Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

[Armourboy]

There in lies the problem. Either Trotz has no idea how to build a roster or Brunette doesn’t know how to use the roster he’s given. Either way I hope they enjoy their Jello cups after the game.

Considering the kind of money these guys make I'm sure its something a bit better than a Jello cup.

 

[PredsV82]

We are now one game short of a PRIMM.

And sadly, we are disproving Steve's adage, as even a 10 game win streak wouldn't fix our season.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Even with a four game winning streak, we are still 10 points with other teams having a game in hand away from the last wildcard spot.

 

[Adz]

Even with a four game winning streak, we are still 10 points with other teams having a game in hand away from the last wildcard spot.

I guess those teams will just have to start losing.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I guess those teams will just have to start losing.

Won't help. Still need 93-95 points minimum.

 

[Armourboy]

Playoffs aren't a thing unless we basically win out and the teams in front of us just all completely collapse.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

26-10-0 get them 93 points, 26-8-2 is 95. This is what Trotz is clinging to.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

It is hard to watch Celebrini last night and not think about adding a talent like that to our team.

 

[Scoresberg]

Playoffs aren't a thing unless we basically win out and the teams in front of us just all completely collapse.

Oh, they're very much a thing. None of the teams battling for that 8th seed are convincing. With two more wins, we're 5 points behind the Blues with the same amount of games played.

People seem to be quick in forgetting that even last year the turn-around didn't start until mid-FEBRUARY. And Nyquist said in an interview earlier this year that they're all just settling into Bruno's system (he was talking about the new-comers mainly) as it takes an unusually long time to get acclimated into the system.

There's still almost half the season to be played. We have the easiest schedule in the whole league. I'm not saying they'll absolutely make the playoffs (won't be surprised if they do, though) but it'll be damn close.

 

[herzausstein]

We are basically in a win 2 lose 1 type of situation. We just hit our 1st 4 game winning streak of the season. The one thing we got going for us is that we have the easiest schedule out of any team for the remaining schedule. Is it possible to make the playoffs? Technically yes. Is it realistic? No, which is why i think we end up somewhere between 8th and 13th overall pick in the 1st round. Itll be good enough to keep Bruno and for Trotz to try and add in the offseason.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Oh, they're very much a thing. None of the teams battling for that 8th seed are convincing. With two more wins, we're 5 points behind the Blues with the same amount of games played.

People seem to be quick in forgetting that even last year the turn-around didn't start until mid-FEBRUARY. And Nyquist said in an interview earlier this year that they're all just settling into Bruno's system (he was talking about the new-comers mainly) as it takes an unusually long time to get acclimated into the system.

There's still almost half the season to be played. We have the easiest schedule in the whole league. I'm not saying they'll absolutely make the playoffs (won't be surprised if they do, though) but it'll be damn close.

We were in a playoff spot at this point last season though. We were on the outside looking in when the win streak started but only by four points versus ten points now so we have a lot more ground to make up. For us to be in the playoff hunt is going to require us to essentially play at a President's Trophy pace for the rest of the season, which we did do last season but I'm not sure I'd bet on it happening again. And even if we do manage that pace we're still just on the bubble and depending on none of the teams ahead of us in the wild card hunt get hot either.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Even with the easy schedule we're at 2.2% chance now. I saw our team come out flat and go down 5-1 to an awful awful tanking team playing a back-to-back game. Ok, they collapsed and we did come back to win. But I'm not going to get too carried away thinking our team can beat the odds and make the playoffs.

But given this draft is really only going to move the needle if we get a #1C candidate - i.e. picking in the top-5 - I'm pretty comfortable predicting we're not bad enough to get that high a pick, and nor will our braintrust in any way invest in trying to improve our chances of getting a higher pick. So, I would write that possibility off just as readily as I write off our possibility of making the playoffs.

Where does that leave us? Picking 7th or 9th or 13th... I don't think any of those spots really matters much for our long-term outlook. So, forget the draft. In which case... win, set a good tone, a good vibe for next season, I guess. As long as we keep playing Svechkov, Novak, ZLH, maybe boost up Annunen's starts a bit along the way too. And don't shy away from taking any asset-maximizing returns on irrelevant veterans at the TDL (Nyquist, Lauzon, Sissons, Schenn etc). Then it's all good. Win as many games as possible, get some positivity back, lock Bruno in for another year, pick 11th, so be it. Maybe we can still set ourselves up a little better for next season if we end this one on a less gloomy note.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Even with the easy schedule we're at 2.2% chance now. I saw our team come out flat and go down 5-1 to an awful awful tanking team playing a back-to-back game. Ok, they collapsed and we did come back to win. But I'm not going to get too carried away thinking our team can beat the odds and make the playoffs.

But given this draft is really only going to move the needle if we get a #1C candidate - i.e. picking in the top-5 - I'm pretty comfortable predicting we're not bad enough to get that high a pick, and nor will our braintrust in any way invest in trying to improve our chances of getting a higher pick. So, I would write that possibility off just as readily as I write off our possibility of making the playoffs.

