The Nashville Predators have won fiveof their past seven games and coming off an enormous upset over the NHL's top dog, the Colorado Avalanche.
But even still, there is not much hope for the 2025-26 season. The Predators are still barely out of last in the league standings and five points out of a playoff spot. Plenty of time left to make up that ground.
It is tough to be in that spot especially for the second year in a row, and even tougher with so many lingering questions around the organization. For what it is worth, expectations for the Predators were not very high coming into the season, and wins and losses really were not the most important thing.
The biggest thing the Predators could have hoped for going into the season was to come out feeling as good as possible about the future. Once again, the answer to that question still will not be crystal clear in April, but the team and fans can feel better with two developments that have played out.
Nashville Predators getting strong play out of youngsters and trade deadline targets
Reid Schaefer scored his 2nd career NHL goal and put the Predators ahead 2-1 against the Avalanche on Tuesday night on an assist from Fedor Svechkov, his fourth assist of the season.
Two of the most crucial aspects of a team building for the future are how the young guys are playing, and what they can get for guys on expiring contracts. It has not been perfect across the board in that regard, but it is fair to say that the Predators are getting strong play from the most important guys who fit those categories.
Let's start with the youngsters, and specifically, Luke Evangelista, who is showing up in an absolutely critical year for his development. He is getting better and better in every aspect and continuing to showcase his playmaking skills, leading the Predators in assists with 16 and being tied with Filip Forsberg for second on the team in points with 20.
It is unfortunate that Evangelista and GM Barry Trotz had the contract dispute during training camp, because he has shown everything you want to see in terms of progress. If Trotz and the Predators are smart, they will prioritize Evangelista as part of the future, because he is only bound to keep getting better.
The other young guy who is looking good right now is Matthew Wood, who has made an almost immediate impact in his first real NHL season. He is sixth on the team in points with 12, despite playing limited minutes, and he is tied for third among all rookies in goals with eight. You cannot ask for much better than what Wood has given so far this season.
Most of the others have shown some flashes or been merely adequate, including Schaefer. The one young guy who the Predators have truly not seen enough from yet is Svechkov. The start to his second year has been challenging for the 22-year-old, as he just has not made much of an impact at all. The primary assist to Schaefer last night is a promising sign.
There has been some reassurance lately as four of his five points on the season have come in the last two weeks, but regardless, the Predators need more than what they have gotten from him.
Trade candidates are helping their value as of late
Jonathan Marchessault scored the opening goal against the Avalanche on Tuesday via the power play and a crafty set up pass from Ryan O'Reilly. The better Marchessault and O'Reilly play leading up to the deadline, the more offers and better offers that Trotz should receive should he indeed decide to sell everything.
As for the other half of the equation, it mainly centers around Michael Bunting and Erik Haula, who are both on expiring contracts. They are fourth and fifth on the team in points respectively, and doing well in the roles everyone has known them to do well in.
Assuming things continue the way they have gone, playoff contending teams will gladly take Bunting's tenacity and net front presence, as well as Haula's two way ability in the bottom six. It will just be up to the Predators to get appropriate value for both guys at that point.
Ryan O'Reilly has also been discussed as a potential trade candidate, and he is not on an expiring contract, but leads the Predators in points with 22 and has only done more to make himself a desirable add for contending teams.
Even Nick Blankenburg deserves a mention here, as he has played well when given the chance and further shown that he deserves a full time lineup spot. Where it truly gets interesting with him is that he is on an expiring contract, but is only 27 and could still realistically be part of the furture.
Trotz and the Predators will have a big decision to make as far as extending or trading him, and it will be tough to get it right, but it is one of those problems that is a good one to have.
Besides the obvious showcase players, the ones who were just mentioned above are some of the most crucial to dictating how the Predators season fares, and it is good to know that they are getting what they want from almost all of them.