Predators Eliminated From Postseason Contention

It's been a trying season for the Nashville Predators, but thankfully, it will soon end. Following the team's loss to the St. Louis Blues, the Predators have been mathematically eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Predators' loss was a microcosm of their entire campaign. They entered the game with hope, showed a glimpse of hope, and then let it fade away suddenly. After establishing a multi-goal lead heading into the third period, the team allowed three unanswered goals and watched their season take another disappointing turn.

The Predators' season was doomed from the start of the campaign. The team loaded up on veteran talent in the offseason, bringing in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei in one of the most expensive summers in the NHL. Both Marchessault and Stamkos are set to have their least productive offensive seasons, while Skjei has been hammered in his own end during 5-on-5 play.

It didn't help that their starting goalie had the worst season of his career as well. Juuse Saros, one of the most consistent goalies in the NHL since assuming the starting job in Nashville, recorded his first season with a save percentage lower than 90%. Coupled with a career-worst 2.92 goals-against average and it wasn't enough to make. up for the team's struggles in front of him.

Moving into the end of the season and offseason, the Predators are in for major changes. They have major decisions to make regarding their salary cap situation. With multiple players signed to long-term contracts, the organization must decide who is priority and who can be moved to help this team's retooling. The one thing the Predators know for sure is that this roster construction and approach to the season cannot be repeated moving into the 2025-2026 campaign.