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One of the biggest disappointments in the 2024-25 NHL season was the Nashville Predators. In the summer of 2024, general manager Barry Trotz attempted to make the team a contender through NHL free agency. It turned into a failure in the 2024-25 season. The team would miss the playoffs for the second time in three years while having their worst season since their inaugural year of 1998-99.
With the disaster of a season that was 2024-25 now in the past, the Predators look to move forward. Trotz and the rest of the Nashville front office must have confidence in the current roster, as they made limited moves in free agency. This had been a franchise that was a consistent contender. Since the lockout of 2004-05, the team has missed the playoffs just five times. They also reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016-17 and won the Presidents' Trophy in 2017-18.
In their 2021-22 campaign, the Predators made the playoffs and were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. The next year, they would miss the playoffs, but return with a first-round loss in 2023-24. This led to the expectation of growth in 2024-25, but that did not come. They are rolling out a similar roster for 2025-26, but did make a few moves, with one standing out as the best.
Nashville makes some moves
The team made limited moves in the summer of 2025, but they did make some. It started with a trade. The Predators brought back Erik Haula in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, reuniting Haula with the franchise. The Fin was with the franchise in 2020-21, scoring 21 points in 51 games. Still, his production has continued to wane in recent years. After scoring 41 points for the Devils in 2022-23, he saw a drop to 35 points the next year and then 21 in 2024-25. Now he returns to the franchise in hopes of reviving what was once a promising career.
The front office focused on the blue line this offseason and brought in restricted free agent Nicolas Hague. The team sent Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon in exchange for the blue liner. This was a solid move to take care of the defense, especially with questions around Roman Josi. Josi has been diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, which could impact his playing time moving forward. Still, Hague is a depth piece overall, and while he has been solid in his career, he will not be expected to be a top defender.
The same is not true for another defensive move the team made. After sitting 27th in the NHL in goals against in the 2024-25 campaign, the team brought in a major piece to improve that beyond adding Hague.
Nick Perbix may be the perfect move
The Predators signed Nick Perbix in free agency to a two-year deal worth an AAV of $2.75 million. The blue liner was the 169th pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2017 NHL Draft. He would not break into the NHL until the 2022-23 season, playing in 69 games for the Lightning and scoring 20 points. There are a few reasons that this is the perfect move for Nashville.
To begin with, he plays on the right side of the defense, which has been lacking. Josi and Brady Skeji both primarily play on the left side, as does Hague. Further, he is younger than a lot of the current defensemen on the Predators. He is just 27 years old, making him just older than Hague and younger than both Jose and Skjei. While not a young prospect, he still has multiple years of play in front of him, which could be necessary for the franchise.
Perbix is also a player who could potentially shine given the opportunity. In his NHL career, he has averaged under 16 minutes of ice time per game but still has produced both on offense and defense. He is coming off a rough season, seeing his shots blocked and hits numbers both decline, but also his ice time went down with it. Regardless, if he can increase his ice time, which should happen in this situation, Perbix has shown himself to be a capable defender in the NHL.
Can the Predators return to contention?
The Predators are not expected to make the playoffs according to the odds provided by FanDuel. Still, this may be a solid bet to expect them to make the playoffs. This was a team that was projected to make the playoffs in 2024-25 and underperformed. Now, they have improved their defense, with some offensive capability. The addition of Perbix gives them a solid defender on the right side of the defense. Even if Josi plays on the right side, which he has done in the past, the signing of Perbix will give them two solid defensive rotations.
This is not a team that will win the Stanley Cup, but with their defensive additions, it is a team that can compete and should be a contender for a playoff spot. In a tough division, defense can be the difference, and the Predators addressed that this summer.
