He actually only wore the #40 for his first two NHL games, during which he recorded one assist, in February 2002. By the time the 2002-2003 season opened, he switched to #3 for the rest of his time in Nashville.

Skrastins tragically lost his life in the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv plane crash of September 7 2011 at the age of 37, and was remembered throughout the hockey world as the consummate dependable teammate.

David Gosselin

Gosselin was a forward who spent four seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals from 1998-2002, and appeared in 13 games for Nashville during that time, scoring two goals and adding one assist.

Mike Farrell

Farrell played only one game as a Nashville Predator, going scoreless in 5:08 of action against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 19, 2003.

Marek Svatos

With the Predators in need of some offensive help in December 2010, David Poile took the unusual step of plucking winger Marek Svatos off waivers, after the St. Louis Blues had signed him to a contract to bring him back from the KHL during the middle of the season. With the Blues and Preds in the middle of a dogfight for playoff position, that move could be seen as stiffing St. Louis just as much as it was helping the Predators, a rare bit of competitive gamesmanship between rival executives.

The one-time 30-goal scorer never quite fit in with Nashville, however, playing only nine games and watching many others from the pressbox before being waived in late February 2011, allowing him to move on to Ottawa. That summer he went back to the KHL.

So which #40 gets your nod as the greatest in Nashville Predators history? Vote in the poll, and unleash the debate in the comments below!

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