Where does that leave us? Picking 7th or 9th or 13th... I don't think any of those spots really matters much for our long-term outlook. So, forget the draft. In which case... win, set a good tone, a good vibe for next season, I guess. As long as we keep playing Svechkov, Novak, ZLH, maybe boost up Annunen's starts a bit along the way too. And don't shy away from taking any asset-maximizing returns on irrelevant veterans at the TDL (Nyquist, Lauzon, Sissons, Schenn etc). Then it's all good. Win as many games as possible, get some positivity back, lock Bruno in for another year, pick 11th, so be it. Maybe we can still set ourselves up a little better for next season if we end this one on a less gloomy note.

Pretty much summarized where I am at. I think we are playing at this point, to prove that this team actually can be better than they've shown.

 

[herzausstein]

Good thing is that if we do end up near the 10 pick, there should still be some good d prospects on the board. End up with a Hensler, Mrtka, or Smith. Not really the top C prospect i want but we do really need dmen too

 

[PredsV82]

Won't help. Still need 93-95 points minimum.

Yeah we literally need a triple Primm, 15 game win streak(so 11 more) just to even be in a conversation about the playoffs.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Good thing is that if we do end up near the 10 pick, there should still be some good d prospects on the board. End up with a Hensler, Mrtka, or Smith. Not really the top C prospect i want but we do really need dmen too

O'Brien would be interesting in back part of top 10.

 

[Scoresberg]

I don’t think any of us here are actively rooting for us to lose but many of us acknowledge that by starting to win at this point of the season and playing ourselves out of a top-five draft pick territory could set this organization back for multiple years. Or at least hinder or delay the inevitable.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I don’t think any of us here are actively rooting for us to lose but many of us acknowledge that by starting to win at this point of the season and playing ourselves out of a top-five draft pick territory could set this organization back for multiple years. Or at least hinder or delay the inevitable.

I'm not sure how to quantify the setback effect of a single non-franchise player, but at any rate it does make the rest of the process more difficult. Landing Hagens or Misa might (or might not) give us the kind of piece we'll never otherwise be able to acquire - that player could be the best player in our franchise's history! - although that's by no means guaranteed. Not adding that player will just make it all the more challenging to build a winner via alternate methods. But that's where we're going, so...

 

[Legionnaire11]

Yeah we literally need a triple Primm,

A Primm Trick?

 

[Scoresberg]

I'm not sure how to quantify the setback effect of a single non-franchise player, but at any rate it does make the rest of the process more difficult. Landing Hagens or Misa might (or might not) give us the kind of piece we'll never otherwise be able to acquire - that player could be the best player in our franchise's history! - although that's by no means guaranteed. Not adding that player will just make it all the more challenging to build a winner via alternate methods. But that's where we're going, so...

That, and by "winning out" this year gives Trotz a reason to delay the eventual rebuild (if it'll ever happen), run it back with this group and keep Bruno around. In which case, the same will go on for next year as well (being in the middle).

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

That, and by "winning out" this year gives Trotz a reason to delay the eventual rebuild (if it'll ever happen), run it back with this group and keep Bruno around. In which case, the same will go on for next year as well (being in the middle).

Or at least "hoping to be in the middle"... i.e. hoping or a wildcard spot. It's still a certain form of "fun". As long as we start the season better next year and can actually hold onto that hope through most of the season.

 

[herzausstein]

I'm not sure how to quantify the setback effect of a single non-franchise player, but at any rate it does make the rest of the process more difficult. Landing Hagens or Misa might (or might not) give us the kind of piece we'll never otherwise be able to acquire - that player could be the best player in our franchise's history! - although that's by no means guaranteed. Not adding that player will just make it all the more challenging to build a winner via alternate methods. But that's where we're going, so...

Worst part of landing just out of the playoffs is that we dont get a player with a high chance of being a future foundational piece. Maybe we get lucky and we get one anyways but....

Stamkos will be 35 in feb
Marchessault will be 35 next season
RoR will be 34 in feb
Forsberg will be 31 next season
Nyquist will be 36 next season... he isnt under contract but we arent exactly giving younger players top 6 time.

Our top 6 is very old for the NHL. We arent exposing younger players much to top 6 roles and responsibilities. So we are going to need a young player to either make a leap and be too good to ignore or we will continue the UFA bandaid program. We added some UFA bandaids this season to try and add depth and yet just like last season we are being held afloat by a single line and the powerplay. Not really an improvement even though we threw money at the problem. Saros' massive contract isnt going to look any better either if his play continues like it has in Bruno's system.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Another thing to maybe now be wary of on the Saros contract front... once his NMC kicks in on the new contract, he's the guy we are forced to protect in the next Expansion Draft. All signs continue to indicate that another Expansion will happen in the next 2-3 years. I think we should make every effort to take a verrrrry close look at Annunen down the stretch this season. Because he'll be on the chopping block for the next Expansion Draft, just like Askarov might have been, once Saros' NMC kicks in July 1st.