No one could've imagined that the Nashville Predators would go backwards from where they were in 2023-24, but here at the midway point of 2024-25 and they're just three points ahead of the last place team in the entire NHL.
Last season, during the first year of the Andrew Brunette era, the Predators were sitting with a record of 22-18-1 for 45 points. They're 12 points behind where they were last season at the halfway mark, with nine fewer wins. Seven overtime losses would change the outlook if they coud've converted at least most of those to wins and gotten the extra points.
It took longer than anyone could've expected for the Predators to get their forwards sorted out. The line combinations, particularly the top-six, has had trouble building sustainable chemistry from game to game, and even period to period within a game.
The acquisitions of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault dominated the offseason headlines around the NHL, but it hasn't translated to success on the ice for the Nashville Predators. It's still a hard mystery to solve on what has went wrong, but the primary factor seems to be just not finishing on scoring chances.
Let's grade the forwards at the halfway mark, and give some predictions on if these players can improve in the second half.
The Nashville Predators Depth Players and Prospects
Fedor Svechkov- 12 Games, 3 Goals, 1 Assist, 12:25 TOI, -2 +/-
Svechkov has been called up twice this season, and each game his confidence seems to be growing. He's got a solid opportunity to remain in the starting lineup deep in the second half of the season with Luke Evangelista being sidelined for possibly the next four weeks due to injury.
You can't help but be encouraged by Svechkov's first taste of NHL action. He just completed his first season in the AHL last season, so he is still very early into his NHL journey. The fact that he already has three goals and looking confident in his skating is a really positive sign.
My bet is that Svechkov plays a vast majority, if not all, of the second half of the season in the Predators lineup. I don't see a reason to send him back to the AHL with the Predators likely heading into another retool phase after the trade deadline passes.
Grade: B+
Adam Wilsby- 15 Games, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 18:43 TOI, +3 Plus/Minus
Wilsby hit an unfortunate speed bump with an injury that has landed him on injured reserve since his last game on December 30. The last injury update from Robby Stanley of NHL.com is that Wilsby is considered week-to-week with an upper body injury.
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Wilsby coming out of training camp, but I don't think any of us could've expected him to make the NHL jump look so seamless. He has looked like a seasoned veteran in his first 15 games of his NHL career.
Wilsby has been effective moving the puck, shown really solid ice vision, and flashed some offensive flare to his game with 22 shots on goal. He's getting a lot of ice time as well at nearly 19 minutes per game. Honestly I have no qualms about what I've seen from him so far.
Fortunately, Spencer Stastney has made his return back to the Predators so that has helped fill in Wilsby's vacancy. However, I would expected Wilsby to be back in the lineup when healthy. It will be a decision between Wilsby and Stastney as they're both left shot defensemen.
Wilsby is waivers exempt so he can be sent back to Milwaukee without worry of someone claiming him. He'll hit RFA status when the offseason arrives.
Grade: A
Nick Blankenburg- 19 Games, 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 18:02 TOI, +9 Plus/Minus
You're going to be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant surprise in the Predators lineup than Nick Blankenburg. A smooth puck mover and skater that brings extra value with his offensive game. And he's also shown he's not shy about getting into shooting lanes and block shots with 22 on the season.
I have to remind myself sometimes that Blankenburg is a defenseman, because he skates like another forward on the ice. He's not a large defenseman at only 5'9", but he also doesn't resist physical play, either.
Blankenburg has stepped into the role after the Predators traded Alexandre Carrier and waived Dante Fabbro in the first half. He is signed at just $775,000 for this season and next, and the Predators are definitely getting their money's worth.
As a right shot defenseman, Blankenburg is pretty safe in the Predators lineup until Jeremy Lauzon returns. Then it might come down to a difficult decision for Brunette to make.
Grade: B
Mark Jankowski- 33 Games, 3 Goals, 5 Assists, 12:59 TOI, 0 Plus/Minus
Jankowski has already surpassed the amount of games he played on the NHL level last season. He has a high chance of passing the 50 games he played for the Predators in 2022-23. This is his third season with Nashville.
I don't necessarily have a huge amount of criticism of Jankowski's play this year. He's the definition of a mid-tier depth forward. Nothing earth-shattering, but to the same token, not a massive liability.
Jankowski also isn't going to be an x-factor that moves the needle for the Predators. He's just kind of there, with the occasional bonus goal that you're not expecting from him. To his credit, he's a quality glue guy that every locker room needs.
Grade: C+
Colton Sissons- 40 Games, 4 Goals, 4 Assists, 14:16 TOI, -13 Plus/Minus
It has been an underwhelming first half for Colton Sissons. My high respect for this guy doesn't change based on a bad first half, but he really does need a surge in the second half of this season.
Sissons is high up on my Predators trade block list. Prospective playoff teams would still have interest in adding a two-way veteran depth forward like Sissons to bolster their roster for the long grind of the postseason. He wins critical faceoffs and plays hard minutes on the penalty kill.
