A quote from Lightning coach John Cooper and a Ted Lasso reference help frame up defenseman Ryan McDonagh's first season with the Nashville Predators.
A quote from Lightning coach John Cooper and a Ted Lasso reference help frame up defenseman Ryan McDonagh's first season with the Nashville Predators.
Veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh wrapped up his first season with the Nashville Predators, but it was not a regular season ending he is used to in his career as the Predators failed to make the postseason. In his 71 games this season, the 34 year old scored two goals and twenty points.
McDonagh was brought in with hopes that he would mesh with Mattias Ekholm to create a stout defensive pairing, but the partnership didn't pan out. Ekholm struggled to adjust to playing a different side than his usual and the two veterans didn't find their groove. The plan for an Ekholm/McDonagh shut down pairing fizzled early on, and later in the season McDonagh missed games after being hit in the face with a puck. When the Predators made a pivot at the trade deadline, McDonagh's experience on ice and in the locker room became even more valuable for the young team.
Today on the Locked On Predators podcast, we take a look back at McDonagh's 2022-23 season with Nashville and summarize his value to the team with our "one word".
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