Predators’ dream scenario in 2025 NHL Free Agency

The Nashville Predators were nothing short of an abject disappointment throughout the 2024-25 NHL season.

They entered the campaign with bonafide Stanley Cup expectations thanks to the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, and they also re-signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension. General manager Barry Trotz essentially went “all-in” to try and bring the Stanley Cup to Nashville for the first time, but they came nowhere close to making those dreams a reality.

The Predators got off to a shocking 0-5 start, the worst in franchise history, even dating back to their days in the late 1990s as a lowly expansion franchise with no reasonable expectation of success. Stamkos and Marchessault both struggled to score goals, while Nashville’s porous defense failed to provide support for Saros.

With a record of 30-44-8, the Predators missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a wide margin and are left wondering how and why things went wrong.

Marchessault has already hinted that signing with the Predators may have been a mistake and that he’d be open to moving on after just one season of the five-year contract he signed, according to a report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

“After a disastrous, 28th place finish, the Predators need to get younger. In a hurry. And they’d be smart to also shed one of their long-term commitments to older players, too,” he wrote. “The belief is Marchessault is open to moving on after one year in the Music City. His production dipped, like everyone’s, as Nashville struggled to score. But he’s eminently capable of bouncing back with a 30-goal season with strong value to cap.”

Additionally, Ryan O’Reilly likely won’t be in Nashville much longer as he approaches age 35. He was reportedly asked about his interest in being moved back to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he played in 2023, though he turned down the request.

What would the right moves for Trotz be this summer if they managed to find a taker for Marchessault and O’Reilly’s contracts? Right now, the Predators have approximately $17.3 million worth of cap space to utilize this offseason.

Signing Sam Bennett would be a dream for Predators

The Predators would have a notable hole to fill in their lineup if they managed to trade one or both of Marchessault and O’Reilly. Sam Bennett, who is playing in his third consecutive Stanley Cup Final with the Florida Panthers and could win back-to-back championships, is going to be one of the most notable names on the free agent market in the summer.

Bennett is known for his physical play and timely goal scoring, and would certainly bring a boost to a Nashville offense that finished second-to-last in the NHL this season. While Marchessault and Stamkos were both brought in to help with Nashville’s goal scoring, both players underperformed compared to their usual outputs. They’re also both 34 and 35, respectively, and not getting any younger. Bennett is only 28 and has several more years of his prime left.

Nashville should target an impact defenseman