Welcome to the Nashville Predators‘ All-Time 25 in 25. In this series, we at The Hockey Writers will unveil the top 25 players in franchise history in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary. Starting Sept. 18, we will unveil a new player every day until the Predators’ home opener at Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 12. Join us along for the ride as we celebrate 25 years of hockey in Nashville. At 7—Tomáš Vokoun.
Vokoun: An Original Predator
The Vegas Golden Knights are the modern-day model for conducting an expansion draft: acquire additional assets by making teams give up players or picks to keep their preferred pieces. Although, before the Golden Knights’ savvy set of deals that got them Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault from the Florida Panthers, among other moves, the Predators were one of the leagues shrewdest operators.
At the 1998 Expansion Draft, the Predators were eyeing defenseman Peter Popovic from the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens’ general manager (GM) Rejean Houle, who already had a lot of goaltenders on his plate, struck a deal with Predators GM David Poile. The Canadiens kept Popovic, instead sending forward Sebastien Bordeleau to the Predators so they’d pick goaltender Vokoun.
Vokoun’s Career With The Predators
Vokoun played eight seasons with the Predators. For the first four seasons, he played primarily a backup role and sometimes split time between the NHL and Predators’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. Vokoun finally got the starting job in the 2002-03 season. He played 69 games, finishing with 25 wins, a 2.20 goals-against average (GAA), and a .918 save percentage (SV%).
The following season, Vokoun played a staggering 73 games. He put up 34 wins, had a 2.53 GAA, and a .909 SV%. He represented the Predators at the 2004 NHL All-Star Game and helped the team make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Vokoun played arguably the best hockey in his life during the team’s first-round exit in the 2004 Playoffs, posting a 2.02 GAA and a .939 SV% through six games. Despite their early exit, he proved he could hang in the postseason.
Vokoun played two more seasons with the Predators following this playoff berth. He became a fan favorite, with the raucous Nashville crowd often chanting his name when he made a big save. He was a reliable goaltender who could play at an elite level any night. He embraced Nashville and proved his loyalty by signing a four-year, $22.8 million contract extension on Sept. 11, 2006, a season before his current deal would expire. While Vokoun showed his commitment to the Predators, the team shipped him off before his four-year deal kicked in.
In the franchise’s record book (among goaltenders), Vokoun is second in games played (383), third in GAA (2.54), fourth in SV% (.913), and second in wins (161). The SV% and GAA statistics only count goaltenders who have played at least 25 games with the organization; those who do not meet this game requirement are absent from the ranking.
Vokoun Traded For Massive Haul
On June 22, 2007, the Predators traded Vokoun to the Florida Panthers for a 2008 first- and second-round pick and a 2007 second-round pick. The Predators kept the 2007 second-round pick, selecting forward Nick Spaling at 58th overall; however, they didn’t keep the other two marquee selections. At the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the aforementioned picks became the ninth-overall and 40th-overall picks. Looking to move up in the draft, the Predators sent the pair of picks to the New York Islanders, moving up two spots. Now owning the seventh-overall selection in the 2008 Draft, the Predators selected forward Colin Wilson.
The Predators got eight seasons out of Wilson, but the Panthers got only four from Vokoun. Vokoun played at an elite level for the Panthers, posting a career-high SV% of .926 in the 2008-09 season and earning an All-Star nod in 2008. The trade is considered a win-win. The Predators got a boatload of assets for their starting goalie, while the Panthers replaced the elite goaltending they lost the year prior when they traded Roberto Luongo.
Related: Predators’ Top 25 Players of All-Time: Mattias Ekholm
Vokoun became a fan favorite in Nashville. From the chants of admiration following a save to the disappointment surrounding his trade, he became a household name on the team. He will always be known as one of the original Predators from the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft, famously used as a bargaining chip so the Canadiens could keep Popovic. Fortunately for the Predators, this expansion draft day decision worked wonders for them, netting them a starting goaltender who backstopped them to their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
