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Predators F Austin Watson Charged with Domestic Assault

By Chris Clark

DENVER, CO - APRIL 22: Austin Watson #51 of the Nashville Predators celebrates scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 22: Austin Watson #51 of the Nashville Predators celebrates scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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One of the Nashville Predators’ talents, Austin Watson, is involved in a domestic assault case and will appear in court next week, per reports.

A quiet offseason for the Nashville Predators has suddenly taken a sharp turn. News broke Wednesday morning that forward Austin Watson was arrested for domestic assault on Saturday. He was set free with a $4,500 bond on Wednesday.

A Franklin, Tennessee police officer responded to a possible domestic situation at a gas station on Saturday. The Tennessean reports that the passenger was trying to back away from being shoved. Afterwards, she yelled “stop,” while covering her face.

The report says Watson and his girlfriend were having an argument about her drinking and being unable to attend a wedding. The officer noticed red marks on Watson’s girlfriend’s chest.

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The Nashville Predators released a statement on the matter, per The Tennessean:

"“We are aware of the incident involving Austin Watson on Saturday night. … This is a matter that we are taking very seriously and will cooperate fully with the investigation by law enforcement.”"

Watson, a first-round pick in 2010, recently signed a new contract with Nashville in 2017. He has played in 216 regular-season games for the Predators, and scored 23 goals and 24 assists in that span. He has been a solid player for Nashville, so this is definitely unfortunate news.

What’s next?

Watson will attend court next week over the case. If convicted, he may spend nearly a year behind bars. That would disrupt his NHL playing time.

The NHL will also have to decide his suspension. It is rare that the NHL has these kinds of issues during the offseason, but it is likely that they will handle it via suspension.

Will Watson Continue to be a Predator?

If Watson is guilty, I find it hard to believe that the Predators will keep him around. Not only will he miss significant time, but keeping him around could hurt the franchise’s image.

Watson is as talented as they come, so if the suspension by the NHL is harsh enough, the Predators might keep him around. But one thing is for certain, I know how much the team’s image means to General Manager David Poile and his ownership. Their blood is probably boiling right now.

The Predators organization is a huge advocate in fighting against domestic assault. Watson, along with a few more Predators players, were part of MEND, which is a campaign to end violence against women.

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It is possible that Watson could be innocent here, or it is possible that he could have just made a bad decision in the heat of the moment. However, if proven guilty, I do not think we will see Watson back in a Predators jersey.

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