The Nashville Predators’ 2026-27 schedule is filled with games that can define the franchise’s direction. Their battle with the Central Division (28 games in total), along with some matchups against the Eastern Conference, will go a long way in determining whether they make the playoffs. They came just short of that goal last season.
The Predators also have plenty of revenge games in store. The club hired general manager Chris MacFarland away from the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche, and MacFarland acquired young center Mavrik Bourque from the Dallas Stars, taking advantage of their strapped cap space and needing to re-sign Jason Robertson. Overall, there are many narratives on the schedule, and the Predators have at least five very important games for fans.
Home Opener: Wild vs. Predators: Oct. 1, 2026
The Predators have a lot of new pieces to show off, and the fanbase will get to experience them on Oct. 1, their first game of the season. This will be an introduction to pieces like Bourque, Jack Drury, Ross Colton, Nils Hoglander, and potentially even some rookies like Aidan Fink.
The Wild are stiff competition, but they have their weaknesses. They acquired more center depth in Blake Coleman, but they lost a ton of their scoring depth in free agency (Mats Zuccarello, Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Johansson).
If the Predators can stop their defensive depth and the crowd can pressure Filip Gustavsson (or perhaps youngster Jesper Wallstedt) to make mistakes, the Predators can win their first game of the season. That would go a long way towards providing optimism, something that wasn’t present at the beginning of last season.
MacFarland’s Return to Colorado: Predators vs. Avalanche, Nov. 5, 2026
The Predators will play the Avalanche plenty of times this season, but this game will mark the first time they travel to Colorado. It will also be the return game for MacFarland.
MacFarland left the Avalanche to become the Predators’ general manager/president of hockey operations on June 2, 2026. He had been with the Avalanche since 2015, working with GM Joe Sakic.
There didn’t seem to be animosity between the two; it was more of MacFarland leaving for a promotion. Still, it came out of nowhere. I wrote a piece about who the Predators were interviewing for GM, and he wasn’t mentioned as a candidate at all.
With the pair split apart, the question arises of who was more responsible for the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup. That will start on Nov. 5 in a game that can be surprisingly competitive. The Predators got the better of the Avalanche twice, including a 7-3 blowout in January. If the Predators come into Colorado and defeat the Avalanche, it will be a strong mark on the Predators to start the season.
The Oct. 25 home game against Colorado is pretty important too, not just for MacFarland, but for guys like Drury and Colton reuniting with the Avalanche, and Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Hereux reuniting with the Predators. Still, the Nov. 5 game at Colorado signifies MacFarland’s official return to Colorado.
Bourque’s Return to Dallas: Predators vs. Stars, Nov. 26, 2026
Now we get to Bourque’s return game. Similar to the Avalanche, the Predators have many matchups against the Stars. However, this will be the first one with Bourque in another uniform.
Bourque was traded from the Stars to the Predators, along with depth defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. It was a shrewd deal from MacFarland, as Bourque was a restricted free agent who could’ve been offer-sheeted by anyone.
Bourque, coming off of a 20-goal, 41-point season, is still just 24. He has legitimate top-six potential, and his numbers could improve playing next to Steven Stamkos and Matthew Wood.
Still, it will be emotional for Stars fans to see Bourque in a rival uniform. The Predators don’t need to let that get to their head. The Stars are another strong contender, so beating Dallas on the road with the circumstances will be a strong beat for Nashville.
Trade Deadline Pressure: Kings vs. Predators, Feb. 27, 2027
The Predators will have a very interesting 2027 NHL Trade Deadline. Fans are generally unsure of the direction, whether that’s pushing for a Stanley Cup or rebuilding.
I think MacFarland approached this offseason trying to find that out, fortifying the bottom parts of the lineup to push for competitive play. With Ryan O’Reilly as a pending free agent and Roman Josi and Steven Stamkos running out of time on their deals, I think he wants to give this core one more shot.
This game is the last one before the trade deadline on March 1, 2027. The Los Angeles Kings are in the same boat as the Predators: a middle-of-the-road team that is trying to give one last shot to its core players (Drew Doughty).
The Kings won out on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference last season. This will be a big game for both teams because whoever loses it could become sellers at the deadline.
Last Road Game: Predators vs. Blackhawks, Apr. 8, 2027
The Predators might’ve gotten lucky with their April stretch if they’re fighting for a playoff spot. Out of the five games they play, four are at home against the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and Dallas Stars. The Blackhawks, Flames, and Kraken could all be among the bottom ten teams in the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard looks to score against Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
However, they have one road game against those Blackhawks. Sure, the Blackhawks are still in a rough spot, with their rebuild stagnating, but if Nashville is in a spot where they’re within two or three points of a playoff spot, heading to Chicago could be a sneaky spoiler matchup.
Nashville was great against Chicago last season, going 3-1-0 against the Blackhawks. However, in a road environment, after a four-game homestand, with potentially a ton on the line, the Predators need to win this game.
If the Predators are not in a position of playoff contention, suddenly April becomes even more important. They will need to compete with the Blackhawks, Flames, and Kraken for top picks in the 2027 Draft if they’re out of the playoffs. This game will also be important for evaluating the roster and determining how the organization approaches the offseason.
Predators Have a Crossroads Season Coming Up
The Predators are still in no man’s land right now. In the Central Division, they’re viewed as lower than the Avalanche, Mammoth, Stars, and Wild, and some even view them as worse than the Blues. That doesn’t bode well for their Stanley Cup ambitions.
At the same time, they’re hardly bad enough to compete for the No. 1 pick. Young, rebuilding teams like the Flames, Canucks, and Blackhawks are probably in better positions to gain that young talent, and the Predators, as shown last season, are probably better than that.
Many thought a full rebuild would come for the Predators. Instead, MacFarland made smart moves to shore up the forward depth. However, they might not stay in this middle ground for a while, with decisions needing to be made on O’Reilly, Stamkos, and potentially others in the core.
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