Last season was anything but ideal for the Nashville Predators and even more so for Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
The pair were two blockbuster signings by the Predators in the offseason and sparked conversation that Nashville could be a serious contender that fall.
That conversation quickly died out as the Predators finished seventh in the Central Division with a 30-44-8 record, one of the worst finishes in franchise history.
About a month before training camp, Stamkos and Marchessault were in attendance at the Sun Life Pro-Am, a hockey game/fundraiser held annually in Quebec City. They spoke to local media on Aug. 14 about last season and what's ahead this fall.
"We're trying to forget about that one," Stamkos said on last season. "There was some new excitement for some of the new guys last year. It was obviously a tough transition and now we're coming in a lot more comfortable."
The biggest things that both Stamkos and Marchessault talked about were the transition to Nashville and how they both feel a bit more settled in this season. When they both arrived in Nashville last summer, both had spent long stretches with their previous teams.
Stamkos had been drafted by Tampa Bay in 2008, spent 16 years with the organization and won two Stanley Cups. He was also the team captain for a decade.
"It's tough cause you get to July 1st as a free agent and it moves fast," Stamkos said. "You don't have much time, you pick a team, you sign and then you've got to start from scratch. I always use the line that I used to have all the answers and now I'm in a place where I had all the questions.
"I was in Tampa for 16 years and if anyone had an issue with anyone else, they always came to me and I had the answer. That was an adjustment for sure."
"Routine" was one of the biggest changes for Stamkos upon arriving in Nashville. He said he felt like he took it for granted in Tampa after spending so much time on one team.
"You're doing many things unconsciously when you're coming to the rink," Stamkos said. "You have a gameday routine that just happened and everyone knew what you were doing...sometimes you forget that accumulated many years with the same people...
"All I can say is now I'm in a much better spot coming in [to the season].
It was a similar situation for Marchessault, who had spent seven seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights and won a Stanley Cup in 2023. He originally wanted to stay in Vegas, but couldn't agree to a contract length with management.
There was a lot of hype for the Predators when Marchessault had arrived, but it had fizzled out quickly in the regular season. He said he was initially disappointed with the situation in Nashville, not being able to win, but has settled in on and off the ice, and is looking forward to the upcoming season.
"Now, we're turning the page. I'm really happy in Nashville. It's a great pace of life for my family," Marchessault said in an article in Le Journal De Quebec. "I'm lucky to be here, and in these situations, it's important to look back on your journey. If you had told me 20 years ago that I would be playing for an NHL organization, I would have kept my mouth shut and said nothing."
Coming into this season, both Stamkos and Marchessault know that outside expectations are low. The Hockey News has the Predators finishing seventh in the Central Division. Marchessault sees that as motivation and an opportunity for better results than last season.
"It will be different because there are fewer expectations, and when there are fewer expectations, you can surprise," Marchessault said.
The hype for the Predators is much lower than it was a year ago, but Stamkos believes that he and the team are in a good place with training camp on the horizon.
"There's certainly not as much hype," Stamkos said on expectations compared to last year. "People on the outside are probably not giving us a chance to rebound, which is fine. We understand what we need to do better as a group.
"Hopefully, you can just flush what we did last year, learn from it, move on and come in with a newfound excitement."