Filip Forsberg on Predators, (not) meeting Messi, NHL All-Star draft, hot chicken, his famous mustache
Filip Forsberg has been a huge reason why the Nashville Predators are knocking on the door for a playoff spot this season under first-year coach Andrew Brunette.
The 29-year-old center has 28 points in 24 games, including a team-leading 13 goals. New general manager Barry Trotz indicated that the Predators were going to be an offensive-oriented team when he hired Brunette. That style has Forsberg on pace for one of the best scoring campaigns of his 12-season NHL career.
Forsberg appeared on ESPN’s “The Drop” this week to chat with Arda Ocal and Greg Wyshynski about a variety of topics, ranging from the NHL to “best on best” tournaments to his ownership of an MLS team to his famous mustache.
New episodes of “The Drop” are available Tuesday and Thursday on all podcasting platforms and video streaming on YouTube. Search for the “NHL on ESPN” channel for the latest edition.
ESPN: When a new coach like Andrew Brunette comes in, how much conversation is there during the offseason between him and the players?
Forsberg: It’s obviously happened before for us, when [Peter] Laviolette took over from Barry Trotz, a handful of years ago. But this one was a little different, obviously, with it happening kind of later in the summer. Like we didn’t really know what was going to happen: if John [Hynes] was going to come back or not. It ended up being a fairly late into the summer decision.
I was here in town when Coach Bruno was announced with the press conference. That was the first time I met him. Then there were just a few conversations over the phone throughout the summer. Just trying to get a little bit of a feel for who he was as a person, but also as a coach. It’s been a good transition.
ESPN: Did you almost have a heart attack when you heard Barry Trotz of all people say that you guys are going to be in an offensive team under Brunette?
Forsberg: I mean, it’s a little change obviously from [Trotz], right? You didn’t know what to expect when he was coming back. But I think the mix of experience that Barry has a coach, but also just in hockey in general, and then bringing in Bruno, who has a ton of experience as a player and has been an assistant coach and briefly a head coach there for the Panthers, I think the mix of the two of them and our style of play in general has been a good combination so far.
ESPN: Another offseason addition was center Ryan O’Reilly. It’s always interesting when you bring in a player that you’re so used to competing against as an opponent, and one with a heck of a reputation after that Stanley Cup win in St. Louis. What are the things you’ve learned about him as a teammate?
Forsberg: Well, I think it’s the small things that you don’t see all the time. Like you said, he was with St. Louis and Colorado for long enough and I felt like we played them 1,000 times a year. He was tough to play against.
But then you see all the work that he puts in every day, working on on those small details before practice. In my opinion, he’s very underrated. Like, I didn’t realize how good he actually is. You knew he was good on faceoffs and he was almost impossible to play against. But then he comes here and you see the offensive upside through all the small things that he does. It’s been really cool. I try to learn as much as a I can from him.
ESPN: There are some big changes to the NHL All-Star Game this season that have been announced, including bringing back the player draft. We’re curious about the player’s perspective on that.
Forsberg: I was actually there the last time they did this. It was my rookie year, so they picked a few rookies to be in the game. Then a couple of guys bailed out last minute, so we got to a part of the actual game part of the All-Star Game, which was great. That was actually the last time they did the draft. Me and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were able to get those cars. I’m obviously very happy about that. But at the same time, I definitely would have liked to be picked a little bit earlier than [last]. If that happens, I’ll be a pick or two higher at least.
I think it’s cool. It obviously adds a little bit of fun. Lot of goofing around. I mean, [Alex] Ovechkin, we’re sitting there and trying to get that car so hard that time. It was a fun thing to be a part of, for sure.
ESPN: Another big NHL move is the creation of a midseason international tournament that’s scheduled for 2025. It won’t be a World Cup, but it’s expected to feature the U.S. vs. Canada and Sweden vs. Finland. What were your thoughts when you heard about that?
Forsberg: I’m all for it. We need to get some kind of international hockey back with NHL players participating. And I understand the concerns for World Cups, Olympics, all that type of stuff. I know it’s not the easiest thing just to put together. But I do think that we’re currently — us as players, but also the fans out there — are not getting to watch these games.
I remember watching the Olympics and best-on-best hockey growing up. You can’t beat it. Representing your country in those situations is special. I’ve been fortunate. I was in the World Cup, obviously, which was a little different with the Europe team and Team North America, but and then I also played in a couple of world championships. But those are different, too, with no playoff players in there.
I’m all for it. And playing Finland makes it a little bit extra special too.
