The Nashville Predators uncovered a newfound hope as they near the end of the 2025-26 season.
Entering last season, the Predators went all out in free agency hoping to find playoff success, however they greatly came up short, finishing third-last in the league. Heading into this year, expectations couldn't be any lower. The team continued their momentum from the previous season; however, they found their footing as of late and entered the wild card race.
As of writing this, the Predators sit in the second wild card spot in the Western Conference with a 34-31-9 record. The Western playoff race is, as per usual, tight and things couldn't be more frustrating for Nashville. All eight of their remaining games are in its conference and five of them are in the wild card race.
Unfortunately for the Preds, they are a few games ahead of their competitors. If the Preds continue their quiet streak, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, and San Jose could sneak up and steal the spot right under their nose.
In the case that something like this happens and we do miss the postseason for the second consecutive season, there's still things for fans and the organization to look forward to.
This year's draft class is loaded, and the Preds are sitting low enough to benefit
The 2026 NHL Draft will arguably be one of the most stacked in recent years. Gavin McKenna, who leads in most rankings, looks like a generational talent. Ivar Stenberg and Tynan Lawrence wrap out the top three forwards and both of them look strong. Keaton Verhoeff and Chase Reid are the class's top defensemen and they aren't disappointing.
For Nashville, a top five pick isn't realistic. If we continue playing at the pace we're at where we go on a win streak and then replicate that with loses, we'll find ourselves in the 9-12 range. If the draft happened today with no lottery, the Predators (21st in the league) would land the 12th overall pick. In that range, they could select Ryan Lin and Alberts Šmits on D, or Caleb Malhotra at center.
If we miss the playoffs, at least we won't miss in the draft, knock on wood. Taking a look at the guys I mentioned, there's a lot of promise. Lin is an explosive puck-moving defenseman. He's got strong two-way awareness and is good at setting up plays and stopping opposing ones. Šmits is a physical defender, a theme Nashville has paid attention to in their most recent draft selections. Malhotra is another two-way player, especially at the center position where he makes plays with speed and precision.
The surrounding prospects provide similar potential, giving teams a wide selection of talent to choose from; it's no different for the Predators. We've seen what the youth here in Smashville can do, so why not add even more into the mix. That moves us on to my next point.
Nashville's youth has provided a spark, making an unfilling season on paper feel full
We've seen the emergence of young stars in the lineup. Addressing the elephant in the room, Luke Evangelista has looked outstanding this season. He has 10 goals and 40 assists for 50 points this year. He's second in assists and fourth in points on the team, shifting the stat sheet more towards the young.
Matthew Wood has also been phenomal. In his rookie season with Nashville, he's scored 16 goals, fourth most on the team, and 11 assists for 27 points. Fedor Svechkov saw a revival after the Winter Olympics, now with 16 points, seven of which are post-call-up. Reid Schaefer and Ozzy Wiesblatt are bringing the boom with their physicality and neutral zone presence.
Not only are they playing well individually, but they are also very well influencing the veterans around them. Our very own Max Greenberg uncovered a trend regarding Evangelista's impact on the outstanding season Ryan O'Reilly is having at the moment. Together, the two have been one of the best duos in the league and there's a clear difference on the ice when they aren't together.
The lineup combination of Filip Forsberg and Wood has looked nice as well. I'm liking the way things are coming together in Smashville. After Head Coach Andrew Brunette spent half of the season juggling lines trying to figure out what worked, I believe he may have cracked the code. By giving the youngsters a chance at success, the team has a chance at it as well.
We've been in shambles when it came to developing the younger guys. In the past, we saw success from Tommy Novak and Tanner Jeannot, but we'd trade them away when they stopped showing it. Eeli Tolvanen and Philip Tomasino struggled to fill their shoes and like the other two, they also were abandoned by management. With it all coming together now on all ends of the ice, management seems to be happy with how things are going and would be willing to keep these guys.
If we do make the postseason (and from the looks of it, our matchups will be lopsided against us), we can't expect much. I'd love to get a game or two out of our opponents but I don't expect a full blown run. Colorado, Dallas, and Anaheim look like our three most likely first round matchups and the first two are arguably the scariest.
Despite this almost destined playoff elimination, I'd still be happy with the team. We've gotten what we have wanted to see which is the youth come in and do damage. We've witnessed the rival of the veteran core and better numbers from the goaltending department.
Eight games left to prove and Nashville has a lot on their plate. Every single one of these games will play a significant role in whether the team will make the playoffs. Let's walk into the games with a positive mentality and break free from this three-game losing streak.