The Nashville Predators will hit the ice for training camp this week facing heightened expectations. After last season's unlikely playoff run and this summer's massive free-agent haul, this Predators camp marks the first step toward a highly anticipated 2024-25 campaign. Here are three storylines to watch as training camp gets underway this week at Ford Ice Center Bellevue: STEVEN STAMKOS, JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT & BRADY SKJEI One of the biggest questions ahead of Predators training camp is where the offseason acquisitions will slot in. Special attention will be paid to Steven Stamkos and whether he ends up at center, where he would fill the Predators' greatest need, or on the wing, where he has played for the last several years under Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos speaks to the media at his first in-person availability since signing a four-year, $32 million contract in free agency. Regardless of where Stamkos plays, it has been widely assumed that fellow free-agent acquisition Jonathan Marchessault will be his line mate on the wing; but there is also the question of whether the Predators will break up last season's top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist to shake up the top six. On the blue line, the addition of Brady Skjei could mean some reshuffling of the top four defensemen. If Skjei plays on the top pairing, it's possible that left-handed defenseman Roman Josi stays on the right side, where he previously moved to play with Ryan McDonagh. There's also the possibility that Skjei drops to the second pairing to work with a right-handed defenseman like Alexandre Carrier, Dante Fabbro or Luke Schenn. Everyone likes to overreact to forward line combinations and defensive pairings that get rolled out at various points during training camp, but the purpose of camp is to try out every combination possible to see which players have the best chemistry with one another and complement each other's skills. Expect head coach Andrew Brunette to play the Predators' new arrivals all throughout the lineup during training camp and the preseason without committing to a single lineup before Opening Night. DEFINED ROLES ON SPECIAL TEAMS General manager Barry Trotz said in July that one of his priorities during free agency was acquiring pieces that would allow Predators players to have defined roles on special teams, specializing on either the penalty kill or the power play. Last season, players such as McDonagh, Josi, O'Reilly and others pulled double duty and logged significant minutes with both special teams units, but don't expect to see that as much – if at all – this season. The addition of Stamkos in particular should provide a major boost on the power play. He has 49 power-play goals over the past five seasons with Tampa Bay, including 19 last season alone. Meanwhile, Skjei will be a significant addition to the penalty kill after logging significant minutes to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to an NHL-best 86.4% success rate on the kill last season. WHO GETS THE 23RD ROSTER SPOT? After signing RFA forward Philip Tomasino to a one-year deal on Wednesday, the Predators have 22 players under contract heading into training camp. They can carry a maximum of 23 on their active roster, and while no jobs are technically safe, it would take a minor miracle for any of the other 40-plus players at camp to beat out any of those under contract for a roster spot. In that case, the Predators will have one final spot to fill, and with space at a premium, the competition should be fierce. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The on-ice portion of Predators training camp begins Thursday at Ford Ice Center Bellevue. For more information, including the roster and practice schedule, click here [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-announce-2024-training-camp-roster].
