Analyzing the two paths for Nashville Predators in 2026 offseason

It remains unclear how the Nashville Predators will approach their 2026 offseason after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year and awaiting the hiring of a new general manager.

The Predators have a moderate amount of projected cap space that lands them at ninth-most in the NHL according to Spotrac's salary cap projections for 2026-27 season. So if the new GM wants to be aggressive, the funds will be there to get creative.

The two likely paths for the Predators are to continue to tear down the veteran core and turn to a more youthful roster or remain aggressive this offseason in hopes of building around their top veterans.

The Predators cannot ride the fence with this. Choose a path and commit to it.

PATH 1: COMMIT TO THE FRANCHISE'S FIRST EVER TRUE REBUILD

This path is all we've heard about for the past few years. A large portion of the fanbase has begged for this path to stop being a fraud during the regular season only to eventually get exposed by the true contenders.

It appears highly probable this is the path the Predators are about to take, and it has the potential to be a long, dark and bumpy road. Not all rebuilds are created equal. Some are quick turnarounds thanks to a savvy GM that can draft effectively, regardless of draft position.

The Predators once again didn't get any fortuitous luck in the NHL Draft Lottery, failing to move up at all from their 10th draft pick spot. The odds were 3.5 percent to land the top pick, which would've been the first time in franchise history and gave the new GM more than likely franchise changer Gavin McKenna.

There's still some great players to target at 10th with a pretty deep draft class, and the option to trade up. Which if you're committing to the full rebuild path, then this should be your plan. Move a major veteran and try to move up in the top-10. Maybe shop Steven Stamkos or Ryan O'Reilly first.

You definitely have to find a way to move more veterans with this path, otherwise you're just repeating what we've just went through the past two seasons. That means without question finding a way to move on from Jonathan Marchessault, who seems fed up and ready to go anyway.

Now this path almost certainly means missing the playoffs again next year, and probably the year after that as well. It all depends on how confident we are in the development of the young core led by Luke Evangelista, Matthew Wood and others who have yet to make their NHL debut yet.

But hey, at least this franchise will no longer be suffering a perplexing and frustrating indentity crisis. And the next GM will have their clean slate to mold this franchise into a true Stanley Cup contender. But that could also take several years to come to reality.

PATH 2: RELOAD, TRUST THE VETERANS AGAIN, PUSH OFF THE REBUILD ANOTHER YEAR

Behind closed doors, I wonder how worried Nashville Predators ownership is about losing an enormous chunk of fan support and game attendance if this team rebuilds and is in the gutter for several years to come. Think Buffalo, San Jose, Detroit and Chicago.

Buffalo, Chicago and Detroit are all diehard fanbases that will show up no matter what, but San Jose on the other hand has had to wait a long time and yet they still narrowly missed the playoffs again.

Are Predators fans ready to keep showing up when this team enters the unpredictable waters of a rebuild that could take five-plus years before we see playoff hockey on Broadway again? Or will attendance tank and it will be like the early days of opposing fanbases having a home away from home?

This is still ultimately a business, and I just wonder how ownership feels about the bottom line if they choose this path.

As for the action on the ice and building a contender for the future, the next GM is going to probably like this path more. There won't be much pressure for the first couple years because everyone knows that this team won't be a playoff product if they rip apart most of their veteran core.

It looks like a pretty weak free agency class this offseason, so I don't see the Predators making any waves. Maybe a few ripples to build depth, but next season should be all about elevating your young talent to bigger roles. With the exception of a few veterans, because you're not getting rid of everyone and fielding an AHL caliber roster.

If Juuse Saros was coming off a revival of his career, then maybe I would feel slightly different about this. But he's actually coming off his worst year in the NHL in save percentage, Goals Against Average and Quality Start Percentage. So I don't even have goalie to lean on anymore for this franchise.

In the long run, this path is probably the worse path to take. It would be like avoiding to take your medicine while the problem gets worse for you down the road. I expect the next GM to see it that way and to not have qualms about tearing this down as much as possible.

But in the short term, there could be a lot more pain and irrelevancy that this franchise hasn't faced since the early days. If this franchise hits a couple home runs in the upcoming draft, and in 2027, then we can hopefully speed this up.

I see a lot of good, quality prospects in the Predators system right now, but I don't see any locks as franchise changers. That gives me pause and makes me lean towards this likely being a three to five-year process of rebuilding and drafting in the top-10.

Meanwhile, the few veterans who are left will be nearing retirement by then. Nashville all-time greats like Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg, while Stamkos and O'Reilly will already be gone by then.

Time to take our medicine, Smashville. Be sure to finish the full bottle even if symptoms improve.

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