ESPN: It’s no secret the media loves coming to Nashville to cover games. What’s it like playing in Nashville?
Forsberg: I mean, I see why you people would like it, because there’s a lot of benefits with the building being where it is. You could have a good time within minutes of where the puck is dropped. When the game is ended, you can have a real good time after it.
But for me, it’s the people, ever since I first came here. There’s a saying about Southern hospitality, and that’s something that’s really through the city as a whole. I came here when I was 19, over 10 years ago, and the city really helped me out. At the time, I didn’t really know anything about anything, and lot of people that were really helpful to me early on still keep in touch with me.
ESPN: Look, just because the Professional Hockey Writers Association holds its meetings at Tootsie’s on Broadway doesn’t mean we’re imbibing. Speaking of Nashville food and drink: Are you a hot chicken guy?
Forsberg: I mean, I’m not. I don’t love spicy food, so I can’t say I do [like it]. I don’t know if you guys have seen the new Hattie B’s location, but it’s right across from Bridgestone Arena. It’s a pretty prime location. So next time you guys come, you can fuel up before you get going at Tootsie’s over there.
ESPN: Did you try it? And you’re like, I can’t do this again?
Forsberg: Yeah, I did. And I even did like a 2-out-of-7 on the heat scale. I wasn’t even halfway there. I’ve got some work to do there, for sure.
ESPN: You’re a minority owner of Nashville SC, the city’s Major League Soccer team. What’s that been like?
Forsberg: It’s been crazy, not going to lie. We jumped in about a year ago. This first year has been pretty wild to say the least, obviously with Lionel Messi being the highlight for the whole league. We had Nashville’s league cup run, playing Messi in the finals; it’s just been really cool seeing the whole city embrace soccer.
I love soccer. I’ve done it since I was a kid, obviously being from Europe and soccer is such a big part of everything over there. It’s really cool to see that coming here. Bringing the best player ever is obviously a great marketing decision by David Beckham. Don’t get me wrong. Hopefully we can do something similar here in Nashville at some point, too. But it’s awesome. It’s been a great journey, and I’m really excited about future with it.
ESPN: Did you get to meet Messi?
Forsberg: No, I didn’t. It’s actually funny. We played him in the finals, and I had about 10 guys from the Predators that went. And Yakov Trenin asks me, “Hey, do you think we can get to meet Messi after the game?” He was like dead serious. And I was like, “Nah, I don’t think we have that type of pull here.” And he was like, “OK, no problem.”
I’m hoping I can meet him. The first year, we were learning, kind of getting to know some of the people. But now, the second year, we’re going to take over a little bit more and make some changes. And hopefully we can get in that room with him. That’d be cool.
ESPN: Finally, you’re obviously very well known for the mustache. It’s part of the persona. The Filip Forsberg presentation. How often do people bring it up in Nashville?
Forsberg: I’d say about at least once a day. It’s obviously hard not to. It’s mostly like some random people who will stop you and say like, “Oh, nice mustache.” I think it’s definitely a conversation starter. It’s a topic, a lot of people like it. And yeah, it’s hard to miss, too, I guess. So it’s a little bit of my own fault.
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Tennessee‘s Nico Iamaleava has been cleared medically to play Saturday against Georgia and is set to return as the Vols’ starting quarterback, sources told ESPN.
Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman, missed the second half of the 33-14 win over Mississippi State last week after suffering a blow to the head. He was listed as questionable earlier this week on the SEC availability report but has been removed in the latest report.
Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, and there was optimism among the staff that he was trending in the right direction and would be able to play. But the final call was made by medical personnel. Iamaleava was examined by doctors for what sources told ESPN were concussion-like symptoms after leaving the Mississippi State game. He did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Monday that he felt like Iamaleava would be in “great shape for Saturday” and noted that Iamaleava was with the team earlier Monday morning for meetings and team activities. The Vols’ first full-scale practice was Tuesday.
Iamaleava was having his most productive outing against an SEC team this season before leaving the game against Mississippi State. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 174 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns as Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead. In Iamaleava’s previous five SEC games, he had accounted for three touchdowns and turned it over five times. He was also sacked 15 times in those five games.
Redshirt senior Gaston Moore filled in for Iamaleava in the second half last week and finished 5-of-8 for 38 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Getting Iamaleava back for the Georgia game is big news for Tennessee, which is right in the middle of the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Receiver Dont’e Thornton (hand) has also been given the green light to play for Tennessee after earlier being listed as questionable.
