2024-25 Preview: Nashville Predators NASHVILLE PREDATORS 47-30-5, 99 Pts. 4th Central, 11th Overall 3.24 GF/GP (10th), 3.02 GA/GP (14th), 21.6 PP% (16th), 76.9 PK% (22nd) Top scorer: Filip Forsberg. 82 GP. 48-46-94, 32 PPP, 11 GWG, 347 Shots, 141 Hits, 18:54 TOI/GP 2024-25 BetMGM Stanley Cup Odds: Opening: +3500 Current: +1600 (as of August 22, 2024) Ticket: 9.7%. Handle: 9.8% (as of August 22, 2024) 2023-24 FANTASY RECAP In mid-November, the Preds were 5-10-0 and just lost to the Ducks. They were kind of left for dead but what followed next was one of the most thrilling rides in fantasy hockey last season. Filip Forsberg had an incredible 94-point season and pulled Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly to 75 and 69 points, respectively. Along with Roman Josi, who remains a perennial top-five fantasy defenseman, the Preds rode the wave to a surprising playoff berth. That big line, along with Juuse Saros, who led the league in appearances for the third straight season, and also led in shots against and saves for the second straight season, did virtually all the heavy lifting. No other player scored more than Tommy Novak's 45 points, and the rest of the roster boasted very little in fantasy value. The only exception was human battering ram Jeremy Lauzon, whose 111 blocks and record-setting 383 (!) hits in the cap era made him particularly valuable in banger leagues. (Yours truly was definitely pleased to have rostered him). Gustav Nyquist (14), Roman Josi (59) and Filip Forsberg (9) [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5MjQ0NjgxNTAwODk0ODMy/usatsi_22018666.jpg] Gustav Nyquist (14), Roman Josi (59) and Filip Forsberg (9) 2024-25 FANTASY OUTLOOK Ah, the good stuff. The Preds were big surprises (again) in free agency, landing two of the most coveted forwards: long-time Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and original 'Misfit' Knight Jonathan Marchessault. The Preds took advantage of two cornerstone players who had been cast aside rather unceremoniously by their previous clubs, adding 82 (!) goals to a team that already had a top-10 offense. The Preds had fully embraced and executed Andrew Brunette's more up-tempo offense, and Stamkos and Marchessault should fit right in. Though they may not score 40 goals, it's possible the Preds will boast three 30-goal scorers, something they've never had before. It's necessary depth scoring because it's unlikely O'Reilly and Nyquist can replicate their scoring pace. Forsberg has a chance; he just needs to stay healthy. But with the addition of two top-six forwards, O'Reilly will likely used more in a matchup role with fewer minutes on the power play — Trotz hinted as much — and Nyquist is unlikely to shoot 15 percent or rack up 19 power-play assists again with so many mouths to feed. It's also pretty unusual for a forward to have a career-best season at 34 years old. What will be particularly interesting is how the Preds configure their power play, which has as much impact on their players' individual fantasy values as anything. O'Reilly, Forsberg and Josi took their fair share of the shots on the power play, but Stamkos is also a terrific shooter and Marchessault will also want to shoot, too. Who makes the ultimate sacrifice? It'll likely be O'Reilly, who might play fewer minutes on the power play, but Forsberg, Stamkos, Josi and Marchessault might end up cannibalizing each other's shots and goals. Or, they could just have the most lethal power play in the league and throw more pucks on net than any other team in the cap era. > "Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Ryan O'Reilly did most of the work in terms of > generating chances on the PP last season, so the additions of Stamkos and > Marchessault should help spread the wealth a bit, especially under an Andrew > Brunette system that emphasizes putting the puck on the net as much as > possible." > > - THN Nashville > [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/] editor Emma Lingan > [https://twitter.com/emma_lingan] - The bottom six and the addition of Brady Skjei has some fantasy value, but not much. Novak might have some value in points leagues but I think he needs more top-six minutes to produce, while Luke Evangelista has just been bumped down the depth chart with the addition of Stamkos and Marchessault. The Preds' offense, along with its fantasy options, is incredibly top heavy, and I'd rank Forsberg and Stamkos as their top two players. Should a player from the bottom-six be lucky enough to move up, they might have some streaming value. 