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Nashville Predators: Players With Growing Expectations, Pressure Next Season

By Chad Minton

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 13: Kevin Fiala #22 of the Nashville Predators celebrates with teammates Ryan Ellis #4 and Craig Smith #15 after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period at Bridgestone Arena on March 13, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 13: Kevin Fiala #22 of the Nashville Predators celebrates with teammates Ryan Ellis #4 and Craig Smith #15 after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period at Bridgestone Arena on March 13, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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With the Nashville Predators being largely silent in free agency, it will mean the current core will have to step up their games even more in 2018-19.

A quiet free agency isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Nashville Predators. After all, they came within one game of returning to the Western Conference Finals. Who knows if they would have given the Golden Knights a better fight than the Jets did. This free agency has reaffirmed the notion that GM David Poile is confident that he already has the roster good enough to win it all.

With no major additions, that means that certain players have more pressure on them to raise their level of play. They certainly can’t afford to have any setbacks from the players they count on the most with no big free agency splashes coming in to pick up the slack. Some players have already peaked in their careers, but others should keep getting better.

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For the first time in a while, I’m satisfied with the Predators not being aggressive in free agency. I share the belief that the Predators already have a great roster, and that Poile doesn’t have to get too fancy to keep this team as one of the top contenders. However, let’s take a look at which Predators players will need to elevate their play even more, and do so with more pressure.

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