Why Nick Perbix chose Nashville Predators in free agency, where he will play on defense
Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz, who said he wanted to improve the team's defense first and foremost this summer, introduced his newest defenseman, Nick Perbix, on July 8 at Bridgestone Arena.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Perbix, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal on July 1 after spending three seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, explained the reasons behind choosing Nashville in free agency, plus how he expects to live up to Trotz's "if you can't defend, you can't win" mantra.
"Defense wins championships, right?" Perbix said. "That's my No. 1 priority."
Why Nick Perbix chose Nashville Predators in free agency
As one of the only right-handed defensemen under 30 years old on the market, Perbix had many options for his new hockey home. But after a dizzying 24 hours of free agency, he explained why he chose Nashville from among the options.
"This city is a great city," he said. "Inside the organization, the staff is great. Everyone helped me out with finding a place to live. Everyone wants to succeed, which is very important to me as an organization."
The former standout at St. Cloud (Minnesota) State was drafted in the sixth round in 2017 by the Lightning, then worked his way to the NHL by the 2022-23 season. He scored 13 goals and 50 assists in 220 games while averaging 15:45 minutes per game, mostly as a second- or third-pair defenseman.
Perbix is not an offensive dynamo, but he skates well for his size. He calls himself a puck-moving defenseman, which is a fair description, and his standout skill is in the defensive zone.
"I pride myself on keeping the puck out of the net," he said. "Everyone likes to be up in the offense, but (defense) is my No. 1 thing. Working from our net out."
While in Tampa, Perbix shared the ice with top defensemen like Victor Hedman and former Predators player Ryan McDonagh. Perbix said just being around those players helped show him what it takes to be a professional athlete and to win championships.
But there's another player from Tampa's squad from whom Perbix learned the most — Steven Stamkos.
"You could say he was my first captain, just showing me what it's like to be a pro," Perbix said. "In college, you get your hand held going through school. In pro, it's up to you to determine what to do every day. So (Stamkos) was one of those guys that helped me a lot."
Stamkos played with Perbix for two of his three seasons in Tampa before signing a four-year deal with the Predators last year. While 2024-25 was a season to forget for Stamkos and the rest of the Predators, Perbix sees a loaded squad with plenty of potential in 2025-26.
"You're bound to get some bounces here and there. With the experience and everything on this roster, it's bound to go on the right trajectory," Perbix said.
Where will Nick Perbix line up on the Predators' defense?
Perbix is now part of a suddenly crowded defense for Nashville. Joining Roman Josi, Justin Barron, Brady Skjei, Nick Blankenburg, Jordan Oesterle and Andreas Englund, Perbix is one of three right-handed, right-side defensemen.
The Predators also acquired Nicolas Hague, a left-handed defenseman, from the Vegas Golden Knights, plus top prospect Tanner Molendyk, who is left-handed but prefers to play on the right side.
Perbix likely will share minutes with Barron as one of the team's top right-handed defensemen, with Molendyk and Blankenburg handling the remainder. He also likely will take on heavy penalty-killing minutes, a role the Predators desperately need with the absence of Jeremy Lauzon and Luke Schenn, both of whom were traded.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.