Nashville Predators Talk Bouncing Back From Nightmare Season That Made Me Look Like A Drooling Idiot
There really is nowhere to go but up...
I don't know if you can remember what you were doing exactly one year ago today, but I can tell you what I was doing: I was telling everyone about how the Nashville Predators were going to be one of the teams to watch during the 2024-25 NHL season.
And they were… if you were watching for teams that were very, very bad.
After going on a spending spree over the summer in which they brought in three of the biggest free agents on the market at the time — Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei — the Preds made everyone (but most importantly, me) look like they had no idea what they were talking about by going on to post the third-worst record in the league.
Not only did they miss the playoffs, but they were also able to plan mid-April golf trips around Christmas.
Now, this season, the Preds are looking to put that behind them… but I'm not going to fall for it this time.
"What’s happened in the last year?" center Fyodor Svechkov goofed, according to the Associated Press. "I don’t remember. Looking forward to this year."
That's a good attitude. Although it might be smart to learn from how bad last year was.
The Predators are looking to bounce back after a 2024-25 campaign that made a lot of people (but most most importantly, me) look like idiots for being excited aboutthem last summer. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
"We’ve proved the experts wrong two years in a row, and we’re hoping to make it three," GM Barry Trotz said.
He's, of course, referring to the way they stunned everyone with a monster run through the spring and into the post-season in 2023-24, made a lot of us who thought they'd be good last year (*raises hands*) look like total dopes, and now maybe they can shock the hockey world again.
I mean, they could, but I think the division they play in will make this tough.
Five teams from the Central Division made the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season: Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis.
I don't see any of those teams dropping off too much this NHL season.
Maybe it all comes together in Nashville this year, but I think playoff spots will be at a premium in the Western Conference this season.