David Poile has been general manager of the Nashville Predators since their inception in 1998. His ability to adapt to the changing NHL landscape and style of game has allowed him to keep the Predators competitive and make the playoffs in 10 of the past 13 seasons.

While he embraced the growing involvement of analytics in the game, it's Poile's mastery of an age-old trade style which has brought his team to within two wins of its first Stanley Cup.

Here's a look back at Poile's five biggest moves of acquiring NHL-ready talent:

5. Neal for Hornqvist and Spaling

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The most lateral of Poile's five moves in recent years, it's tough to announce either team a winner of the James Neal/Patric Hornqvist swap. Nick Spaling played just one season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 27 points in a full 82 games. He split the following year between the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks, and spent this season in the Swiss-A League.

Here's how Neal and Hornqvist have fared in the three seasons with their current teams since being traded ahead of the 2014-15 season:

The clear difference has been in Hornqvist's number of assists, as he has predominantly played alongside center Evgeni Malkin with Pittsburgh. Hornqvist blocks more shots and hits more than Neal, even though the latter has been used much more heavily by the Predators in terms of average time on ice.

This trade likely hasn't changed the course of history for either team, though Neal has cost an extra $750,000 per season. Both players are signed through the end of next year.

4. Johansen for Jones

Imagine the Predators' defense corps with Seth Jones still part of the team?

This was an excellent trade of excess talent for a much-needed piece on the part of Poile. With the team already possessing stars Shea Weber and Roman Josi and up-and-comers Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis on defense, they flipped their No. 5 defenseman for the elite No. 1 center they lacked since entering the league.

Tighter Western Conference play and the Predators' more defensive style kept Ryan Johansen from reaching his career-best mark of 71 points in 82 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014-15. He finished with 61 points in 82 games in his first full season with the Predators.

The Predators have found a way to remain competitive without Johansen for this Stanley Cup Final, but he left the postseason with 13 points through 14 games. He'll be a restricted free agent at season's end and will be due a significant raise from the $4 million he earned this season.

With the Predators projected to have roughly $17 million in cap space this offseason, Poile should be able to further demonstrate his brilliance and lock Johansen up with a long-term contract.

3. Forsberg for Erat and Latta

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In a win-now move by the Washington Capitals, they added forward Martin Erat in the middle of the 2012-13 season on the heels of a 58-point campaign, giving up 2012's 11th overall draft pick. Erat flamed out in his one-and-half years with the Capitals and has been out of the NHL since the end of the 2014-15 season.

Filip Forsberg played just five NHL games toward the end of the 2012-13 season and 13 the following year. He has since played 82 games in each of the past three seasons, putting up 185 points in 246 games. Forsberg twice led the team in points and finished third this year. He leads the team with nine goals and 16 points in 20 playoff games.

Forsberg is signed through the 2021-22 season at an average cap hit of $6 million, and hasn't reached his offensive peak.

2. Subban for Weber

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A trade deemed a wash for potential 2016-17 impact was viewed as a long-term play by Poile in order to obtain a younger, cheaper player. While this holds true, P.K. Subban has had a much larger effect than originally expected.

It's rare to see an NHL team trade a current captain, especially one as tenured and dear to fans as Weber. Subban has brought a much more prominent personality to a Predators franchise that's never had a true spokesperson.

Subban fell short of his Norris Trophy-winning performance in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, but he injected star power into a Predators' roster often called boring by outsiders.

1. Fisher for 1st- and 3rd-round draft picks

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It was another ho-hum 42-point season by Mike Fisher in 2016-17, but a strong rebound from his 23 points in 70 games in 2015-16. His playoff performance has been lackluster, failing to score and contributing just four assists in 18 games. As a player, Fisher has been merely average for the Predators.

Fisher's true value has come via his hand in turning Bridgestone Arena into what opposing players and the media have called the toughest place to play during the playoffs. The Predators have lost just one home game, in overtime, during their playoff run. Fisher and wife Carrie Underwood have turned Predators games into the thing to do in Music City. Ticket prices are astronomical and game-day traditions have been travelling with the team.

With Fisher and Underwood combining with Poile to turn the team into a perennial contender for years to come, Nashville is set to remain a hockey hot bed.

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