Welcome to LWOS Hockey’s summer series. After the historic 2016 NHL Free Agency period, it’s a good time to look at the best free agent signing in the history of all 30 NHL franchises. Up next: The all-time best Nashville Predators free agent signing.
Make sure to check out the previous articles in our 2016 summer series here.
The All-time Best Nashville Predators Free Agent Signing
2006 – J.P. Dumont: Two years, $4.5 million
The Player
J.P. Dumont began his path to the NHL much like many young players, by playing in the Quebec Major Junior League (QMJHL). From 1993-1998, he was a member of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, playing a total of 256 games with 163 goals and 188 assists. He had early success and showed promise almost immediately, scoring five goals and 14 assists in 48 games during his rookie season. His sophomore effort was significantly more impressive, with 48 goals and 57 assists in 66 games played. The New York Islanders rewarded his play the following summer by drafting him third overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Wanting to continue to prove that he could continue to compete at a high level, Dumont contributed 44 goals and 64 assists in 62 games during the 1996-1997 season at Val-d’Or. This led to him being named a QMJHL Second Team All-Star. He also won the Mike Bossy Award as the best professional prospect in the league. 1997-1998 brought continued success, as he helped lead the Foreurs to the 1998 QMJHL Championship. Dumont contributed 31 goals and 15 assists in 19 games. That season, Dumont finished second in the league in goals, with 57. He also won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as most valuable player of the QMJHL playoffs. He capped off his junior career by representing his country at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Finland.
Going Pro
Before Dumont could suit up in a game, the Islanders traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Dmitri Nabokov. Dumont made his NHL debut on November 12, 1998 after opening his season with the American Hockey League’s Portland Pirates. This started a fruitful first pro season for the Montreal, Quebec native. In April 1999, he was named the NHL Rookie of the Month after posting five goals and three assists in five games. This included a four-point game and his first career hat trick on April 8, 1999, versus the New York Rangers. Dumont was only one of three NHL rookies to notch a hat trick that season.
Despite his success on both the AHL and NHL levels, the Blackhawks traded Dumont for the second time in his career at the 2000 trade deadline. He, along with veteran Doug Gilmour, was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Michal Grosek. Over the next two seasons in Buffalo, Dumont blossomed with back-to-back 23-goal seasons. In the 2005-2006 season, Dumont finished third on the team in the post season with seven goals, helping them advance to the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals. Following that season, Buffalo walked away from an arbitration award and allowed Dumont to enter free agency.
The Deal
The Nashville Predators were coming off a season in which they made the NHL playoffs for the second consecutive season. However, the San Jose Sharks eliminated them in the first round in five games. Their goal for the 2006-2007 season was to finally advance out of the first round for the first time in team history.
Along with the signing of Jason Arnott, the Predators also set their sights on Dumont. Coming off his fourth 20-goal campaign in five season, they hoped Dumont could help bolster the scoring, especially in the postseason. On August 29, 2006, it was announced that the player and team reached a deal that would bring him to Nashville for two years.
The Result
Dumont, aiming to making an immediate impression on his new club, scored his first goal as a Predator only 39 seconds into their 2006 season opener. He ended up finishing his opening season ranked second on the team in assists, with 45, and points, with 66. Not surprisingly, it was Arnott and Dumont who ultimately lead the Predators in goals that first season, each scoring 27.
Unfortunately, the season ended with the Predators losing in the first round of the playoffs, again to San Jose. However, Dumont contributed significantly, leading the team in goals (four) and points (six), ranking second among forwards in ice time (21:02). In each of the first two playoff games, he tallied two goals, becoming the first Predator to net playoff multiple goal games. Finally, he scored the game-winning shorthanded goal in Nashville’s 5-2 win in Game Two, their only win of the series.
2007-08
For the 2007-08 season, the same goal was set: get to the second round. After being named an alternate captain prior to the season start, Dumont rose to the occasion. From December 29, 2007, to January 31, 2008, he recorded a franchise-record 16-game point streak with eight goals and 14 assists. This included a pair of five-game assist streaks, and a six-game goal-scoring streak, tying a franchise high. Ultimately, Dumont was named NHL Second Star of the Month for January.
By season’s end, he set career highs in goals (29) and points (72). This tied him for first on the club in points. Both of these totals rank first in franchise history among right wings. He also tied a franchise record and set a career high with eight game-winning goals. Finally, he achieved the 20-goal milestone for the sixth time. However, the Predators lost again in the first round of the postseason, this time to the Detroit Red Wings in six games.
The Decline
The 2008-2009 season was a less fruitful one for the club, though Dumont continued to produce. Though the Predators failed to make the playoffs, the first time since 2003, Dumont managed to post a new career high with 49 assists. This was the third-highest total in team history. His 65 points led the club, along with his 22 power-play points and 17 power-play assists. He tied for second on the team with four game-winning goals and ranked second among club forwards with 176 shots.
Dumont’s second-to-last season with the Predators was the 2009-2010 season. The club was trying to piece itself back together after a failed season, trying to find the right combination to become true contenders. Dumont was determined to continue to influence and lead the team. Dumont finished the season with 17 goals, fifth on the team, and 28 assists, tied for third on the team. He also finished the year at +8, the second-best of his career. This season also saw Dumont score his 300th career goal and 500th career point.
On January 7, he scored his first career regular-season shorthanded goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. Dumont also scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in Game 1 at Chicago, the team’s first-ever road playoff win. He would finish the postseason with two goals and two assists in six games.
2010-11
Dumont’s struggles continued in the Predators’ 2010-2011 season. He scored only 10goals, his fewest since 2000, and nine assists. The team bought him out that summer.
Even though Dumont no longer plays in the NHL, his presence is still felt within the Predators organization. Since 2014, Dumont has been the general manager and assistant coach of the Nashville Junior Predators of the NA3HL. He also continues to regularly contribute to charitable causes and participates in alumni activities.
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