The NHL’s new 84-game format gives the Predators a little more room to breathe, but it also loads the schedule with more chances to get punched in the mouth by divisional rivals. Nashville’s 2026-27 slate is out, and the early read is simple: the opening stretch is demanding, the middle has a few measuring-stick games, and the back end could hand the Predators a real shot at staying in the race.
The season starts at home with two heavyweight Central Division tests right away, as the Predators host the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars. Those are the kind of games that tell you quickly where a team stands, and Nashville will have some added intrigue with former Dallas players Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin now under Predators control.
One of the most eye-catching dates comes on Oct. 25, when Nashville meets Colorado. That game has a built-in reunion feel, with Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux going up against their replacements in Jack Drury and Ross Colton. Chris MacFarland will also get to use his new pieces against his former ones, which makes that matchup stand out even more.
The first month doesn’t really let up after that. Nashville then gets a three-game home run against a tough trio of Cup contenders: the Washington Capitals on Oct. 29, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 31 and the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov.
- That stretch alone could say plenty about how quickly this group settles in.
December brings another interesting test, this time against the Seattle Kraken in back-to-back meetings. The Predators visit Seattle on Dec. 12 and then host the Kraken on Dec.
- Both teams have been described by some analysts as “irrelevant” and “mid,” and the winner of that mini-series can claim a little more relevance out of it.
January features another back-to-back, with Nashville going on the road for two games against the Utah Mammoth. The source points to the Mammoth’s offseason additions of Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee as part of what makes that matchup tougher, and it also notes Utah as one of the up-and-coming teams in the Central Division. If the Predators can hold their own there, it could ease some of the pressure in the division.
The season’s final stretch may end up being the most useful one for Nashville. Four of the team’s last five opponents missed the playoffs by a wide margin last season, including the Chicago Blackhawks on April 1 and 8, the Calgary Flames on April 6 and Seattle on April 6.
The regular-season finale comes against Dallas on April 10. If the Predators are in a similar position to last season, that closing run could give them the kind of wins they need to stay in the wildcard mix.
As for an early prediction, the projection here is 43-27-14 for 100 points. The idea is that this becomes an upside season rather than a runaway one, but still enough to get Nashville into the playoffs. It would also be the first time since the 2018-19 season that the Predators finish with at least 100 points.
The outlook also includes expected growth from Matthew Wood and Luke Evangelista, both of whom are projected to post stronger numbers. Juuse Saros is also forecast to have a better season, with the possibility of finishing above a .900-save percentage for the first time in a while. The new additions are expected to produce solid first-year numbers, and some prospects could step into the lineup and make their mark.
Even with a playoff berth in the forecast, the prediction doesn’t call for a deep run. The expectation is that Nashville could end up in a similar spot to its recent playoff effort against the Vancouver Canucks, winning one of two games before falling just short.
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A busy summer has left Nashville with more bodies than openings, and Chris MacFarlands first months running the front office have already centered on the kind of roster math that can shape a season before it starts. The Predators have added several players, but the next step is less about bringing in talent than trimming the group down to the required 23-man roster, a task that usually forces some uncomfortable decisions on the margins.
The challenge is that the names in play are not all fringe pieces, which is what makes the situation worth watching. Nashville has to balance short-term flexibility against longer-term value, and the kinds of players who could move in this squeeze carry different levels of risk depending on contract, role and upside. For a team trying to stay competitive while sorting out its depth chart, the final moves of camp may end up mattering as much as the additions that came before them. [Read more 🡒]