Predators Still Have Some Hope Amidst Their Many Struggles This Season

The Nashville Predators won the offseason in big signings. They made it clear the Stanley Cup was their goal. So what's going on with them at the start of the season?

That’s why they play the games, right?

The Nashville Predators used the 2024 offseason to beef up on big-name talent. They had one goal in mind throughout the process. That was to win the Stanley Cup.

It was easy to see why the Predators were a darling pick to come out of the Western Conference. They have star power up front. They have a Norris-caliber defenseman on their blue line. They have a goalie who has played at a Vezina-level at times.

Surely adding the likes of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault to a lineup already comprised of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Roman Josi, Juuse Saros and others would get them over the top, right? Right?

So far, not at all. 15 games into their season, the Predators have just five wins and are in real danger of having a long season with not much to play for.

What is going on with the Predators? And do they still have hope to make something out of this season?

A Dreadful Start

The Predators could not have started the season any worse. They went 0-5-0 while being outscored 23-10. Four of their five games were at home.

Then things were maybe taking a turn for the better. The Predators shutout the Boston Bruins 4-0 before recording wins against the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets on consecutive nights. They played far from perfect against the Blue Jackets but got the win in overtime.

However, inconsistency then set in with the Predators. They lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime before being blown out at home by the Edmonton Oilers. They followed those losses up with a convincing win over the Colorado Avalanche 5-2.

The Predators then lost their next three while scoring just four total goals in that span. They will enter the new week coming off a shutout win over the Utah Hockey Club.

The Predators are 5-9-1 in their first 15 games. Not only has their on-ice performance made headlines, their general manager made headlines thanks to a recent interview he gave about where the team was at.

GM Barry Trotz joined 102.5 the Game in Nashville and gave some rather candid remarks about what might happen if things don’t get better. He hinted that they would go into a rebuilding plan.

Barry Trotz hinted at a rebuilding plan if the Predators don’t turn their season around. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/38Photography">Amy Irvin</a> / The Hockey Writers)

While taking that at face value wouldn’t make sense given the current contract structures on the Predators, Trotz’s comments do shine the light on one important thing. The team on the ice has to figure it out. Otherwise, there could be some bigger changes coming.

As someone who got to watch the Blue Jackets/Predators game in person back on Oct 26 at Bridgestone Arena, I got to see firsthand what the Predators looked like. Let’s just say that they weren’t nearly the team I thought they’d be. The question to consider is why.

Should We Have Seen This Coming?

Hardly anyone thought that the Predators would struggle this badly out of the gate. But should we have seen something like this coming?

It’s not the first time a team has loaded up on free-agent signings and not enjoyed success. We’re talking about well-established players joining a brand new team. In Stamkos’ case, it’s the first time he’s ever done that in his Hall-of-Fame career.

Just because a team is front loaded with individual talent, it doesn’t always translate to success right away. In some cases, they are never able to find that chemistry.