The Nashville Predators may have been the biggest winners of the 2024 offseason, but they were easily one of the biggest losers of the 2024-25 regular season.
In a fall from grace that absolutely no one saw coming, Nashville went from being a playoff team to finishing as the third-worst team in the league with just 68 points and a minus-60 goal differential in 2024-25 – despite general manager Barry Trotz's offseason spending spree that aimed at bolstering the Predators' offense with the likes of Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos.
The Predators struggled last season, finishing 7th in the Central Division and 14th in the Western Conference, with a record of 30-44-8. They scored 214 goals and conceded 274, and they were eliminated from playoff contention on March 27, following a loss to… yes, the St. Louis Blues.
Trotz was more modest with his approach this offseason, his most significant signings being Nic Hague and Nick Perbix to shore up the Predators' blue line. But the fact remains that – on paper – this team is better than their 2024-25 results suggest. They will look to prove that in 2025-26.
Forwards
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Filip Forsberg | Ryan O'Reilly | Jonathan Marchessault |
Steven Stamkos | Fedor Svechkov | Luke Evangelista |
Michael Bunting | Erik Haula | Joakim Kemell |
Cole Smith | Michael McCarron | Zachary L'Heureux |
Ozzy Wiesblatt |
The Predators are returning largely the same forward group from last season, with some minor changes. Erik Haula, acquired in a salary dump trade with the New Jersey Devils, will likely take over as Nashville's third-line center in the wake of Colton Sissons' departure for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nashville's depth down the middle continues to be a weakness, but there is hope that 22-year-old Fedor Svechkov will take strides this year to secure his role as the team's No. 2 center after debuting last year. As far as scoring, Filip Forsberg is going to need more support from his teammates – particularly veterans like Ryan O'Reilly, Stamkos and Marchessault – than he got last year.
Forward prospect Joakim Kemell has an opportunity to crack Nashville's opening night roster, as do fellow first-round picks Ozzy Wiesblatt and Matthew Wood. All three made their NHL debuts last season, but Wood could probably use some more seasoning at AHL Milwaukee after coming straight from the NCAA last year.
Defensemen/Goaltenders
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Nic Hague | Roman Josi (Shoots L) |
Brady Skjei | Nick Perbix |
Adam Wilsby | Justin Barron |
Jordan Oesterle | Nick Blankenburg |
G: Juuse Saros | G: Justus Annunen |
The revolving door on the Predators' blue line last season should (hopefully) slow down this year with the additions of Hague and Perbix. But both will be tasked with stepping into larger roles than they had with their previous teams in Nashville's top four.
If Hague slots in on the top pairing opposite Roman Josi, the latter will likely have to shift over to the right side (which he's done before, without issue). That leaves Perbix with Brady Skjei on the second pairing and, presumably, Adam Wilsby and Justin Barron on the third.
Nashville also has veteran Jordan Oesterle, whom they picked up off of waivers from the Boston Bruins last season, who will likely serve as the team's seventh defenseman. Beyond that, there's a bit of a logjam on the back end that includes players with NHL experience like Nick Blankenburg and Spencer Stastney, as well as top prospect Tanner Molendyk.
Between the pipes, Nashville has an elite No. 1 goaltender in Juuse Saros. Despite coming off his worst statistical season in 2024-25, Saros is hardly to blame for all of the Predators' woes last season, and his body of work suggests that a bounce-back season in 2025-26 is perfectly reasonable to expect from him. He also has an encouraging counterpart in 25-year-old Justus Annunen, who has proven to be a reliable backup.
What does all of this mean for the St. Louis Blues?
The Blues are coming off a playoff appearance where they pushed the formidable Winnipeg Jets to the brink, and with that come expectations for another playoff push in 2025-26. Can they sustain their competitive momentum? Or will early struggles trigger a pivot toward long-term rebuilding?
After last season, expectations for Nashville couldn't be lower. But on paper, if all goes well (in other words, not at all how it went last year), they do have the talent to compete with St. Louis and be in the mix for a Wild Card berth this year. The Blues have their work cut out for them in the juggernaut that is the Central Division, and every division rival should be considered a potential threat to their success.