The Nashville Predators are rolling into Tuesday night with a new look in the middle and a difficult assignment waiting on the other side.
After beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in a shootout on Saturday, Nashville followed that up Sunday with a one-for-one move that brought Shane Wright over from the Seattle Kraken and sent Matthew Wood the other way. The 22-year-old center now gets an immediate chance to make his mark, and Monday’s practice pointed to him sliding straight into the second-line center role.
That means Wright is set to skate between Filip Forsberg and Nils Hoglander against the Carolina Hurricanes, who come in as the defending Stanley Cup champions and have been steamrolling opponents all season. It’s a fast-track opportunity for a player the Predators are hoping can reset his career after being acquired as a former fourth overall pick.
The fit makes sense on paper. Wright is viewed more as a middle-six center over the long haul, though he could also handle top-line duty in a pinch. Nashville is giving him a real shot right away, and he’ll have a chance to show he can be the kind of dependable matchup center teams lean on when they need to free up their scorers.
That’s part of what makes this move so intriguing. Fans always gravitate toward the flashiest first-line names, but there’s real value in a center who can take tough minutes and still keep the offense moving. Wright also gets something he didn’t really have in Seattle: a proven winger like Forsberg alongside him.
While Wright is stepping in, Nicolas Hague appears to be on the outside looking in again. He was on the extra pair at Monday afternoon’s practice, which is not a great sign for his chances of getting back in. After Nashville won with the 11-and-7 setup and Reid Schaefer scored the opening goal in place of Hague, it’s hard to imagine the Predators ripping up that formula quickly.
Hague was scratched against Tampa Bay, and the signs now point to a second straight game out of the lineup. The coaching staff seems to have lost confidence in him for the moment, though that doesn’t mean he’s gone for good. For now, he’ll need to wait, reset, and work his way back in.
In goal, the Predators are expected to go with Juuse Saros, while Carolina is projected to counter with Pyotr Kochetkov. Saros has put up strong numbers this season, and Nashville will be counting on him again after getting a win Saturday with him serving as the backup.
The challenge, though, is a big one. Kochetkov is 10-0 this season with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, so the Predators will need Saros at his sharpest if they want to pull off another win.
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Predators New Look Gives Nashville Fans More Than A Jersey Debate
The Predators latest uniform reveal is doing more than stirring up the usual jersey debate. Nashvilles NHL Hometown Remix look leans into a navy color scheme with yellow stars, part of a rollout designed to tie the team more closely to the citys identity and culture. It is a familiar franchise trying on a fresh presentation, and for a fan base that cares as much about style as symbolism, the details matter.
Nashville is also using the launch to connect the team to one of the citys biggest icons. The club will honor Dolly Parton with a special-edition patch on select game nights, and the jerseys worn for those games will be auctioned for charity to benefit local causes. It gives the new look a purpose beyond aesthetics, turning a uniform reveal into something with a little more civic weight. [Read more 🡒]