Welcome to the Nashville Predators All-Time 25 in 25. In this series, we at The Hockey Writers will unveil our 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 as we celebrate 25 years of hockey in Nashville. At 21 – Steve Sullivan.
Predators Acquire Sullivan From Blackhawks
The Predators acquired Steve Sullivan from the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2003-04 season. General manager David Poile was eying down some scoring help for his squad, so he went after the scoring winger. The cost to acquire him wasn’t cheap. The Predators forked over two second-round picks in the 2004 and 2005 NHL Drafts. Those picks became the 45th and 43rd overall picks, respectively. With those selections, the Blackhawks chose Ryan Garlock (2004) and Mike Blunden (2005).
While the Predators paid premium assets for Sullivan, the Blackhawks’ selections amounted to little in the NHL. For the Predators, Sullivan immediately proved he was worth the cost. In 24 games following the trade, the speedy spark plug scored nine goals and 21 assists and helped the team squeak into the postseason for the first time in franchise history. They finished as the eight-seed in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for the final postseason spot in the 2004 NHL Playoffs.
Nashville fell to the Detroit Red Wings in six games in their first-round series. The outmatched Predators stood no chance against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Red Wings, but pushing the series to a Game 6 was impressive. Sullivan only had two points in the series (one goal, one assist), but his regular-season scoring showed he fit well in the team’s system.
Sullivan’s Injury-Riddled Time With the Predators
Looking back on Sullivan’s time with the Predators, it’s shocking how much time he spent on the sidelines. In February 2007, he sustained a career-threatening back injury, keeping him out of the lineup for nearly two years, missing the entire 2007-08 season and the beginning of 2008-09. He was injured right in the middle of his prime, playing 150 games in a Predators uniform before the injury, scoring 158 points. He returned in the 2008-09 season and scored 32 points in 41 games.
While Sullivan never reached the scoring heights he accomplished before his injury, he was still an excellent player when healthy. He played all 82 games in 2009-10, scoring 17 goals and 51 points. Unfortunately, in his last season with the team, he was sidelined for nearly half of it, only appearing in 44 games in the 2010-11 season before undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. After he recovered, Sullivan only played in nine playoff games before a knee injury kept him out for the remainder of the Preds’ postseason run.
Sullivan recovered from his knee injury but signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2011. While he faced injuries for much of his time with the Predators, he still ranks high in their record book. He is 30th in games played (317), 13th in assists (163) and goals (100), and 12th in points (263).
Related: Predators’ Top 25 Players of All-Time: Jean-Pierre Dumont
Sullivan proved he was worth every draft pick Poile traded to bring him to Nashville. His perseverance to overcome a career-threatening back injury and continue to be a productive forward showed his passion for the game. There will always be speculation about what his Predators’ career could’ve looked like if he had stayed healthy because when he was, he proved he was among the best players to ever play for the franchise.
