The most glaring hurdle facing the Nashville Predators when it comes to not only returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs but also being a contender once in the playoffs is finding that depth at the coveted center position.
This has plagued the organization basically since it's conception in 1998. Once you get past the franchise's original draft pick in David Legwand, they've never been able t land a truly franchise-altering center. It's not for a lack of trying by signing aging free agents over the years, but drafting a homegrown center has been even more of a curse for the Predators franchise.
Now this isn't to say that the Predators haven't had some pretty darn good centers here and there over the last two-plus decades. Ryan Johansen had a short spurt of success, and Ryan O'Reilly has had two solid years with Nashville so far and loves playing for this city of Nashville.
Going further back in time, the Predators have a lot of depth centers and role players, but are missing that truly dynamic and elite center that can spearhead your franchise to a Stanley Cup. They've always had second and third line centers, and that goes for O'Reilly now.
Nashville Predators centers for 2025-26: O'Reilly, Stamkos, Svechkov, Sissons, McCarron
Jumping ahead now to current times, the Predators don't have a lot of wiggle room for upgrading this position in the immediate future. They instead just need the guys they already have to play much better than they did last season.
The first most obvious question is who is going to initially take the top line center role? It's probably between O'Reilly or Steven Stamkos. Neither are top line centers on a contending team at this stage of their careers, but then again the Predators aren't a contender so this is what we have. I guess things could be worse.
Unless a big roster shakeup is about to happen, which the trade rumors surrounding Jonathan Marchessault would fall into that, then I'm sticking with O'Reilly at the top line just because the chemistry has been built over two years with Filip Forsberg.
If Marchessault comes back to Nashville, and I have my serious doubts about that right now, then he probably initially should stay on the top line. That gives you an old top line with an average age of 33, but one that should be able to provide you plenty of offense if this team's puck luck can turn around a little bit from last season.
If you trade Marchessault, we'll first have to wait and see what the return is, but that almost certainly opens the door for Luke Evangelista to be elevated to a top line role to open 2025-26. First you have to get Evangelista a new deal as he's a restricted free agent currently.
Either way, O'Reilly looks like the unchallenged top line center unless the Predators are prepared to make a huge trade for pending RFA Marco Rossi. Rossi is rumored to be on the trade block with the Minnesota Wild, and 23-year-old centers of Rossi's caliber to just come on the open market very often. The Predators should be interested although it's going to be tricky and put draft picks on the line.
Without a Rossi or someone else from the outside coming to Nashville, the Predators are prepared to run back the same group of centers that got them nowhere offensively last season.
Fedor Svechkov's encouraging development over the past year and in the AHL playoffs with the Milwaukee Admirals is what the Predators are really banking on. I think you start with Svechkov on the second line to open the season and see if he can do much better than what Tommy Novak was able to do in that same role to open last season.
This would allow Steven Stamkos to play his more effective role at this stage in his career and slot in at second line winger and get fed those pucks on one-timers while also being a mentor to Svechkov and Evangelista. I love this possible scenario of Stamkos on a line with Svechkov and Evangelista, but that only happens if Marchessault stays put.
Predators can possibly boost the middle-six with a free agent center
I don't expect the Predators to go big game hunting for a center, nor should they. Sam Bennett is going to be pursued heavily by everyone around the league when it comes to the center position, and that would certainly send shockwaves around the league if the Predators got him. Bennett is going to hard to pry away from the dynasty in the making Florida Panthers.
John Tavares is going to be a massive name at center so I don't want to just casually skip over his name, but he's almost certainly staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Especially with Mitch Marner likely gone. And since this is a piece on centers, I'm not going to speculate on Marner and if he could fit with the Predators.
Brock Nelson is another big name that will be a free agent center, but again is elevated in age at 33 and wants a contending team ready to win a Stanley Cup now. Just not a great fit for the Predators.
The Predators are once again going to be plagued by questionable and inexperienced depth. They could make a free agency upgrade to their middle six to help considerably. Ryan Donato will bring a lot of interest around the league as a 29-year-old center who just blasted past his career high to 62 points on a horrendous Blackhawks team.
Donato is a free agent center that the Predators need to be ready to pounce on if the Blackhawks are unable to re-sign him. He won't be incredibly expensive and the Predators have the money to put up with just over $17 million in projected cap space per PuckPedia.
Again, this seems a little far-fetched because I can actually see and expect the Blackhawks to find a way to keep Donato. They have boatloads of cap space to make Donato's camp happy and I'm pretty sure Donato is tired of bouncing around the league every two years.
If Donato hits the open market, he's a good fit for Nashville's trying to get younger and also not having to put too much of a cap hit on the line to get him. An estimate of between $4 and $5 million AAV is my estimate.
If something like that doesn't materialize, you've got some middle six centers that are about to be unrestricted free agents. Pius Suter really jumps off the page after Donato. Another outstanding two-way center that plays the game the right way and would fit Barry Trotz's philosophy of forechecking hard and winning in the dirty areas.
Suter and the Vancouver Canucks are going to have a hard time staying together because Suter is due for a big time raise and the Canucks have a lot of roster holes to fill.
Pius Suter joining the Predators in free agency would give them a second or third line center, probably second, and take some early pressure of Svechkov. It would boost their defensive play as well and fill the need to get younger with Suter being just turned 29. And the Predators don't have to break the bank too much to get Suter if he's available.
When thinking about adding some of these middle-six centers potentially, we have to remember that the Predators don't have any free agents aside from Evangelista to worry about re-signing. So their approximate $17 million in cap space doesn't have to be used to re-sign other current players really, giving them more flexibility to add a player like Donato or Suter.
We're all in universal agreement that the Predators don't need to add another veteran way past their prime and become another retirement home for someone.
The fourth line role at center looks like it's either Michael McCarron or Colton Sissons. I'd stick with McCarron there because he's fine in that role, while Sissons should be playing wing at this late stage of his career. The Predators don't need to obsess over a fouth line center with both McCarron and Sissons available.
There's not a ton out there to shop for at the center position, which is normal. Centers are coveted and front offices don't just let these guys walk unless there's a glaring reason why.
If the Predators make no free agency upgrades to the center position this offseason, then they'll be exposed at the position again unless Svechkov just completely breaks out. Maybe Trotz decides to spend that money elsewhere or reserve it for later.
With the salary cap going up significantly over the next few years, the Predators might be better off just playing the waiting game. I still think finding a middle-six center in free agency isn't a bad idea if it makes you younger and faster.