The Nashville Predators made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year after a brutal start. The Predators surged through the second half of the regular season to make the playoffs. And while they lost round one to the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville hoped they could build upon their second half form. Accordingly, they attacked NHL Free Agency seeking to make a big statement.
After NHL Free Agency, the Predators are in a fantastic spot. Nashville signed Juuse Saros to keep their core stars in place. And they signed some of the biggest names on the open market to compliment them. Now, Nashville is a legitimate playoff contender.
Whether their offseason success helps them on the ice remains to be seen. However, we can say that this roster still isn't perfect. Let's take a look at their NHL Free Agency moves and identify the biggest Predators roster concern ahead of the new season.
Predators won NHL Free Agency
As mentioned, Nashville signed the three biggest names on the open market. The Predators inked Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault to contracts in NHL Free Agency. Stamkos signed for four years while Marchessault is signed for five seasons.
On the back end, Nashville made another significant addition. They signed Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract this summer. Skjei comes to Nashville after the team traded Ryan McDonagh back to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this offseason.
The Predators made one other notable move. Nashville added depth behind Saros in goal. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood came over from the Dallas Stars. Wedgewood signed a two-year contract with Nashville this summer. He likely replaces Kevin Lankinen, who remains a free agent at this time.
Biggest Predators roster concern
The Predators filled a lot of potential holes through NHL Free Agency. They bolstered their top-six with the signings of Stamkos and Marchessault. They replaced the production lost through the McDonagh trade. And they added quality insurance behind Saros between the pipes.
That said, the biggest Predators roster concern is their center depth. Stamkos can play down the middle if need be. However, he is more suited to play on the wing at this time. This means Nashville is likely to have Ryan O'Reilly and Tommy Novak as the top-six centers.
Those two are fine top-six centers. O'Reilly is an established two-way forward who has a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe to his name. Novak, meanwhile, has emerged over the last few seasons to become a viable second-line center.
However, if one of them gets hurt, then issues arise. Again, Stamkos can play down the middle. In saying that, having him play center for an extended period of time may not be in Nashville's best interest. But they also don't have another player on the roster who could fill in as a top-six center in the event of injury.
Adding another center to the roster would go a long way toward fixing this roster concern. For instance, free agent Tyler Johnson could slot in as the third-line center immediately. Though he isn't the player he was, he has experience playing in the top-six, as well. He could fill in when needed in the case of injury.
The Predators have a strong team already. And they could very well make the Stanley Cup Playoffs with their current group. That said, if Nashville can add another center to the team, it only increases their chances of contending in 2024-25.
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