The Nashville Predators just continue to struggle as more and more games come off the schedule. It is already worrisome, but the more the losing continues, the more difficult it is going to be for the team to get back into the playoff race and have a chance to win anything. This is the furthest thing from what anyone expected from the Predators this season after the massive off-season in which the team brought in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skei while also re-signing Alexandre Carrier and extending Juuse Saros. Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discuss Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz's comments about kicking off a "rebuild plan." Their starter, Saros, struggled at times last season and it was not only a rough start for the team in the first half of 2023-24, he wasn't as consistent as his career has proven. That changed when the team went on a run, but despite his great play this season so far, the Predators are wasting the effort and giving him little to no help every night. Saros is 4-8-2 on the season with a 2.52 GAA, .915 SV%, and two shutouts. With goals around the league up and the Predators' starter playing this well, the team should have a much better record in those games, but scoring has been very hard to come by and the overall play by the team just hasn't been good enough. Not only that, Saros has a 7.4 goals saved above expected this season. Nashville is just 5-10-3, have a -17 goal differential, and have won two of their past 10 games. Something has to give because After finishing with a 2.86 GAA and .906 SV% last season, Saros is right back up to elite status. Since becoming the starter in Nashville (last four seasons excluding 2024-25), Saros has a combined record of 127-83-16 with a 2.66 GAA, .916 SV%, and 12 shutouts. He has finished 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th in Vezina Trophy voting. In those four seasons, the Predators have made two playoff appearances and won four games. He is in the prime of his career, and even though Barry Trotz did a lot to add game-changers, that has somehow made things worse to begin this season. Saros and the other top players on the team won't be at this level forever, so the Predators have to find a way to figure out their season before their Stanley Cup window slams shut quickly. Visit The Hockey News Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news], game day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players], podcasts [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts] and more. RECENT PREDATORS NEWS Nashville Predators Should See More Movement With Another Loss on Road Trip [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-should-see-more-movement-with-another-loss-on-road-trip] Nashville Predators Drop Third Straight in 2-0 Shutout Loss to Calgary Flames [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-day/nashville-predators-drop-third-straight-in-2-0-shutout-loss-to-calgary-flames] Podcast: Fabbro Waived, Hall of Fame Inductions & David Poile Story Time [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts/podcast-fabbro-waived-hall-of-fame-inductions-david-poile-story-time] Nashville Predators Can't Keep Vinnie Hinostroza in AHL Any Longer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-cant-keep-vinnie-hinostroza-in-ahl-any-longer]