Week 12 is here as we take a look at an SEC matchup that has College Football Playoff implications, learn about three of the nation’s top passers who all played under the same coach and see what’s going on in the Big 12.
No. 7 Tennessee will visit Sanford Stadium as it takes on conference opponent No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night. With so much at stake, what can each team improve on ahead of this SEC showdown?
The Big 12 has six teams in the hunt for a spot in the conference title game. With the final CFP rankings coming out in less than a month, what scenario looks most realistic for the conference in terms of how many of its teams could make the 12-team field?
Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 12 slate.
Jump to a section:
Tennessee-Georgia | The coach behind three top QB passers
What’s going on in the Big 12 | Quotes of the Week
What has each team done well in conference play? What improvements can be made?
It has been a historic (and dominant) season for Tennessee’s defense, which has yet to give up more than 19 points in any of its nine games. Against SEC competition, the Volunteers lead the conference in scoring defense, giving up 16.7 points per game, and also lead the way in third-down defense and red zone defense. In other words, they’ve given up very little of anything on defense and are buoyed by a line that’s both talented and deep. Tennessee plays a ton of players up front and has been especially good at forcing key turnovers. In 23 trips inside its own 20-yard line, the Vols have forced six turnovers.
The reality is that Tennessee has played to its defense for much of this season out of necessity. The offense has lacked consistency and struggled to generate explosive plays, particularly in the passing game. It’s not all on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, either. Iamaleava has thrown only five touchdown passes in six SEC games, and the Vols are tied for 10th with an average of 7.5 yards per completion. Iamaleava, who sustained a head injury in a win over Mississippi State last week, has been the victim of poor pass protection at times, and his receivers have dropped some costly passes. Iamaleava has also been shaky when it comes to overthrowing receivers and occasionally holding onto the ball too long.
The bright spot on offense for Tennessee has been running back Dylan Sampson, who has a school-record 20 rushing touchdowns. He has been a constant for the Vols on offense and has an SEC-leading 772 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in conference play. As good as he has been, the Vols are probably going to need more from their passing game to win in Athens. — Chris Low
The Bulldogs didn’t do much of anything well in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, which was the first time in a long time that Kirby Smart’s team was manhandled on the lines of scrimmage.
The good news for Georgia: It’s heading home to Sanford Stadium for the first time in more than a month. Georgia hasn’t dropped back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, Smart’s first season, and it has bounced back after each of its past eight losses. The Bulldogs have won seven of their past eight games against the Volunteers.
For all of quarterback Carson Beck‘s turnovers, Georgia’s problems on offense probably start up front. The offensive line hasn’t done a good job of protecting him, and the Bulldogs’ lack of a potent running game has prevented them from effectively utilizing play-action passes. Their banged-up offensive line is going to face another formidable defensive front Saturday. Georgia has 27 dropped passes, fourth most in the FBS, according to TruMedia, so its receivers need to become more reliable as well. — Mark Schlabach
The coach behind three of college football’s top passers
Miami‘s Cam Ward, Washington State‘s John Mateer and North Texas‘ Chandler Morris are three of the top five quarterbacks in total offense this season in FBS. All three have the same head coach to thank for where they are today.
North Texas coach Eric Morris coached Ward at Incarnate Word and Washington State, recruited Mateer to the Cougars and signed Morris out of the transfer portal this offseason. All three hailed from Texas and are putting up big numbers this season. Morris, a Mike Leach disciple, knows what he’s looking for when it comes to QBs.
For each one, the journey was different. Ward was a zero-star recruit out of West Columbia, Texas, played in a wing-T offense and had no scholarship offers. But he showed up to Incarnate Word’s camp in 2019 and impressed with his quick release and accuracy. Morris saw appealing traits, too, in Ward’s multisport talents.
“He was such a good basketball player,” Morris said. “He was a bigger guy who could really handle the ball and move with ease. He had a twitch and quickness about him that was almost Mahomes-esque, where he’s not fast but you see him get out of the pocket and scramble and he’s nifty on his feet. He saw the floor great and shot the basketball great.
“It might be easier at an FCS school to take that risk, but it was something we were really confident in.”
Ward came in with extreme confidence, telling coaches he’d win the starting job over their returning all-conference player (and he did). He followed Morris to Pullman, Washington, out of loyalty to the coach who believed in him. Now he’s playing on a big stage, chasing a College Football Playoff bid and a Heisman Trophy with the No. 9 Hurricanes.
“It’s been fun to watch him flourish and get rewarded for being patient all these years,” Morris said.
