After a headline-grabbing offseason and sky-high expectations, the Nashville Predators were supposed to turn a corner in 2024-25. Instead, they hit a wall. Last season was a letdown by just about every measure, and now, with the 2025-26 campaign well past the halfway mark, Nashville still finds itself in a dogfight for relevance in the Western Conference playoff race.
At 24-23-5, the Predators are hovering just outside the wild card picture. It’s not where they wanted to be, especially after loading up with veteran talent and signaling they were ready to compete now. The start of the season didn’t help matters - Nashville stumbled out of the gate, looking more like a team searching for answers than one with a clear identity.
So what exactly went wrong early on?
Former Predators goalie and current NHL analyst Chris Mason, speaking on Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, offered some pointed insight. According to Mason, the early struggles were surprising, especially given how the team finished the previous season. There was real optimism heading into this year - Steven Stamkos had settled in, Jonathan Marchessault had shown flashes of his Vegas form, and Ryan O’Reilly remained the steady two-way presence he’s known to be.
But when the puck dropped on the new season, things didn’t click. Mason pointed to a deliberate shift in focus: the Predators were trying to tighten up defensively, but it came at a cost.
Their rush game - a key component of their offensive identity - took a hit, and suddenly, the team couldn’t generate much in transition. That lack of offensive punch made them look flat, and at times, it felt like the team was teetering on the edge of a full-blown reset.
Then came the turnaround.
Somewhere along the way, Nashville started to find its rhythm. The defensive structure they were chasing early on began to solidify, but this time, it didn’t come at the expense of offense.
Their transition game improved, and with it, their ability to create scoring chances. One of the biggest bright spots?
The power play. It’s become a reliable source of offense and has played a major role in keeping them in the playoff hunt.
That said, the margin for error is razor-thin. The Western Conference wild card race is a logjam, and Nashville’s record still leaves them on the outside looking in.
But there’s a pulse. The team that looked like it might be sellers at the trade deadline now has a reason to keep pushing.
There’s still work to do - and not a lot of time to do it - but if the Predators can continue building on their recent form, they might just make things interesting down the stretch.