Reports surfaced Wednesday evening detailing the Nashville Predators are actively shopping forward Filip Forsberg. While the NHL Trade Deadline is not until March 21st, General Manager David Poile is reportedly listening to offers on the 27-year-old star playing in his tenth season with the Predators.

While it remains to be seen what Poile and the Preds ultimately decide to do with Forsberg, it sparks an intriguing conversation involving the other team the Predators share the city with – the Tennessee Titans. Which player on the Titans would be comparable to Forsberg?

Sure, hockey and football are vastly different sports, but when searching for the Titans version of Forsberg, one player makes more sense than the rest. A dynamic player with a unique skill set that would fit with any team in the league. That player is Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Think about it, like Forsberg, Brown is a walking talking human highlight reel. While it’s unlikely Brown can pull off Forsberg’s famed Michigan goal, the two share strikingly similar traits.

Like Brown, the Swedish superstar is a home-grown talent. Although Forsberg was drafted by the Washington Capitals, he has played each and every one of his 535 games in the league wearing a Preds sweater.

Prior to Brown’s selection in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Titans had spent loads of draft picks and countless dollars in free agency over the span of nearly two decades searching for a game-breaking wide receiver. Derrick Mason was the last elite receiver the Titans had, but departed after the conclusion of the 2004 season.

Since the Predators began play in 1998, the team never found a goal scorer of the same caliber as Forsberg. Sure, David Legwand holds the franchise record in goals (210), but it took him a franchise-record 956 games to reach that number. As it stands today, Forsberg trails the goal record by just six goals playing in 421 fewer games than Legwand! Forsberg could potentially break this record before the trade deadline comes and goes.

Lastly, Titans and Preds fans alike have witnessed each of these players elevate their game when it matters most. Brown’s miraculous touchdown grab against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round is a prime example of that.

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When crunch time arrives, the ball needs to be in the best player’s hands. Offensive coordinator Todd Downing faced criticism throughout the season for failing to complete this task on a handful of occasions. Likewise on the ice, when the Predators need a goal, the puck must find Forsberg’s stick one way or another.

No moment is ever too big for each of these players which is why they are beloved across the state of Tennessee. This is what makes these trade discussions scary for fans. Every team in the NHL could use a player like Forsberg on their roster, just as every team in the NFL would love to have Brown lined up out wide on offense.

More Notable Comparisons

The Captains: Kevin Byard & Roman Josi

The Defensive Stoppers: Jeffery Simmons & Juuse Saros

The Acquisitions: Julio Jones & Matt Duchene

The Rising Stars: Kristian Fulton & Phillip Tomasino

Featured image courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports

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