When Morris left UIW to become Washington State’s offensive coordinator in 2022, he brought Ward but needed another QB. On his first recruiting trip in Texas, he stopped by to check out Mateer. The two-star recruit had a prolific senior season at Little Elm High School but was committed to Central Arkansas. Morris didn’t understand what FBS programs were missing and convinced Mateer to flip.
After two seasons behind Ward, Mateer has emerged as one of the top dual-threat QBs in college football with 2,332 passing yards, 805 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and 33 total TDs.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” Ward said. “He’s just so dang hard to tackle in the open field. Just a kid that loves ball and was under-recruited. The tide’s turned and he ends up being a big-time ballplayer.”
Chandler Morris was not an under-the-radar talent, but he’s having his best season yet at North Texas. He began his career at Oklahoma, won the starting job at TCU in 2022, sustained a knee injury in its season opener and then watched Max Duggan lead the Horned Frogs to the national title game.
Morris had a six-game stint as TCU’s starter last season before injuring the same knee. At UNT, he’s leading the nation’s No. 3 passing offense with 3,244 total yards and 30 TDs. Like Ward and Mateer, he processes information quickly, makes plays with his feet and throws outside the pocket with accuracy. If you ask Eric Morris, those traits are a must in today’s game. When paired with his version of Air Raid ball, you get big-time results.
“It’s been fun to see him get his swagger back,” Morris said.
Eric Morris points to Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. The QBs thriving at the highest level are becoming unstoppable by creating plays out of the pocket. And so are his guys.
“Everybody obviously watches Cam and the magic he makes,” Morris said, “but I think all three of ’em can make plays when it’s not a perfect play call. There are a bunch of really good pure passers nowadays, but that’s what sets them all apart.” — Max Olson
What’s going on in the Big 12?
Two-thirds of the way through the Big 12 schedule, six teams are still in the hunt for a title-game appearance: BYU (6-0), Colorado (5-1), Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia, all of which are 4-2. There are too many variables to discuss all the scenarios, but the conference has a straightforward tiebreaker policy.
It’s possible to come up with scenarios in which the Big 12 could get two bids, one bid or shut out altogether.
For the Big 12 to get two bids, BYU probably would have to finish 12-0, then lose a close game in the championship to a two-loss team (Colorado, Iowa State or Kansas State). A 12-1 BYU team would get consideration, but it would become a question of how far it would fall and what else happens around the country.
The most likely scenario is the Big 12 will get one team in: whichever one wins the conference title game. If BYU wins out, it will have a bye, but if it slips up even once — or if another team wins the title — Boise State might be in position to get a first-round bye, assuming the Broncos win out.
The doomsday scenario in the Big 12 is if the conference champion has two or three losses and Army and Boise State win out. If that’s the case, there is a good possibility both of those schools would be ranked ahead of the Big 12 champion and the Big 12 would be left out. — Kyle Bonagura
Quotes of the Week
“They’re stubborn, man. They’re physical. He is an elite runner. The runs they run are sometimes nontraditional. They run some runs that other people don’t run because of the space in the box. He’s very patient. He hits small creases. He’s hard to tackle. How many touchdowns has he got in the SEC? Twenty-something? That’s crazy. In the SEC? The SEC is the hardest league in the world to run the ball in on because they’ve got the most size defensive lineman, and he continues to do it at a crazy pace to me.” — Kirby Smart on Volunteers tailback Dylan Sampson.
“I never try to take a step back. I try to take a step up. I’m always putting my head out the window. I’m trying to see around the corner, not trying to see straight ahead. It’s normalcy for everybody to see what’s in front of them. I’m trying to see around the corner. That’s the relationship I have with the Lord, to help me see around the corner so I can help navigate these young men as well as the women that’s attached to our program to a better way and a better life. So I don’t get caught up in the ‘You go, boys!’ or the ‘You ain’t nothing.’ You know, if I would’ve listened to you guys earlier, I’ve gotta listen to you now. So I might as well just put some headphones on and block you out. Notice I don’t have a sponsor for headphones, but that would’ve been a good placement for a sponsor.” — Deion Sanders when asked if he takes time to step back and appreciate the magnitude of Colorado’s turnaround.
“I hope anyone who has ambitions about playing in the National Football League, let’s see what you’ve got against Clemson. Let’s see you play your best game here. If you weren’t focused for Virginia, which I can’t imagine you weren’t — and I’m not saying anybody was not focused — but if they didn’t get your focus, I imagine Clemson will get your focus when you put the tape on.” — Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on whether playing Clemson gets the attention of his players.
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