The Nashville Predators took the league by surprise last season after nearly making the playoffs with what seemed to be a roster ready to tank.
For some, the 2025-26 season fulfilled the wildest of dreams. We witnessed multiple youngsters exceed their expectations; veteran players return to their former glory; and underdog stories that emerge as some of the best in recent years. These are some moments that gave fans a lot of excitement in yet another season of playoff absence.
Five-goal first period versus Sharks | Mar. 24
I remember watching this game right after class, and man was a stoked. Filip Forsberg opened the scoring just 2:34 into the game, potting his 33rd goal of the season. After the San Jose Sharks tied things up, Matthew Wood snapped back to make it 2-1. Then Roman Josi tallied, and so did Luke Evangelista and Brady Skjei. It was one of the most memorable moments of the season and demonstrated how well the team's chemistry was in the closing segments of the year.
Roman Josi's 1000th game | Jan. 24
Josi is the first player in franchise history to ever reach 1000 regular season games purely with the team. The 36-year-old defenseman is also the franchise leader in points, holding the record with 779 points. He is the dictionary definition of a perfect captain. He is well respected on his team and across the league. Achieving such milestone on a team like the Predators, who haven't necessarily shown the most success in his wake, just shows his dedication and loyalty to them and their fans.
Ryan Ufko's first NHL goal | Mar. 10
Ryan Ufko's first NHL goal is quite literally the best goal the Predators scored this season, and one of the best in the entire league as well. He grabbed ahold of the puck and weaved through not one, not two but three Seattle Kraken defenders and went forehand-to-backhand, scoring on goalie Joey Daccord to help Nashville comeback, and ultimately take down the Kraken. He became a more discussed under-the-radar defenseman after scoring that goal, and his future looks bright on the Predators blueline.
Steven Stamkos scores goal 600 | Dec. 31
The winter was when the Predators saw most of its historical moments, and Steven Stamkos' 600th career goal only added to that. He became just the 22nd player in NHL history to reach such milestone. He scored it in Stamkos fashion, whipping a one-timer and hitting the back of the net. The Nashville bench flooded the ice immediately after, congratulating one of the League's greatest goal scorers of all time.
Justus Annunen's shutout versus Ducks | Apr. 7
Justus Annunen was one of the most underrated players on the Predators last season. After a below-average 2024-25 season that saw him post a .888 SV% and 3.17 GAA, Annunen found his confidence and put up stronger stats with following season. In 28 games (23 starts), he posted a .907 SV% and 2.68 GAA. However, the real highlight of last season was his 43-save shutout against the Ducks near the end of the season. It was the team's first shutout in over a year, and a player like Annunen deserves tons of praise for that alone.
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