The career of arguably the most recognizable player in Predators history ended Thursday when captain Mike Fisher announced his retirement in an exclusive for The Tennessean.

Fisher played 1,088 NHL games across 17 seasons with the Predators and Ottawa Senators. The 37-year-old became synonymous with the Predators franchise during six-plus seasons, totaling 237 points in 413 games.

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At the conclusion of the Predators’ season following a six-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final, Fisher cited “faith, family and then hockey” as his personal priorities.

"Everyone wants to win in this game, no one probably more than me," Fisher said in June. "But there's other things. At the end of the day, this is a game. It's an important part of my life, but it's not everything."

Nashville believes it has positioned its center depth to withstand the loss of Fisher.

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The Predators’ most significant free-agent addition was center Nick Bonino, who signed a four-year, $16.4 million contract July 1. Bonino’s two-way playing style is reminiscent of Fisher’s, and the 29-year-old is expected to start as the team’s second-line center.

Rexrode:What Mike Fisher's retirement means to the Predators

Ryan Johansen, who signed an eight-year contract last week worth $64 million, will team with Bonino in the Predators’ top six. Calle Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons should center the bottom-six lines, with Frederick Gaudreau also a possibility.

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Fisher’s departure also will require the Predators to select a new captain for the second time in as many seasons. Fisher received the captaincy last September, replacing Shea Weber after the Predators traded the defenseman to the Montreal Canadiens in June 2016.

The two most plausible candidates are defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis, who each remain from last season’s leadership group. Nashville also lost forward and former alternate captain James Neal to the Vegas Golden Knights during the June 21 expansion draft.

More:6 reasons Predators' Mike Fisher will never be forgotten in Nashville

The Predators have $5.4 million in projected salary cap space to potentially add to their roster, according to capfriendly.com.

Reach Adam Vingan at avingan@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamVingan.

PREDATORS TEAM CAPTAINS

Tom Fitzgerald: July 6, 1998 - March 13, 2002

Greg Johnson: Oct. 8, 2002 - June 30, 2006

Scott Walker: Jan. 12, 2003 - Jan. 27, 2003 (interim)

Kimmo Timonen: Oct. 3, 2006 - June 18, 2007

Jason Arnott: Sept. 12, 2007 - June 19, 2010

Shea Weber: July 8, 2010 - June 29, 2016

Mike Fisher: Sept. 8, 2016 - Aug. 3, 2017