The Nashville Predators are getting the recognition they deserve, being named as the NHL's most improved team this offseason by The Athletic.
It isn't often that the Predators top a positive list of any kind; anything in the top five for that matter. However, staff writer Dom Luszczyszyn believed that Chris MacFarland's first offseason as Nashville's President of Hockey Operations/General Manager was just too good to ignore, placing it first on his list.
When MacFarland was hired by the Predators organization in June, there were high hopes for the former Colorado Avalanche General Manager. Just days after his arrival, he began making big-time moves.
Prior to the 2026 NHL Draft, he acquired centers Ross Colton and Jack Drury from his former club. He then traded for winger Nils Hoglander, center Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. After the trade-fest, he signed Alex Kerfoot to a two-year contract.
He acquired all these pieces at the expense for future later draft picks and depth forwards. In his first month behind the wheel, MacFarland is already impressing and is giving Nashville a lot to look forward to.
Here's what Luszczyszyn had to say about the moves:
"While no one Nashville added moves the needle in a considerable way, the five players they did add are substantial improvements over who they’ll replace. Nashville had some of the league’s worst forward depth entering the summer; the Predators have addressed that admirably. "Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic
In: Mavrik Bourque, Jack Drury, Ross Colton, Nils Hoglander, Alex Kerfoot, Ilya Lyubushkin
Out: Fedor Svechkov, Erik Haula, Zachary L'Heureux
Luszczyszyn gave the Predators a net rating of +27, meaning they jumped 27 spots since the season prior. This is a huge improvement compared to their rating last season at -4. Under Barry Trotz's control in 2025, Nashville brought in Erik Haula, Nicolas Hague and Nick Perbix, which acted mainly as future trade assets, and depth pieces.
Ultimately, these did not pay off for the Predators. While Haula did act as a core piece to the middle-six forward group, his rights were retained and Nashville did not get anything in return. Hague had injury issues and Perbix didn't breakout like many expected. The rating might've been a tad off, but the overall impact of the signings wasn't much better.
This offseason, the rating is a bit of surprise. Teams liked the Washington Capitals went out and acquired star pieces like Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, but were only rated at three. It is an odd ranking to say the least. Do I believe the Predators deserve first, no. Will I complain about it, not at all.
MacFarland is trying to push the Predators out of irrelevance by upgrading the core weaknesses of the team. Upgrading the bottom six and bottom defensive pairing was a desperate need this offseason, and that was for sure dealt with. We have prospects to fill in the holes, but they don't need depth roles, they need big-time minutes. While we wait for the veterans to depart, we can remain relevant with skillful mid-range talents.
This offseason is a great start to the next chapter of Predators hockey. With big media handing out positive ratings, this season will determine whether those are justifiable or not.
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