Last season, no NHL team experienced a more disheartening outcome than the Nashville Predators. Despite significant offseason investment to bolster their roster, the team underperformed, finishing well outside of playoff contention after a challenging 82-game campaign.
The pressing question now is whether the Predators can rebound. Or, is General Manager Barry Trotz left with an aging core of veterans and emerging prospects who haven`t yet reached their full NHL potential?
Nashville struggled defensively and offensively across all positions last season. Compounding their difficulties, poor luck in the draft lottery saw them drop two spots. Nevertheless, the organization is pleased with their fifth overall selection, Brady Martin, who has already signed his entry-level contract.
Until they demonstrate otherwise, the Predators appear to be a team in transition, seemingly caught between different generations of players.
The roster showcases a clear generational divide: seasoned veterans like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Ryan O`Reilly, and Roman Josi (all 34 or older) who are still expected to carry significant responsibilities, alongside a cohort of promising young talents such as Fedor Svechkov, Luke Evangelista, Zachary L`Heureux, Matthew Wood, and Brady Martin, who are in their early twenties or younger and striving to establish themselves in the NHL.
The critical challenge is whether these two groups can coalesce effectively to achieve the right synergy, or if the Predators are destined for a potentially difficult, forced rebuilding phase.
This article continues our series examining all 32 NHL teams, focusing now on the Nashville Predators.
Newcomer to Watch: Nic Hague
Nic Hague, acquired from Vegas this summer, quickly inked a four-year extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $5.5 million. He is expected to elevate beyond a bottom-pair defenseman role in Nashville, possibly necessitating a shift to playing on the right side, despite being a left-shot. Hague has expressed comfort playing both sides, but his ability to perform effectively higher in the defensive lineup remains to be seen. In Vegas, a crowded defensive corps limited Hague to an average of 17 minutes per game last season, including some penalty-kill duties. Given his new contract, the Predators hope Hague can secure a top-four position and contribute more offensively than his NHL career-high of 17 points. While he showed more offensive flair in junior hockey, Nashville provides the 26-year-old an opportunity to maximize his potential as he enters his prime.
Under-the-Radar Player to Watch: Fedor Svechkov
Nashville currently lacks significant depth at the center position. While there`s speculation about their 2025 first-round pick potentially earning a spot, another question arises: will 34-year-old Erik Haula be tasked with starting as the second-line center? This would be a considerable challenge for a player who averaged under 15 minutes per game and recorded just 21 points last season with New Jersey. Michael McCarron, who took the second-most faceoffs for Nashville last year, is likely better suited for a bottom-six role. Even Steven Stamkos, though a strong offensive presence, is probably more effective as a winger at this point in his career. Therefore, Fedor Svechkov is the key player to monitor. The 22-year-old has a legitimate opportunity to claim the second-line center position with an impressive training camp, or could earn it as the season progresses. For the Predators to improve, several young players must step up, and Svechkov`s development at center is crucial. He registered 17 points in 52 games during his rookie season.
Top Prospect: Brady Martin
Selected fifth overall in the most recent NHL Draft, Brady Martin is a formidable prospect. Known for his hard-hitting style, ferocious forechecking, and consistent offensive production (goals and points), he also plays the highly valued center position. Martin performed impressively at the prospect tournament Nashville attended and will enter training camp competing for a roster spot with the NHL team. Having signed his entry-level contract, the 18-year-old is now ineligible for NCAA play, meaning his path is either to the NHL or back to the CHL. At the close of last season, Predators GM Barry Trotz emphasized creating opportunities for young players within the system to earn their way onto the main roster. While other prospects like Joakim Kemell might be considered further along in their development timeline, a strong showing from Martin at camp could at least secure him a nine-game trial in the NHL.
Three Burning Questions
1. Can anything be salvaged after such a failure in 2024-25?
The Predators were widely regarded as “winning” the 2024 offseason, generating significant excitement around the acquisitions of Marchessault and Stamkos. Their commitment to immediate contention was further underscored by re-signing Juuse Saros and trading Yaroslav Askarov. However, the first year of this strategy concluded with profound disappointment: missing the playoffs by 28 points and ending with the third-worst record in the NHL. Despite this, Head Coach Andrew Brunette was retained, as the team aims to move past the 2024-25 season, attributing its struggles to a period of extensive change. Nashville critically needs to improve defensively, having finished with the sixth-highest Goals Against Average (GAA) in the league. However, their offense was arguably the most significant letdown, ranking 31st overall (though their power play was a respectable 18th). Both Marchessault and Stamkos experienced underwhelming debut seasons in Nashville. The central question is whether they, and the rest of the team, can spearhead a collective turnaround.
2. Can Juuse Saros still be elite?
From the 2020-21 to 2022-23 seasons, Juuse Saros consistently showcased elite performance, maintaining a .920 save percentage—a top-four mark among NHL starting goaltenders—and earning a Vezina Trophy finalist nomination. He emerged as one of the league`s most dependable netminders, logging over 60 starts for three consecutive years. However, over the past two seasons, Saros`s save percentage has declined, and he has posted negative goals saved above expected. At 30 years old, there remains potential for a rebound season, which is absolutely vital for the Predators` aspirations of re-entering playoff contention. The upcoming 2025-26 season marks the first year of an eight-year contract extension, signed in 2024, carrying a $7.74 million cap hit.
3. Will Luke Evangelista have a contract before the season starts?
While veterans like Stamkos, Marchessault, and O`Reilly are crucial, the development of Nashville`s players in their early twenties will be instrumental in lifting the team out of its struggles. Among these young talents, Luke Evangelista has achieved the most success to date, although his points-per-game production plateaued between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Last year, Evangelista recorded 10 goals and 32 points in 68 games. Despite this, he has yet to sign a contract extension and remains one of the few restricted free agents (RFAs) on the roster. With training camp commencing and no deal finalized, a prolonged negotiation risks a slow start for both Evangelista and the team.