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Hockey fans are well aware of the story by now. The Nashville Predators won NHL Free Agency on July 1 with three major moves. Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault joined the Predators to bolster the top-six forward group. And Brady Skjei signed a seven-year contract to give Roman Josi a dependable partner on the top pairing.
The Predators opened the 2024-25 season against the Dallas Stars. And things did not start off on the right foot. The Stars handed Nashville a season-opening loss by the score of 4-3. Losing a season-opening game is not exactly a surprise. However, Nashville's status as one of two winless teams to start the year is a bit of a shock.
The Predators and San Jose Sharks have begun the season without a win. In saying this, the two teams are not entirely alike. The Sharks have two points on the season thanks to an overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues and a shootout loss to the Stars. Meanwhile, the Predators have yet to record a single point this season.
Nashville, like the rest of the league, is partaking in the NHL's Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday. This is their next chance to finally get into the win column. Before the puck drops Tuesday night, though, here are two reasons the Predators remain without a win in 2024-25.
Predators' free agency trio is still adjusting
Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei certainly raise expectations for any team they sign with. As a result, fans likely expected Nashville's expensive trio to make an immediate impact on the ice. However, the Predators have not seen this immediate impact throughout the first five games.
Marchessault, to be fair, has contributed offensively. He is among the team leaders with one goal and four points through these first six games. However, half of these points came in the season-opening loss to the Stars on October 10th.
Stamkos and Skjei, meanwhile, have provided a less tangible impact. Stamkos scored his first goal as a Predators player on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. Skjei has provided one assist in his first six games with Nashville.
None of this is to say these three players are playing terribly. In fact, there is some underlying evidence to suggest they could be playing better. For instance, Stamkos leads all Predators skaters with 3.09 Individual Expected Goals, according to Evolving Hockey.
The overall point is that these three are still adjusting to their new team. Once they get comfortable, each player should start making their impact felt. And the Predators will certainly see better results once these three players find their stride.
Nashville has had trouble preventing goals
Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei are likely to play important roles for the Predators. However, they won't be the sole reason this team plays well. Nashville had a talent roster before their NHL Free Agency haul. And so far, the team as a whole hasn't played well.
One particular area the team has struggled is in preventing goals. The Predators have allowed the seventh-most amount of goals so far this year, according to ESPN. Additionally, only two teams have a lower goaltender save percentage than Nashville to this point.
This problem is more pronounced the deeper you look. For instance, the Predators have allowed the second-highest Goals Against Per 60 Minutes at 5v5, according to Evolving Hockey. Only the Philadelphia Flyers have a higher GA/60 at 5v5 through the start of the season. Furthermore, Nashville has the second-lowest On-Ice Save Percentage at 5v5 so far.
The Predators certainly haven't had a great offensive effort, to be fair. But it does not matter how many goals they score if they can't keep the puck out of their own net. Nashville needs to find some way to limit the goals they allow sooner rather than later if they wish to climb into the playoff race as the season progresses.