With Sissons having just one more year left after this one on his current contract that's under $3 million AAV, he's an easy player to move at this point. Teams aren't going to show interest in trading for Sissons based on his offense.
Sissons has never been a prolific offensive producer, but even so, this season has been below average even by his standards. And just four assists by a veteran that plays at center is pretty bad, no sugar coating that.
The shot totals for Sissons has really dropped off a cliff. Only 37 shots on goal through his 40 games after piling up 131 shots on goal last season and tying his career high with 15 goals. If you're looking for players who haven't lived up to par individually for the struggling Predators, unfortunately you have to include Sissons.
The only reason Sissons doesn't get a D or F from me is that his faceoff percentage is still impressive at 56.3, which would be the best success rate of his NHL career. He also still does a lot of the dirty work, including 44 blocked shots.
Grade: C-
Michael McCarron- 33 Games, 2 Goals, 3 Assists, 12:50 TOI, -14 Plus/Minus
I can't give the benefit of the doubt to Michael McCarron as I do with Sissons. McCarron is doing very little to benefit this team right now, plain and simple. He takes the fights to build the team energy, and of course he's a heavy hitter. And he's a solid locker room guy. That's all I got in terms of positives.
McCarron is providing virtually zero offense for this team. Only two goals on 26 shots on goal. He's averaging less than a shot on goal per game. He also leads the team in penalty minutes at 41, which isn't a surprise considering he gets the fighting majors.
If you're looking to open up roster space for more prospects to fuel the retool, then McCarron is fully expendable at this point. You're not going to get a return that gives you much of anything, but he's cheap for a team to take on at $900,000. And again, potential playoff teams do like adding physical players for their postseason grind.
McCarron shouldn't be in the picture for this organization long-term. He's coming up on 30-years-old and this team needs to start getting younger and faster.
Grade: D
Cole Smith- 34 Games, 2 Goals, 3 Assists, 13:03 TOI, -9 Plus/Minus
Similar to McCarron, Smith is who he is. A physical player who brings very little offense. That's fine when you're a bottom-six mainstay, but two goals in 34 games is still pretty bad.
Smith has been on injured reserve and hasn't played since December 21. It has given unexpected NHL opportunities for Vinnie Hinostroza, Ozzy Wiesblatt and Fedor Svechkov.
This organization has been resistant to breaking up with McCarron and Smith. At the very least you need to move on from one of them. The "wrecking ball" line shouldn't be untouchable. It's easy to find guys who play like Smith and McCarron. Hard-hitting, physical bottom-six player are everywhere in this league.
I will say if you're keeping one of them, then I'll take Smith over McCarron just because I love what Smith brings on the penalty kill. That strength for Smith alone gives him a decent argument to remain a starter.
Grade: C
Luke Schenn- 41 Games, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 15:28 TOI, -10 Plus/Minus
The value that Luke Schenn brings to the game now really can't be measured by looking at stats. He's a Stanley Cup winner and done a lot of hard time in the NHL that is highly commendable. Over 1,000 NHL games is an incredible feat that deserves the utmost respect.
With that said, Schenn needs to be traded to the first team that shows interest. His on-ice defeciencies outweigh his championship pedigree and he just doesn't fit where this current Predators team needs to be going, which is a shift towards young talent and more speed on both offense and defense.
Today's NHL commands fast defensemen. Schenn has been beaten down ice numerous times this season and put the goalies in a difficult spot to make a save.
Schenn does still provide a big body that can bully players off the puck. That is as long as those dynamic skaters to speed past him. Schenn does have an enormous amount of hits with 159. He has 55 blocks as well, so I have to give him credit for putting his body on the line. That's why there should be at least a couple of team who might show mild interest in the veteran.
Grade: C
Marc Del Gaizo- 21 Games, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 15:39 TOI, 0 Plus/Minus
Del Gaizo was waived earlier in the season and luckily wasn't claimed. He is a steady defensemen who plays smart and moves the puck pretty effectively. I don't see him as a liability when he's out there, but also don't really seem him as a massive game-changer.
The Predators have an abundance of defensemen right now, making it difficult to find a regular starting role for Del Gaizo. He just doesn't do enough to argue putting him in over Stastney or Wilsby.
I would like to see Del Gaizo stick around for the future retool this organization is likely about to undertake. He's only 25-years-old and has been solid for being a fourth-round pick from 2019.
Del Gaizo's current level of play I would call steady, but not to a high level of seeing him take starts from other prospects in the pipeline. If Del Gaizo were to take his offense to another level, which I think he has the capability to do in the second half, then he could still have a long-term future in Nashville.
Grade: B-
I'm going to leave out some newer prospects who just haven't played enough games yet to give them a fair grade. I'll include Justin Barron, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Spencer Stastney and Vinnie Hinostroza in that.
Justus Annunen will be included in the goalie grades with Juuse Saros in a future piece.
Also, I'm including Zachary L'Heureux, Tommy Novak and Luke Evangelista in my next installment of grades because they have a higher ceiling of playing in the top-six.