The Nashville Predators are struggling offensively. Currently they rank 25th in goals for, which isn't helping combat their league-worst 65 goals against in 18 games. They have only scored 46. The Preds players, coaches, and fans are incredibly frustrated.
Well, most of the players.
The Andrew Brunette system pushes the idea of fast-paced and creative offensive play in a lightly structured system. We saw that with the right mix in the 2023-2024 season as a large number of players were able to reach career high numbers.
The following season in 2024-2025, we saw a different mix of players and more than a few come back down to Earth. Currently we're waiting to see things shake out over the rest of the year, but as the Predators head to Europe, a quarter of the season has almost ticked by.
We are seeing a few players who seem to be standing out and thriving in the system. Here they are.
Filip Forsberg
The caveat here is that Forsberg is clearly an elite offensive player, however he's had his best season under Brunette in 2023-2024 with a high water mark of 94 points. The 2024-2025 season wasn't as productive, but the whole team was down, and he took nearly 100 less shots. During his time under Brunette, Forsberg has played 182 games and scored 184 points.
This year Forsberg is a touch off his point per game pace, but with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 18 games, and has already thrown 113 shots towards the net.
Forsberg is a very good passer and playmaker, but he also needs to be a volume shooter. If he keeps that up he'll continue to thrive.
Ryan O'Reilly
At 34-years-old you'd expect O'Reilly to be heading towards the down swing of his career, but with Brunette he has seen a resurgence on offense.
The "big" season for everyone saw O'Reilly put up 69 points, which was his 2nd highest ever, and was five years after his peak offensive totals. The 2024-2025 season saw a regression naturally, but his 53 points was basically his business as usual mark.
Through his 179 games with Brunette as his head coach, O'Reilly has scored 135 points, a great stretch of offensive play.
This season with 18 games played, O'Reilly is right behind Forsberg with 13 points, and he's been vocal about feeling like both he and the team are struggling. If he gets hot and is feeling it he will be taking a run at another 60 or 70-point season.
Michael McCarron
While Michael McCarron isn't a prolific scorer, he's been used the most as a pro under Brunette. His 162 games has yielded 40 points, but his role with the team has expanded.
The previous two seasons McCarron has seen his usage increase, and he's gotten international action with Team USA's World Championships gold medal squad.
While four points (1 goal and 3 assists) in 18 games isn't hugely impressive, considering his previous paces, he's in line to be at or around his career high. If he can manage to play a full season we might see the full extent of the offense that McCarron brings.
Erik Haula
The return of Erik Haula has been fruitful so far for the Predators. He's not the player he was in his 20s, but Haula has shown a spark of what was in this offense so far.
Haula's last four seasons have produced point totals of 44, 41, 35, and 21. He's been on different teams and in different roles, but it looked like a typical early 30s march towards retirement.
Haula said hold the phone and has 10 points out of the gate in the Predators first 18 games. That pace sticks him right back up into the 44-point range, which is the 2nd highest of his career and the true best case scenario. His 55 points with Vegas in the 2017-18 season when everyone was absurd on that team.
If Haula stays as a fixture on the power play and stays playing at least 16 minutes a night, look for him to be a major driver in this offense.
There are a few honorable mentions to keep an eye on like Luke Evangelista, Michael Bunting, Spencer Stastney, and Matthew Wood, and as we approach the halfway point we should have a better understanding if this Brunette system can provide sustainable offense.