There will be no Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Nashville Predators this spring, as their 2024-25 NHL season will end with the disappointment of failing to live up to the lofty expectations that they began the campaign with.
Despite the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, along with the re-signing of goaltender Juuse Saros to a long-term deal, the Predators have inexplicably struggled this season and have routinely been at the bottom of the Western Conference standings as a result. Their season began with a stunning 0-5 mark in their first five games, a complete reversal of what most thought was the start of a special campaign.
After being extremely active in free agency, the Predators were very active at the recently completed 2025 NHL trade deadline. General manager Barry Trotz sent pending UFA forward Gustav Nyquist to the Minnesota Wild and received a 2026 second-round draft pick in return (while retaining half of Nyquist’s salary).
He then acquired Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Luke Schenn and center Tommy Novak, with the former being flipped to the Winnipeg Jets.
And finally, Trotz sent center Mark Jankowski to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2026.
The Predators are going to head into the 2025 offseason with more questions than answers.
Predators’ biggest post-NHL trade deadline concern
The biggest concerns for the Predators are that they appear to have no real direction and that their prospects of reversing their fortunes for next season don’t appear realistic.
While Nashville parted ways with several expiring contracts at the NHL trade deadline, they still have Stamkos and Marchessault on their books for several more years. As far as picking up Bunting, his contract is expiring in the offseason of 2026, and he almost certainly won’t be considered a core member of the team; he could even be used as trade bait by Trotz at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
While discussing the moves that he made at Bridgestone Arena with reporters, Trotz admitted plainly that this was not the situation that Nashville envisioned themselves being in.
“I don’t think we expected to be here where we are,” Trotz said via NHL.com. “The plan is in pen, and it always has been, but the path is in pencil. The plan hasn’t changed, but how we’re going to get there has, because we’re in a selling mode rather than a buying mode. It’s a lot more fun being in the buying mode, and today was difficult.”
Nashville acquired a second-round draft pick in return for Nyquist, which was the biggest asset that they got in return.
Meanwhile, the Predators decided not to trade veteran Ryan O’Reilly to a contending team. They could have potentially picked up multiple assets – perhaps even an NHL-ready player – had they decided to move him. Colton Sissons was also not moved at the deadline. He has one year left on his current contract and could have fetched multiple assets in return.
“Every player was in discussion at some point or another,” Trotz said. “You take values on them, and you set a value for what you would take. And if you don’t get that value, you don’t move that… You set a price for them, and if you don’t get that value, then you just move on.”
Barring meaningful moves during the offseason by Trotz, there really is no reason to believe the 2025-26 NHL season should be any different for the Predators than this one has been.
Barry Trotz made multiple high-profile additions last year
The Predators entered the 2024-25 NHL season viewed by most as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. After all, they added two of the biggest prizes on the free agent market during the offseason that began with the signing of former Tampa Bay Lightning captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion Stamkos.
General manager Trotz continued to act swiftly; he signed 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winning-forward Marchessault, who had been with the Vegas Golden Knights since their inception in 2017. He was one of the biggest keys to their Stanley Cup victory in 2023 but was unable to agree to terms on a new contract that would have kept him in Sin City.
Finally, Trotz also secured reliable defenseman Skjei from the Hurricanes while also locking down goaltender Saros to a lengthy extension.
Unfortunately, the results have not been good. Stamkos has only 23 goals and went several weeks without even registering a single point. Machessault has only 19 goals after scoring 40 last season with Vegas, while Saros’ save percentage has dipped below the .900 mark.
Can the Predators rebound and at least be a playoff team next season?
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