Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

[predfan24]

With respect to the lack of booing by the fans, I think the unfortunate reality is that the hardcore fans that used to drive this fanbase are largely priced out and now it's driven by corporate tickets, out of towners, and new Nashville types showing up for their annual Instagram pic. It's kind of funny how much how this team has mirrored the changes in Nashville more broadly and the loss of the soul that previously made it unique.

My dad had season tickets from inception until 2013. I went to games intermittently between inception to 2005 and then from 2005-2013 had season tickets as well. I haven't been to a home game since game 6 SC finals 2017. Would I be shocked at the environmental difference at the arena if I went to a game in current times?

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

My dad had season tickets from inception until 2013. I went to games intermittently between inception to 2005 and then from 2005-2013 had season tickets as well. I haven't been to a home game since game 6 SC finals 2017. Would I be shocked at the environmental difference at the arena if I went to a game in current times?

The music is louder, and the fans are quieter. The clever videos are gone, and Gnash must have received OSHA violations because he's a more reserved less animated version. The stands never look filled, even though we sell out every night on paper. 303 is a shell of its former self. Familiar chants historically started by 303 now happen more unevenly or not at all. We're told to make noise 90% of the time, but there's nothing to make noise about. Paul is still great, but he doesn't score goals.

Did I mention the "music" was louder?

 

[originalpredfan]

My dad had season tickets from inception until 2013. I went to games intermittently between inception to 2005 and then from 2005-2013 had season tickets as well. I haven't been to a home game since game 6 SC finals 2017. Would I be shocked at the environmental difference at the arena if I went to a game in current times?

I was a season ticket holder for the first 12 years of the Preds coming to Nashville, but my wife and I became too old to come to the games anymore. I also was a Titans PSL/season ticket holder for their first 8 years. I sold my PSL as I realized a good number of the "fans" were just there to be seen. I wonder if the Pred crowd has a good number of people who are there as it's a fun time, until the losing home games takes its toll.

 

[wmupreds]

Empathy is worse than anger, and our lack of booing shows empathy. You boo when you have expectations, and they're not being met. We've stopped expecting to win. The points concerning the in-arena fans are spot-on. It's a sad by-product of success and growth. The question now is, are the Preds too big to fail? In the old days, attendance was fragile and a constant issue. We've "sold out" during this down streak. Will that continue because we have enough convention-goers, corporations, and tourism? We'll see.

For us hardcore originalists, the life is being sucked from us. Memories of Standing-O's during 3rd period timeouts are replaced with droning loss after loss with guys we don't even identify with. Who's left in the Real Pred Category? Josi, Forsberg, Sissons, and maybe Saros (Juuse has never really won anything for us. He's a mini-me, counterfeit Pekka Rinne). Everyone else is associated with losing or is new and under-performed thus far.

How did we get here?

I think the franchise will be fine. The league as a whole is more stable than it was back when the Preds nearly moved. If Buffalo, SJ, Florida, etc. all survived years of poor play, there's no reason Nashville can't do the same.

I mean, look how long it took for the league to allow Arizona to move and that was a total gong show.

BTW, the reason I don't complain too much about the atmosphere change at Bridgestone is that many of the reasons for that also help keep the team in Nashville.

 

[Scoresberg]

We had a dip similar to this in 2012-2014 before we started to head back into contention again in 2015-. I don't think the worst thing in the world would be to draft high this year and start fresh again next year.

If we could draft that elusive 1C next summer and keep ROR as our 2C, I think that could be a solid 1-2- punch down the middle for still a few years while ROR still has something left. We had Mike freaking Ribeiro as our 1C in 2014-2015 and were the best team in the league until Rinne went down.

I think Trotz needs to make some shrewd trades in order for that to happen, though. Think Horny for Neal, or Legwand for Jarnkrok -type of deals. Erat for Forsberg won't happen again. Marchessault could be an enticing piece to move, if we could get him to waive his NMC. Stamkos, too, but I'm afraid we may be stuck with him.

Obviously, the biggest improvements need to be done on the blueline. Fingers crossed at least one of Molendyk or Gibson develop into something good. Josi can still be the 1D for a few more years but needs more help every year. Signing Skjei hasn't paid off and more acquisitions need to be done there.

Saros is an elite goalie who can get us there if the team in front of him is good enough. Rinne was a playoff loser as well, until he wasn't.

 

[Armourboy]

I think alot of Skjei's issue are a combo of system and usage. He may not be what we hoped we were getting, but I think those two things are hurting him as well.

He was basically a Josi light, he needs an Ekholm/McDonagh to partner with. There aren't many guys that can handle playing with Josi, so he shouldn't feel bad about that. It's the reason the Fabbro situation is so frustrating.

 

[101st_fan]

Dead last is out of the mushy middle.

Perspective.

 

[bdub24]

Empathy is worse than anger, and our lack of booing shows empathy. You boo when you have expectations, and they're not being met. We've stopped expecting to win. The points concerning the in-arena fans are spot-on. It's a sad by-product of success and growth. The question now is, are the Preds too big to fail? In the old days, attendance was fragile and a constant issue. We've "sold out" during this down streak. Will that continue because we have enough convention-goers, corporations, and tourism? We'll see.

For us hardcore originalists, the life is being sucked from us. Memories of Standing-O's during 3rd period timeouts are replaced with droning loss after loss with guys we don't even identify with. Who's left in the Real Pred Category? Josi, Forsberg, Sissons, and maybe Saros (Juuse has never really won anything for us. He's a mini-me, counterfeit Pekka Rinne). Everyone else is associated with losing or is new and under-performed thus far.

How did we get here?

Maybe I’m radically out of touch, but I dont see Josi as a Real Pred. Hes pretty and NHL loves defensemen who focus more on offense, but we always liked our D first guys.