The Nashville Predators are taking a never-say-die attitude to the end of this season and look like they'll be playing out the chase for the playoffs until the very end.
If that's the case, their best chance of making the playoffs is if Jonathan Marchessault does what he was brought in to do and gets hot during crunch time.
The 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner hasn't had the season that was expected, but a late season run would heal a lot of ill feelings that might exist.
He's played 48 games so far this season and produced 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points total. That isn't terribly far off from his usual pace, but his -29 point-differential last season (2nd worst on the team) and -18 this season have certainly frustrated the player, team, management, and fans. Then came the trade rumors.
He was connected to some rumors this year, and even had to comment on the rumors as the trade deadline came and went, which had to weigh on the well-traveled forward. That uncertainty is over, at least for now. Hopefully, knowing where he'll be for the moment makes things a bit easier on the mental side of the game.
Consistency has been another issue for Marchessault over the course of the season as well. He's only managed to record points in back-to-back games five times this season. As of late, the big guns are producing like crazy. Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly have turned back the clock to have elite years. Filip Forsberg has 9 points in his last 4 games and is red hot at the right time.
Marchessault needs to step up to help Preds to playoff dreams
What the Predators need is a secondary scoring option. In the event the stars can't score, they need a player like Marchessault who can step up and fill in a gap. Only six forwards have more than 10 goals on the year, and only Stamkos, O'Reilly, and Forsberg have more than 20 goals. With a lot of youth in the lineup, players like Marchessault and Erik Haula are going to be crucial cogs.
Now, while he hasn't been scoring, Marchessault is at least driving play. His Corsi is an excellent 56.1 and he's been less sheltered last year, with his offensive zone starts dropping from 73% to 66%. He's also made an effort to up his physicality this season. Last year, he had 77 hits in 78 games, while this year he's already at 64 despite only having played 50 games.
This is also evident in his willingness to step in for other teammates. He's been active in jumping into scrums and backing up teammates after hard hits. He's doing all of the things a wily veteran would do in the middle of an important playoff run. That's exactly what the Predators are looking to be on.
Right now, they're firmly in a playoff spot. If they want to keep it and succeed in the postseason, they'll need Jonathan Marchessault to start playing to his full capabilities.