TNT and ESPN’s 2026-27 NHL broadcast calendar came out Wednesday, and for Predators fans, the headline was hard to miss: Nashville barely made the cut again.
After a 2024-25 season that brought nine national TV appearances, the Predators are down to just two this time around. ESPN+ picked up three games, TNT grabbed none, and the overall national footprint is a steep falloff for a team that, by the numbers, moved in the right direction last season.
Nashville finished 38-34-10 and just missed the playoffs, a result that came after then-general manager Barry Trotz quietly upgraded the roster in the 2025 offseason. He strengthened the defensive group and added a middle-six centerman, and the Predators climbed out of the hole they had dug for themselves in 2024-25.
This offseason brought another round of additions that should have raised the club’s profile, too. Forward Mavrik Bourque is expected to inject more scoring into the top six.
Alex Kerfoot, Nils Hoglander, Ross Colton and Jack Drury were brought in to stabilize the bottom six and deepen the forward group. On the blue line, Ilya Lyubushkin gives Nashville a stay-at-home presence who should help keep the puck out of its own end and buy Juuse Saros and Justus Annunen a little more breathing room.
Even with all that, the Predators are getting only three games on ESPN+ and zero on TNT. It’s a frustrating look for a team that improved its roster and, at least on paper, should be more watchable than it was a year ago.
The three national broadcasts Nashville does have are worth circling.
First up is Nov. 5 at Colorado. That one carries plenty of built-in intrigue, with Jack Drury and Ross Colton returning to their former Avalanche team and Chris MacFarland also back in the building.
MacFarland, now Predators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, helped build a competitive Colorado team after its cup run and made a number of high-risk, high-reward moves along the way. With so many of his hires and signings tied to the Avalanche organization, this one has a chance to deepen the connection between the two sides.
Then comes Nov. 10 at Los Angeles, another reunion game of sorts, though this one is centered on the front office. One of MacFarland’s biggest moves this offseason was hiring Rob Blake as Executive V.P of Hockey Ops. Blake had been the Kings’ general manager and was behind several key pieces in Los Angeles, including drafting Brandt Clarke and Quinton Byfield and trading for Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore.
The final nationally televised game is Jan. 5 against Edmonton in Nashville. Unlike the first two, there isn’t much reunion drama attached to this one.
The main draw is the setting: it’s a home game, which gives the Predators a chance to put their fanbase and atmosphere on display. If anything, the source of the spotlight may be the Oilers, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl typically playing well against Nashville.