For the Nashville Predators, the 2024-25 season has been nothing short of a disaster. For a team that had such promise at the beginning of the year, the first half of the season has been filled with disappointment.
Fans often watch sports with their hearts. Being passionate about a team brings immense joy throughout the season. However, that passion can sometimes cloud judgment. This is why, contrary to popular belief, fans wouldn’t make good general managers.
Many fans may have made it to Thanksgiving, seen the writing on the wall, and declared the Predators’ season over. There was nothing up to that point that made you think this team looked playoff-bound, let alone championship-contending. But the reason they had so much hype and expectation was the talent they entered the season with. It’s that same talent that might have led some to wonder if there was a chance it could all be turned around. Weeks went by, months passed, and the Predators produced nothing but sloppy hockey and poor results.
Yet, on paper, this roster didn’t – and in reality, still doesn’t – seem capable of playing this badly. It’s because of this potential that some fans may have held out hope for a magical, albeit improbable, stretch of hockey. Perhaps a run so impressive it could break the 18-game point streak the team achieved last year.
We’ve just entered February. There are only a few months left in the regular season. The Predators have 30 games remaining and are 18 points back of a wild card spot. Every time you think they will go on a run, they don’t. Every time you think they will build on a positive performance, they follow up with a dud. More often than they can afford, they play like a team that doesn’t realize the urgency of winning. So, should hope be lost for even the most optimistic Predators fans?
Basement dwellers
The Predators are currently 18-27-7. The only teams below them in the Western Conference are the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. Considering the Predators’ average age of just over 28 – placing them in the top half of the league – they are definitely in win-now mode.
For much of the season, Nashville has been dead last in the league for goals scored per game. Recently, they’ve managed to find the back of the net at a higher rate, but even with the improvement, they still rank 30th. They have talent, but they simply cannot score. The Predators are 32nd in shooting percentage during five-on-five play. Some may remember that stat was often used earlier in the season as a reason for optimism. The thought was that, due to the high volume of shots the Predators produced, their shooting percentage had to turn around at some point, meaning their goals per game would obviously increase and the team’s winning percentage would slowly improve.
Well, Nashville is still directing a high volume of shots on net. In fact, they currently rank fifth in that department. Yet, their fortunes still haven’t turned. As mentioned, there are only 30 games left, so it’s hard to believe that a season-long problem is going to change anytime soon.
When it rains, it pours
Many teams place a high importance on having a deep roster. It makes sense: scoring by committee can be an extremely successful tactic. It also means that when certain players or lines are stuck in slumps – something that happens to even the best teams during an 82-game season – team success isn’t as negatively affected because others pick up the slack. But this bad luck, poor play, or all of the above seems to be affecting every player on the Predators’ roster, including their best, and historically, most reliable.
It’s important to clarify that Juuse Saros hasn’t played terribly, by any stretch. In fact, he may be one of the biggest reasons the Predators have won the limited games they have and why their defeats haven’t been more catastrophic. But he hasn’t had the stellar, "Saros-like" season the team has been spoiled with in the past. It could be due to a lack of support, but this has to be the worst time for Saros to have a “down year.” To be fair, with the expectations and the age of the Predators’ stars, it’s the worst time for any player to be having a bad season – and unfortunately, they all are.
The Predators' top scorer, Filip Forsberg, is ranked 34th in the league. The Swedish forward is not far removed from a seven-game goal streak. But even the team’s best forward has struggled to score consistently. When Forsberg is hot, he’s on fire, but he’s been plagued by inconsistency. When the team needs offense the most, it’s not a given that they can rely on Forsberg like they have in the past.
According to Money Puck, the Predators have a 0.6 percent chance of making the postseason. This is the lowest their odds have been all year. The only teams with a bleaker outlook right now are the usual suspects, the Blackhawks and Sharks – though it’s not exactly comforting, given that both of those teams have a zero percent chance.
The Predators have been consistent in one area: failing to string together 60-minute efforts. Their good games often feature a bad period or at least a sustained bad stretch. It’s something players and coaches talk about constantly between periods and after games, yet for some reason, the problem is never corrected.
We constantly hear how the team knows that time is running out in the regular season and how they need to turn things around immediately. Yet, the very next game often looks as bad as the last. To date, the Predators have shown us nothing to suggest they are a contending team. Based on the results – and despite the talk – it doesn’t seem like they even have the answers to correct this trainwreck.
It may still be mathematically possible for the Predators to make the playoffs, but it’s not a good sign when you’re resorting to what is "mathematically possible."
Forsberg mentioned after their last game against the Ottawa Senators – a 5-2 loss – that the team would need to pretty much win every game down the stretch, and he’s right. It’s something that’s improbable in the best of circumstances, but with this team, it may be downright impossible. The clock is about to strike midnight, so yes, even the most optimistic Predators fans may have given up hope for this season.