The Predators “won” the 2024 off-season, landing elite goal scorers Steven Stamkos and former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault while bolstering the back end with puck-mover Brady Skjei.

It became clear early that the year would go sideways. The Preds lost their first five games, won the next three, then dropped nine of the next 13. An eight-game skid from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 pushed them to 7-16-6, the worst record in the league at that point.

They were slightly better the rest of the way, but two more six-game skids led to a 30-44-8 finish. Their 68 points ranked third-worst, seven ahead of the Blackhawks and 16 clear of the Sharks. Not exactly the result for a team that “won” the summer.

They also did not meaningfully improve their 2025-26 outlook at the deadline. First up, they moved Gustav Nyquist to the Wild for a 2025 second. Next, they traded Luke Schenn and Thomas Novak to the Penguins for Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth. Finally, they sent Mark Jankowski to the Hurricanes for a 2026 fifth.

Stamkos and Marchessault did not meet expectations. Marchessault, 34, went from a 42-goal, 69-point career year in 2023-24 to 21 goals and 56 points in 2024-25. Stamkos slipped from 40 goals and 81 points to 27 and 53.

Filip Forsberg remains Nashville’s best player in his prime, posting 31 goals and 76 points. Ryan O’Reilly chipped in 21 goals and 53 points in 79 games. After arriving, Bunting added five goals and nine points in 18 games.

Among the younger group, Luke Evangelista recorded 10 goals and 32 points in 68 games. Other names to watch: Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L’Heureux, and Nick Blankenburg.

Skjei held steadier than the big-ticket forwards, finishing with 10 goals and 33 points after a 13-goal, 47-point 2023-24. Roman Josi was his usual driver when available, with nine goals and 38 points in 53 games. For once, though, defence was not a Predators calling card.

Perennial Vezina Trophy candidate Juuse Saros had a down year in net, with a .896 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average in 58 games. Backup Scott Wedgewood was traded just five games into the season, and Justus Annunen put up a .888 save percentage in 23 games.

Two big issues awaited: the age curve up front and shoring up the blue line. Their first move was acquiring Erik Haula for prospect Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth. After several pick-related deals, Nashville added Nicolas Hague from Vegas, plus a 2027 third, for Jérémy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. Hague, then an RFA, signed a four-year deal at $5.5 million annually.

They also signed Nick Perbix to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million per season after his stint with the Lightning, and first-rounder Brady Martin inked his entry-level contract.

The notable departures tied to the Hague trade were Sissons, a bottom-six staple who had seven goals and 21 points last season, and Lauzon, a heavy hitter who missed a large chunk of 2024-25 with injury.

The central question heading into 2025-26 is whether last year was a one-off. If Nashville is going to rebound, both Marchessault and Stamkos need bounce-back seasons.

Complicating matters, Josi was diagnosed with POTS in the off-season. He is expected to play, but his effectiveness is hard to project, and his 2024-25 season was cut short after a boarding incident with Florida’s Sam Bennett.

If the stars rebound and Saros returns to form, the Predators have a path back to the postseason in 2025-26. If that doesn’t happen, there needs to be serious talks in Nashville about a rebuild.