The Nashville Predators, now more than ever, are in need of a win as they are ranked 32nd in the NHL, dead last, with 16 points in 21 games.
They had been ahead of the Calgary Flames for a bit, who the Predators defeated 4-2 on Nov. 1, but the Flames have won three straight games and now have a three-point cushion ahead of the Predators.
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Calgary and Nashville are the only two teams in the NHL that have yet to eclipse 20 points this season.
Nashville has lost 10 of its last 12, getting some support from two overtime losses in that stretch. The Predators have won a true road game just once this year, a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 13.
When it comes to divisional play, the Predators are four points behind the St. Louis Blues.
Looking at individual and team statistics, Nashville has the lowest goals-for in the league, scoring just 48 in 21 games, for an average of 2.29 goals per game. The Philadelphia Flyers are second-to-last with 56 goals scored this season.
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That is shown in the Predators’ individual offense: no player who has played more than 5 games this season has a positive plus/minus. There are only two players with over 10 points this season: Filip Forsberg (15 points) and Ryan O’Reilly (13 points).
Four players have 10 points: Matthew Wood, Erik Haula, Luke Evangelista and Michael Bunting. However, the Predators’ top forwards’ lack of production has been concerning. Steven Stamkos has just five points in 21 games, on pace for a career-worst 20 points in 82 games.
Jonathan Marchessault has six points in 18 games and has a plus/minus of -11. Fedor Svechkov’s impact has been non-existent with a point in 19 games.
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Nashville’s goals allowed per game this season is in the bottom six, as opponents are averaging 3.48 goals a game against the Predators.
Its defense recently got a boost with the return of Roman Josi, who has five points in nine games. Brady Skjei has had a tremulous start to the season with a plus/minus of -14, which is the fourth-worst plus/minus in the league out of 776 active players this season.
Nashville has received solid support from its younger players: Spencer Stastney (seven points in 21 games) and Nick Blankenburg (six points in 11 games). Its defense hasn’t been great, but it is one of the better parts of its game.
Their power play is surprisingly not the worst in the league, ranked 26th at 15.4%, scoring on 10 of 65 opportunities.
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The Predators’ penalty killing unit is hanging just outside of the top 10 at 82%, killing 50 of 61 penalties. They’ve also been surprisingly disciplined this season so far, logging 157 penalty minutes, which ranks 30th in the NHL.
Usually, the Predators are leading the league in penalty minutes, but this season, they are near the bottom.
Nov 16, 2025; Stockholm, SWEDEN; Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) heads to the ice before playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Global Series ice hockey game at Avicii Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Juuse Saros still ranks in the top 10 in shots faced (460, 6th) and saves made (412, 6th) in the league, showing that he’s put in a lot of the heavy work for the Predators.
However, unlike Saros, Justus Annunen is ranked among the league’s worst goalies right now. He is 0-3-1 with a goals against average of 3.98, which is the third lowest in the NHL. Annunen’s save percentage of .849 is the fourth lowest in the league.
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Just over the quarter point of the season, the Predators have not made any changes nor have signaled any. General manager Barry Trotz has expressed disappointment in the team, but has not hinted at any coaching changes or potential trades.
Following the Predators 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, head coach Andrew Brunette remained positive that the team could turn things around if they kept working at it and had a hopeful mindset.
The slate doesn’t get better for the Predators this week. They host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday, travel to the Atlantic Division leader Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, face a Chicago Blackhawks team on the road that is defying expectations and host the Winnipeg Jets the next day on Saturday.
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