The Nashville Predators were one of the teams every hockey fan was keeping a close eye on. After bringing in Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei, and Jonathan Marchessault, they were considered champions of the offseason. Couple that with a team that snuck into the playoffs, it seemed like they were ready to compete again. That the free agents’ will complement the core of Juuse Soros, Roman Josi, and Filip Forsberg.
However a little under a month into the season and things haven’t gone the way the Predators hoped. They’re 3-5-1 good for seven points. Placing them seventh in the Central division. Now sure it’s early in the season, and any hockey fan will tell you it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Yet the reason why there is so much concern is how big the offseason has gone in the past. There are countless examples of teams spending a small fortune in free agency, all for it to blow up in their face during the season.
So are the Predators heading down a similar path as the other offseason champions? Or will they break the stereotype and turn the season around?
What Has Gone Wrong?
Their sub-.500 record has a lot to do with how they started the season. They dropped the first five games they played and didn’t record a point. A five-game losing streak to start the season, only fueled the concerns of them being another cautionary tale. They weren’t just losing games, they were even competitive, losing four of the five by at least two goals. Sure they’ve gone 3-0-1 since that start, however, two of those wins were come-from-behind victories.
The Predators’ main problem so far has been the offense. They’re averaging 2.56 goals per game, which ranks fifth worst in the NHL. They also have a 7.1% shooting percentage—only the Edmonton Oilers have a lower shooting percentage. The scoring problems also occur on the power play. They have a power play percentage of 18.2%. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but these numbers are cause for concern.
The poster boy for these struggles so far has been Stamkos. Stamkos was the biggest prize of the offseason for the Predators. He had been the face of the franchise and one of the top point-getters for years in Tampa. However, in the nine games he’s skated, he’s only racked up three points (1 goal, 2 assists). He’s not the only one struggling but with all the money given to Stamkos, these numbers are inexcusable.
Can the Predators Rebound?
As mentioned earlier, hockey is a marathon, not a sprint. A slow start to the season doesn’t indicate that the season is a total loss. There are several signs that the Predators’ fortunes are turning around. For starters, their penalty kills are among the best in the league. They have a PK% of 93.1, tied with the Stars for best in the league. The Predators aren’t allowing other teams to take advantage of the power play. This is a huge positive because the Predators could lean into defense as their team identity. With Soros and a great penalty kill, they can focus on playing strong defense and preventing goals.
Plus, it would be unfair to completely write this team offense off. Yes, if you’re a Preds fan you have to be concerned with how the offense has started. But that doesn’t mean they can’t figure it out. With such a big offseason, there’s going to be an adjustment period. Especially when you have guys like Stamkos and Marchessault who spent a significant amount of time with one team. It could just take a couple of weeks for the new lines to get familiar with each other. Once that happens the offense could take off, and the Predators to be right back in contention.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image goes to John Russell. You can find more NHL content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter/X.
