Predators Made Franchise-Altering Trade 11 Years Ago

11 years ago, the Nashville Predators made a trade that would see them benefit greatly for a long time. This came at the start of April in 2013 when the Predators traded Martin Erat and Michael Latta to the Washington Capitals in exchange for then prospect Filip Forsberg.

Forsberg was originally drafted by the Capitals 11th overall in 2012, but the team had intentions of winning that season. This led to Washington acquiring what the team thought was the right pieces to do so, but in reality they traded away the best piece of the trade.

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This helped change the direction of the Predators as Forsberg was already making a huge impact by the 2014-15 season and is still doing so at age 29. The Swede holds multiple franchise records in different categories and Nashville has not seen a goal-scorer like him in their history.

Without Forsberg being a major contributor and one of the best players on the team for the last decade, the Predators would not be in the position they are, winning with a bright future.

Not only has Forsberg been a force all these years for the Predators during the regular season, he doesn't lose a step come playoff time when some players tend to fade. This has and should continue to go a long way in potentially bringing the first Stanley Cup to Nashville while he's still a member of the team. It's trades like these that change the course of an organization, and it definitely has for the Predators.

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