Preds Forward Talks Injury Recovery and Expectations for the Upcoming Season
We may be in the dog days of summer, but the Nashville Predators already have their sights set on the 2023-24 season.
After taking some well-deserved time away to rest their bodies and minds during the summer months, a handful of Preds players are already back training and hitting the ice together at Centennial Sportsplex to prepare for the start of training camp in September.
One of those players is forward Filip Forsberg, who is fully recovered from a season-ending upper-body injury he suffered in February and eager to return to game action at full strength this season. He checked in to give an update on what he’s been up to this summer and discuss his goals and expectations for next season:
Favorite vacation/trip this summer?
“We were in Sweden for a month, and we went to Georgia to see [wife Erin’s] family… [Sweden] was a lot of family time as well. We kind of stayed quiet for the most part. We went to Stockholm a few times and saw a few friends there. Midsommar was the highlight. [It was] the first time Erin did it and the first time I did it in a few years, too, so it was awesome.”
Favorite summer activity in Nashville?
“A lot of golf. The weather is hot, but it’s nice. The courses were a little beat up back home [in Sweden] in June. Normally it’s a little nicer, but the winter there was rough. So it’s nice to be here and go to nicer courses. I’m also trying to spend a little bit of time with Erin before everything gets too crazy.”
New free-agent signing you are most looking forward to playing with this season?
“I’m excited about everybody we brought in. I played with [Gustav Nyquist] in the World Championship a couple years ago and we won gold there, so that was good. I don’t know any of the other guys personally, but I’ve obviously been playing against [Luke Schenn] and [Ryan O’Reilly] for a really long time. I know what good players they are, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about them as people as well. So it’s going to be exciting to bring those guys on.”
Which of your teammates from last season are you most excited about in 2023-24?
“There’s tons of options, clearly; I missed half the season so I just watched and I never even got to play with some of the young guys. But Cody Glass is one of those guys who took big steps last year. I’m excited to see what he can do. [Juuso Parssinen] missed a lot of games, too, but in the games he played, he was great for us. I think those two can really have a major impact on our team going forward.”
What are your personal goals for this season?
“I just want to get back into it and help the team win games. I want to be the type of player that I think I can be. [Last season] I sat out a lot. It taught me a lot of things, but at the same time it’s a lot of just sitting there. I’m excited to be able to play in front of fans and feel that atmosphere.”
What’s your favorite part about staying in Nashville for the summer to prepare for the season?
“It goes both ways because in the past I’ve come early, I’ve come late – so it’s hard to tell exactly what’s best for everybody. But for me, we just love it here in Nashville. It’s the first summer we’ve been here the whole time for the most part, and we love everything that comes with being in Nashville in the summer. It’s hot as hell, but everything else has been great. It’s such a great city. Having guys that have basically been here the whole time, you get to know people a bit better. You get to talk more to people that you might not be talking to as much normally, so it’s great to get to know guys on a deeper level.”
