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The Nashville Predators were one of the most active teams during the NHL free agency period, making significant moves to bolster their roster in pursuit of their first-ever Stanley Cup.
They secured former Tampa Bay Lightning captain and future Hall of Fame forward Steven Stamkos, who notched 40 goals in 2023-24, along with 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault, fresh off a career-high 42-goal season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
In addition to these marquee signings, the Predators strengthened their defense by inking Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract and securing goaltender Juuse Saros with a long-term extension. It appeared as though the Predators had all the markings of a serious championship contender.
But to say that the early goings of the 2024-25 season have gone completely wrong would be an understatement. The Predators have amassed only five wins in their first 18 games, and have the NHL's worst 5-on-5 Goals Scored Above Expected at -16.51. Additionally, their 7.48% shooting percentage is ranked dead last in the NHL.
Nashville’s latest setback came in a 2-0 shutout loss to the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome, marking their third consecutive defeat and dropping their record to 5-10-3.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier, as they next face the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday in a rematch of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series from last spring.
What are the biggest surprises and disappointments for the Predators?
Predators' biggest disappointments to start 2024-25 season
Both Stamkos and Marchessault had 82 goals between them last season with their respective teams. The hope from Predators management was the additions of both veterans would give Nashville a major boost not only on the scoresheet but on the power play.
Stamkos has managed just four goals in his first 18 games, a pace of 18 goals over 82 games; he also has a -13 rating. Meanwhile, Marchessault has scored just three goals in 18 games, a pace of 14 goals over a full schedule.
As if that weren't enough, the third member of Nashville's massive free-agent haul over the summer in Brady Sjkei has hardly resembled the stalwart defenseman he was known as while with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, Saros has managed a record of 4-8-2, certainly not the numbers of a starter who just signed a new contract paying him nearly $8 million a season. While his goals-against average remains somewhat respectable at 2.52 with a .915 save percentage, that isn't the case with backup Scott Wedgewood.
Signed by the Predators to give them insurance at the goaltending position after he was regarded as one of the League's better backups playing behind Jake Oettinger with the Dallas Stars, Wedgewood has a pedestrian 3.98 goals-against average and a subpar .862 save percentage.
Predators' biggest surprise to start 2024-25 season
Despite their struggles in nearly every other facet of the game, the Predators actually boast the NHL's best penalty-killing with a 92.1% efficiency rate. The ability to fend off their opposition's power-play opportunities has been one of the few bright spots for Nashville.
Meanwhile, Nashville's power play is currently ranked 12th overall in the NHL.
Is Barry Trotz already threatening to rebuild?
General manager (and former coach) Barry Trotz raised more than a few eyebrows when he spoke candidly and seemed to imply that he was going to begin a rebuilding process for the Predators if things didn't turn around for his club in short order, via Sportsnet.
“I'm trying to do some things right now,” Trotz said during an appearance on 102.5 The Game earlier in the month. “We will be limited a little bit because of some of the contracts that we do have. If we don't get it going, then I'm going to start our rebuild plan.”
“We brought in the veteran players this year to be a threat, and then hopefully in the coming years our young guys come in and they take bigger roles,” Trotz said about the team's goals coming into the year. “If we fall into the position where we fall out and it doesn't come together, then I'm going to start that process and you're gonna see some kids.”
“What we did in the summer was fantasy hockey until we become a good team,” Trotz concluded. “If we do not become a good team, then we're going to see a lot more of our kids starting their process.”
Trotz handed out over $100 million worth of new contracts during the offseason, but things have not come together as he and the players anticipated entering the season. Should things not improve for Nashville, it could go down as one of the more disappointing – and frankly, surprising – seasons in recent memory.
