Optimism in Smashville
The Nashville Predators could be better than the hockey world thinks.
It is a new season in Nashville and with the disasters of the 2024-25 season in the rear view mirror the process of writing a new story begins. The Predators have a unique opportunity to, as GM Barry Trotz said, defy the expectations once again. While plenty of questions remain for a Predators team that returns a largely similar roster, the outlook may not be as bleak as many of the projections are laying out. There are a few reasons that the Nashville Predators could surprise the hockey world and be better than expected. With opening night around the corner let’s build some optimism for the Predators season ahead.
They can’t all be that bad again
Much has been made of the down seasons from the Predators star players in 2024-25. It is uncommon that so many players with these types of resumes would underperform at the same time. Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault both dropped by more than 10 goals from the prior year while Filip Forsberg went down by 17(!). When you consider the roster turnover that added players who have been in other systems, a certain amount of regression was reasonable but that much of a drop was shocking. Add some system challenges plus an injured Roman Josi and you get an offensive recipe that was… frankly offensive.
Now that the new season is here it is time to ask, “what is more likely”? Is it more likely that every one of those players, including multiple future Hall of Famers, will be permanently regressed or that at least some of Stamkos, Marchessault, Forsberg and Josi will improve their production. If you consider just a 20% increase in their production then Stamkos goes over 30 goals, Marchessault gets close to 70 points and Forsberg is back to a 90 point pace. A twenty percent increase feels reasonable right? Include a healthy Roman Josi and a defense that is at least functional in front of Juuse Saros and the top of the roster suddenly looks a lot more potent.
A big year of experience
The benefit of a down season for a team with a deep prospect pool like the Predators have is that opportunities can be presented to rookies needing some NHL experience. As injuries and Barry Trotz roster moves cleared out depth, nine different rookie skaters saw their first NHL action.
Based on the preseason activity there are a few of those rookies will see significant roles heading into the 2025-26 season. Joakim Kemell and Fedor Svechkov will likely start on the 2nd forward line alongside Steven Stamkos while Ozzy Weisblatt will start out on the 4th line. Defensively, Adam Wilsby will play alongside Roman Josi while Nic Hague misses the first few weeks of the season. That does not even include Matthew Wood, who was the star of training camp before an injury, and 2025 5th overall pick Brady Martin. In addition to the rookies who made the opening NHL roster, players like Zach L’Heureux and Ryan Ufko are waiting in the wings with the Milwaukee Admirals. The experience gained from even a partial season at the NHL level will help these young players rise to the challenge and become contributors. Those contributions will help take some of the pressure off the veteran stars and create a more consistent team performance.
Lowered expectations
After the Predators were the darlings of the 2024 offseason, a team that had been staring down a lengthy retool months earlier were suddenly being picked to challenge for playoff success. Those expectations placed a heavy burden on newly acquired players looking to fit into a roster that was an incomplete puzzle plus a still young head coach in Andrew Brunette who was tasked with making the puzzle pieces into a work of art. A slow start to the season only increased the pressure and the weight of it all became too much. We all know how the rest of the story played out.
But now the pressure is off, the weight of expectations gone. The hockey world by and large has written them off as a non-factor. The Predators, their veteran players especially, have pride and reputation to uphold in showing that they can do to pull this team out of the depths when nobody expects anything from them. Andrew Brunette has more freedom to try different lines and strategies with purpose instead of desperation. Young talents have the runway to try and make plays without fear of letting the team down. The vibes are high as the Predators shift in role from underwhelming offseason winner to plucky upstart.
Will it all work? Who knows! It is a lot to ask for the veterans to return to form, the young players to continue their growth at the NHL level, and the freedom from expectations to unlock everyone’s best. But that’s what makes it interesting. The Predators in 2025-26 can skate fast, shoot the puck, have fun and be fun. Given how last season went the Predators don’t have to be good but they do need to be fun. Fanbases can get behind a team that is likable and fun. But if these elements do come together, the combination of talent and drive could bring results beyond what the hockey world expects.