Just don't belabor that fact to his bosses. As far as they're concerned, Scott Hartnell is already in a place well beyond his years.

Its called Nashville, and it's where the Predators feel he belongs even though he is only 18 and the youngest player in the league.

"It isn't a right for him to be on this hockey team, it's a privilege," Barry Trotz, coach of the third-year franchise that has been one of the pleasant surprises of the early season, told SportsLine.com. "He's earned that privilege."

Scott Hartnell is one of only two 18-year-olds now in the NHL. (AP)

That Hartnell has done so is less stunning to the organization than the speed with which he has accomplished the task.

The Predators drafted Hartnell in June, taking him in the first round after he scored 27 goals and 55 assists in 62 games for the Prince Albert Raiders, and was voted the Western Hockey League's top prospect. Their plan was to bring him to training camp for a taste of life in the big leagues, and then return him to the junior ranks for more seasoning as they did with previous first-round picks, David Legwand and Brian Finley.

"I think all of us were thinking he'd get his feet wet and then we'd say, 'Go get bigger and stronger and we look forward to seeing you next year,'" said Nashville GM David Poile.

Hartnell had other ideas.

"I tried to come in with the mindset I was going to make the team," said the six-foot-two, 192-pound Hartnell. "If they sent me down I would have had to adjust, but I thought if I worked hard enough, I could stay here."

The native of Regina, Saskatchewan was correct in his assumption, even though organization members debated internally about the best course for his future. Nashville bought itself a little time by placing him on the season-opening roster, knowing it could watch him for nine games before deciding to sending him to junior without being charged for a year of service under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"The big issue was whether he'd be better off playing 26 or 27 minutes a game in junior, or 12 or 13 up here at a much higher pace," said Trotz.

Hartnell, who signed a standard three-year entry level deal that pays him $1.075 million this season, answered those questions with his play. He didn't score any goals, but his physical presence and the intangible skills he displayed made it clear that he would gain nothing back in junior. When the deadline was reached, Hartnell was still a Predator.

"We just couldn't keep him off the team," Trotz said. "Every time we tried to raise the bar and say, 'he can't do it,' he'd get it done."

Which is what Trotz has come to expect. The Predators coach says he has always been impressed with the youngster's work ethic and his abilities to do things you don't see in boxscore.

"He goes to net, takes pucks to the paint and he gets in people's face -- he's exactly the type of player we need," Trotz said. "He'll probably be a captain for us one day."

Hartnell laughed somewhat sheepishly at that suggestion, noting that someone who has limited ice time and plays with a variety of linemates is a long way from wearing a "C" on his jersey. For now, his only concern is making sure he takes advantage of every opportunity he gets.

"It's not the best feeling when you're sitting on the bench, but I understand that they're bringing me along slowly," said Hartnell, who scored his first NHL last weekend against Boston. "Right now I'm grinding and hitting and trying to have a good shift to contribute to the team every time I'm out there.

"I'm getting into a lot of different situations and hopefully I can build up enough trust to get into even more."

That seems to be a given for Trotz, who says Hartnell reminds him of Philadelphia's Rick Tocchet, a hard-nosed, physical and skilled forward.

"I don't think he'll ever score 50 goals, but he'll get 30 goals and they'll probably be 30 important goals," Trotz said. "That's just he way he plays. He always works hard and he doesn't back down."

Hartnell sees no reason why he should. He already held his own against one of the league's toughest fighters, Bryan Marchment of the Sharks, and he realizes that the Predators are looking at him to be a cornerstone of the success they expect in the near future. In other words, he can afford to be patient.

"These are grown men who have been through this and right now, I'm just trying to listen and learn from them," he said. "I'm not trying to be too greedy here, because I know the ice time and things will come.

"But right now, I'm playing in the NHL. The way I look at it, that's pretty cool."