Post-Mortem: The Nashville Predators Are Still Mediocre
In their relatively short history, the Nashville Predators have been a picture of mediocrity.
They haven't made it beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2017-18. In the past seven seasons, they finished no higher in their division than fourth place.
While the Preds put on a late-season push for a playoff spot this year – going 9-5-1 in their past 15 games – all that did was push them out of a better chance to win this season's NHL draft lottery.
Nashville Predators Eliminated From Stanley Cup Playoff Contention
Nashville's thrilling season comeback falls short, missing the playoffs after a crucial loss and the Kings' victory secures their spot.
What's Next For The Predators?
Whoever replaces Trotz this summer must figure out how to find the type of talent that can compare with generational players in the Central – Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in Colorado, Miro Heiskanen in Dallas, and Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes in Minnesota.
When you ask that question, you essentially answer it. There is no current Predators player who is a true superstar right now. Captain Roman Josi was arguably at that level a few years ago, and although he's still pretty effective, his 55 points in 68 games weren't superstar level.
Until that changes, Nashville will almost assuredly be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
Thus, it really doesn't matter that the Preds will have $29.3 million in cap space this summer. They may swing a trade for a name-brand player, but there will be a reason a team is willing to part ways with that type of talent, and the reason usually isn't one that reflects well on the traded player.
No, the better road ahead is for the new Predators GM to use their honeymoon phase running the team to demand patience and rebuild slowly but surely through the draft. That'll mean there's more significant pain ahead, but that's part of the bargain. You accept the pain, and in return, if you do things properly, you come away with superstars like MacKinnon and Makar. (Colorado drafted Makar fourth overall, not first by winning the lottery.)
Even if Nashville improves next year, we don't see current Preds coach Andrew Brunette being very long for the job with the Preds.
In a best-case scenario for the Predators in 2026-27, they're still likely to be the Central's sixth-best team, behind the Avs, Stars, Wild, Utah Mammoth and Winnipeg Jets. So if that's where you're almost certainly headed as a team, why not embrace it fully, tear the roster down to the studs, and add star talent through the draft?
Only a couple of years ago, the Preds tried retooling on the fly, adding star forwards Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O'Reilly. It hasn't worked out in Nashville's favor. So the next GM should come in hot, go to those players and see where they would accept a trade.
The alternative – bringing back the same players and expecting different results – is the definition of denial. Retooling on the fly is a failed strategy for the Predators, so any attempt to reframe the issue while still trying to fast-track the system should be met with a healthy skepticism.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 12:10 PM.