The Nashville Predators’ veterans have been the biggest reason why they have a chance at the playoffs.
Ryan O’Reilly has had the most consistent game, Steven Stamkos heated up after a slow start, Filip Forsberg is a dependable scorer, and Roman Josi is a Swiss Army knife on the blue line.
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Even going beyond the team’s stars, Luke Evangelista has earned the nickname “Dishin Magacian,” leading the Predators in assists with 38 and Erik Haula has provided some needed stability down the middle, getting a massive boost post-Olympics.
However, over the last four games, the Predators’ veterans and stars have gone nearly silent, with the younger players carrying the team’s effort.
Forsberg, Evangelista and Haula have all gone scoreless over the last four games, while O’Reilly, Stamkos and Josi all have just two points each in the last four.
When the veterans and stars aren’t going, the Predators as a whole aren’t, as they’ve posted a 1-2-1 over their last four.
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Nashville was originally a point behind the Kraken for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference before the current road trip. Now, it is four points behind Seattle, with San Jose and Los Angeles ahead.
“We’re in a playoff race. We’ve gotta go after it and win some games consistently,” Josi said. “We’ve got to try to win the game and not just hope to win the game.”
The struggles have been most pronounced on the power play, which has gone 1-of-10 (10%) over the last four matchups. That included a rough 0-of-4 execution in a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.
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O’Reilly went as far as calling the Predators’ effort on the power play “garbage.”
This is the worst the Predators’ power play has performed since the start of the season, when the special teams were at a measly 14.3%, converting on just 7-of-49 power-play chances through 16 games.
The only thing that’s kept the Predators afloat is the play of their younger players and Milwaukee callups.
Fedor Svechkov, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 27, notched his first goal in over two months in the loss to Edmonton and had his fourth point in five games. After getting sent down to Milwaukee during the Olympic break, the young center has grown in confidence in his game.
Mar 10, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Nashville Predators forward Fedor Svechkov (40) skates with the puck during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
“I’m feeling good since I got called back up,” Svechkov said. “I feel like my game is growing and I want to keep giving my energy to the guys. Keep skating hard and try to play the same way.”
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Ryan Ufko, who is in his first call-up of the season, has three points in five games and scored his first NHL goal against the Kraken.
Matthew Wood has had the biggest impact of the group, scoring five points in five games and recording the second multi-goal game of his career in a 6-3 win over Boston.
With the Predators slipping out of the playoff race, the young guys have stepped up, but it doesn’t seem like it’s their job to do so.
O’Reilly said after the Edmonton game that while the younger players have done a great job stepping up, the veterans, including himself, need to play better.
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