The start of the Nashville Predators's season may be in shambles with the recent news that defenseman Nicolas Hague is out of the lineup for 4-6 with an upper-body injury. This comes after Hague's abrupt departure from Sunday night's game against the Florida Panthers. He headed to the locker room and never returned for the night.
#Preds defenseman Nic Hague will miss 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury. Hague was injured on Sunday in a preseason game.
— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) September 24, 2025
Hague, 26, was acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights that saw Preds forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and a third-round pick get sent over. After the deal was finalized, Hague signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Predators.
He was expected to play important minutes for Nashville alongside Roman Josi and Brady Skjei. His absence in the lineup now poses multiple questions on what will happen to defensive core. How will Nashville deal with one less star defenseman and who will take on his role?
Predators' D-Core Will Be in Full Rotation for the Next Month with Hague Gone
Hague entered the Nashville system with a lot of weight on his shoulders. After the Predators lost Luke Schenn and Jeremy Lauzon in a span of a few months, Hague was given the important task of making up for their absence. His skills align greatly with his predecessors—a ton of defense and physicality.
He racked up 40 hits and 18 takeaways in 68 games with Vegas last season. The 6'6" 245 lb. LHD would've brought even more physicality to the blueline before it was cut short just a few days ago. Offensively, he wasn't as impressive, only tallying 5 goals and 7 assists. In an elevated role, his numbers would only improve.
With Hague out of the lineup as the season inches closer, Head Coach Andrew Brunette will need to make some important decisions on who to cut and who to keep. Being a defenseman down this early in the year isn't an ideal situation so keeping a few guys on the roster will help ease the tension.
We saw this a bit last year when Josi ended his season with a concussion. Guys like Adam Wilsby, Nick Blankenburg, and Spencer Stastney entered the lineup with the sole purpose of filling the gaps. Brunette will have to rely on his younger players once again to keep the team in balance. However, with the arrival of new names like Tanner Molendyk and Andrew Gibson in the Milwaukee Admirals system, General Manager Barry Trotz and Brunette will have some toys to play with come October.
Who Is Taking a Seasonal Role This October?
There are a handful of guys who we could potentially see take a step in their role as a result of Sunday's injury. A guy that I see as a prime candidate is Wilsby. Brunette has been all over Wilsby's game since the beginning of the preseason. The 25-year-old LHD has shared the ice with Josi in Tuesday's 3-2 Overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Wilsby scored a goal and recorded four assists in 23 games with Nashville last season. He was one of the only players on the roster to end his year with a positive plus/minus (+3). While he is on the shorter side, 6'1", he still applies just as much pressure as a bigger guy would. He had 18 hits and 10 takeaways which is pretty good considering he only suited up 23 times.
Another guy I can see potentially temporarily replacing Hague is Molendyk. He just finished his tenure with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL and is now fixating his attention to hockey in the 50 states. The former first round pick is Nashville's most highly anticipated defensive prospect, and for good reason.
In 28 games with the Tigers, he put up 26 points and the season before that with the Saskatoon Blades, he had 56 points in 50 games. He has incredible hands for a defenseman. His game reminds many of a shorter and younger Josi. While he wouldn't exactly replace that physicality that Nashville needs in Hague's replacement, Mols can make up for it in other areas, such as his offense.
Outside of these two, I see guys like Blankenburg, Justin Barron, and Stastney competing for these spots. Whoever replaces Hague for the time being will have to play a big role regardless. These next few days will play a major role in who we will see in Hague's role come opening night.