The Nashville Predators are looking to bounce back, coming off an awful 2024-25 season. The Predators entered the year with a lot of promise after some big free agent signings. The team brought in Steven Stamkos, as well as Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei.
However, things went worse than anyone could've expected. The Predators' additions all underperformed, and the team finished well outside the playoff race. By the end of the season, the Predators had just a 30-44-8 record and 68 points.
The Predators didn't make a ton of huge additions this offseason, but will look towards internal improvement in order to make progress. As the start of the season draws close, below is a look at the battles we'll see for lineup spots during the preseason.
Predators could have battle on the blue line
When all players are healthy, we have a pretty good idea of what the Predators' blue line would look like. Roman Josi remains the most important piece, while Brady Skjei remains under contract until 2031. Meanwhile, the team added Nicolas Hague this offseason, as well as Nick Perbix.
Then, rounding out the group, we'd expect both Justin Barron and Nick Blankenburg to get regular playing time.
However, while Roman Josi will be ready for the start of the season, Nicolas Hague is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. As a result, there could be an open spot within the defense group to start the season.
Adam Wilsby is one of the defensemen who could benefit from an opportunity. Wilsby played 23 games with the Predators last season, averaging about 18 minutes per game with a plus-3 rating. However, his season was cut short with a shoulder injury in February.
Other defenders who could push for a roster spot would be Spencer Stastney, Andreas Englund, and Jordan Oesterle. All three played 15-plus games with the Predators last season. Meanwhile, Tanner Molendyk could also make a case for himself with a strong training camp. Molendyk was a 2023 first-round pick, but is still more likely to start the season in the AHL.
But especially with Hague unavailable to start the season, we'll see a few defenders battling for roster spots on the blue line.
Young forwards could battle for top-9 spot
While the injury to Nicolas Hague leaves some questions on the blue line, the more interesting training camp battles will come within the forward group.
As of now, the Predators only really have seven forwards who can be expected to take on a top-nine role. These would be: Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, Michael Bunting, Fedor Svechkov, and Erik Haula. That number will reach eight if Luke Evangelista signs a new contract before the season begins.
Zachary L'Heureux may be the frontrunner to take the last spot in the top nine, after spending last season with the Predators. Across 62 games, the forward posted five goals and 15 points.
However, he could face some competition, especially from Joakim Kemell. Like L'Heureux, Kemell is also a former first-round pick of the Predators. This past season, Kemell posted 19 goals and 40 points in 65 games with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.
Meanwhile, two other prospects could also make a case for themselves: Matthew Wood and Brady Martin.
Wood is 20 years old and was selected 15th overall by the Predators in 2023. The 6-foot-5 forward spent the last three seasons in the NCAA before making the jump to professional hockey. Wood also played six games with the Predators to end last season.
Martin, on the other hand, was selected fifth overall this year and is just 18 years old. The forward posted 33 goals and 72 points in 57 OHL games last season with the Soo Greyhounds. Keeping Martin could also add a more skilled center to the top nine. While Martin is a less likely bet to crack the roster, a good preseason could set him up to do so.
Battle in top-nine impacts remaining roster spots
While the team's top-nine may be the most interesting situation to follow, the Predators will also have decision to make for the rest of their forward group. This will also be impacted by which forwards end up cracking the top-nine.
We can expect that both Michael McCarron and Cole Smith will take fourth-line spots. As a result, we could see another one of those young forwards starting on the fourth line. It's unlikely that the Predators would keep Martin just to use him down the lineup, and would likely just return him to the OHL for the year. However, we could see any of L'Heureux, Kemell, or Wood round out the fourth line, if they don't break into the top nine.
However, we could also see Ozzy Wiesblatt push for the fourth-line spot. Wiesblatt is 23 years old and was selected 31st overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2020. The forward scored 15 goals and 40 points with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals last season, and also got into five games with the Predators. While Wiesblatt would be less-suited to a top-nine role, there's an argument that he could be the best fit to round out the fourth line. If Wiesblatt doesn't win a spot in the lineup, he could still end up as the 13th/14th forward.