2024-25 PROJECTED LINEUP (updated Oct. 5, 2024) Even Strength Filip Forsberg - Ryan O'Reilly - Gustav Nyquist Steven Stamkos - Tommy Novak - Jonathan Marchessault Phil Tomasino - Colton Sissons - Luke Evangelista Mark Jankowski - Mike McCarron - Cole Smith Roman Josi - Dante Fabbro Brady Skjei - Alexandre Carrier Jeremy Lauzon - Luke Schenn Juuse Saros - Scott Wedgewood ex: Juuso Parssinen, Tanner Molendyk, Spencer Stastney Power Play Forsberg - O'Reilly - Nyquist - Stamkos - Josi Sissons - Novak - Evangelista - Marchessault - Skjei SLEEPER: COLTON SISSONS, C/LW No, this isn't a joke. Even though Novak or Stamkos seem like the more ideal second-line center, Stamkos hasn't played center much over the past couple of seasons and Sissons is far more reliable. Sissons will turn 31 in November, so he's likely not going to improve his skill, but with L2 and PP2 minutes, he has an outside chance at scoring 20 goals. In leagues that also count face-off wins and hits, Sissons will have some underrated value, especially with LW eligibility, and odds are he won't be drafted until the last round, if at all. Luke Evangelista [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5MjUwMDA4NjAyNTE5Mzk2/usatsi_23122221.jpg] Luke Evangelista BREAKOUT: LUKE EVANGELISTA, RW Evangelista gets pushed down the depth chart, but there's still a chance the 22-year-old winger breaks out and forces the Preds to move into the top-six. He finished ninth in rookie scoring last season with 39 points in 80 games despite averaging just 14 minutes per game and shooting a paltry 9.3 percent, a number that will surely improve. His possession numbers were very good and he ranked fourth in individual expected goals at 5-on-5 during the season, per naturalstattrick.com. He also stands out as the young player most like to break out because, well, none of the other prospects in the pipeline are expected to make the team. > That's a tough one, and the answer is going to depend largely on where each > ends up playing this season (i.e., what kind of minutes they get). > > Novak was very quietly a top-5 point-getter for the Predators last season and > I could easily see him building on that with some more skilled linemates; and > Evangelista grew immensely more confident as the season went on, which was > evident in his play. He looked like he was on the cusp of really breaking out > offensively toward the end of last season and even in the playoffs, and he > could also benefit from top-six minutes. > > - - THN Nashville [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/] editor > Emma Lingan [https://twitter.com/emma_lingan] on who scores more points, Novak > or Evangelista - BOUNCE-BACK: JUUSO PARSSINEN, C Parssinen's game took a step back in his sophomore season, dropping to 12 points from 25 points in his rookie season, and during certain stretches also sat out as a healthy scratch. Competition for minutes will be tough and the big, burly forward will likely play a bottom-six role. However, I also think Parssinen could play the full slate of games this season and set career highs. He occasionally plays the power play, which should boost his value a little bit. BUST: RYAN O'REILLY, C I doubt O'Reilly comes close to 70 points again largely due to usage. He shot the puck a lot more and made significant contributions on the power play with 28 power-play points, a career high. With Stamkos and Marchessault in the fold, the Preds can now use O'Reilly more in matchup roles and on the PK, allowing them to play O'Reilly fewer minutes and save him for the playoffs where his excellent even-strength game can really tilt the ice in their favor. I think O'Reilly can still be a useful fantasy player but I would caution against drafting him too early. In leagues that count face-off wins, O'Reilly's mastery in the dot may offset the dip in scoring, but it would still make him a mid-draft pick at best. GOALIES Saros will continue to be a workhorse and 60-plus games is totally expected. He's about as safe as you can get among fantasy goalies, though I don't consider him in the same tier as Connor Hellebucyk, who I think is the superior goalie, or Jake Oettinger, who I think will have an easier time winning games on a superior team. If your league emphasizes saves, though, Saros is a top-five option for sure. Scott Wedgewood will have some fantasy value depending on the matchup. I thought he was only fine with the Stars, and whose stats might've looked a little worse than it should've because he was pressed into action more than expected with Oettinger's injuries. I think Wedgewood will bounce back, but given Saros' workload, we won't see him enough to be worth rostering in fantasy. JASON’S TOP 5 POINT PROJECTIONS (based on 82 games) Filip Forsberg, LW - 38-42-80 Steven Stamkos, LW - 38-40-78 Roman Josi, D - 18-53-71 Jonathan Marchessault, RW - 32-32-64 Ryan O'Reilly, C - 20-35-55 YAHOO PRE-SEASON RANKINGS 20. Filip Forsberg, LW 29. Juuse Saros, G 36. Roman Josi, D 61. Steven Stamkos, C/LW 66. Jonathan Marchessault, RW 112. Ryan O'Reilly, C 132. Gustav Nyquist, LW 182. Brady Skjei, D 273. Tommy Novak, C 323. Jeremy Lauzon, D 337. Scott Wedgewood, G 354. Colton Sissons, C/LW 434. 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