Predlines

The Nashville Predators, and their wallets, breathe a sigh of relief as its former center Michael McCarron just signed a massive contract with the Minnesota Wild. McCarron, 31, inked to a six-year, $20 million contract Tuesday with the Wild, the largest of his career. He was dealt to Minnesota at this year's Trade Deadline for a 2nd-round pick in 2028, playing 20 games with the club where he scored three goals and five points. He topped it off with two goals and four points in 11 postseason games.

The first draft for the Nashville Predators new front office will be an important one as they signal a new direction for the team, but also one where they can take a risk. The Predators have a ton of former 1st round picks in their talent pool. Brady Martin, Ryker Lee, Cameron Reid, Fedor Svechkov, Yegor Surin, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Matthew Wood, Joakim Kemell, Zachary L'Heureux, Reid Schaefer, and Tanner Molendyk are all either NHL regulars, young pros, or prospects getting ready to make the jump.

The official start of the NHL offseason is nearing its start, and the Nashville Predators got to get their checklist ready. Predators General Manager Chris MacFarland gave fans a lot to look forward to in his first press appearance, but what will he actually be looking at in his first year? He will have to address the ups and downs of the team's roster heading into the 2026-27 season including the draft and free agency. Here's three things MacFarland needs to consider as we enter the offseason. 1.

The Nashville Predators' GM search is finally over, and it concluded as well as the team could have asked for it to. They hired Chris MacFarland -- the now former GM of the Colorado Avalanche -- who is bringing along former Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake to be Executive VP or Hockey Operations. Such a major point of emphasis throughout this process was bringing new blood into the front office, as the same faces and ideas from over the years made the team go stale.

The Nashville Predators enter an intriguing offseason as their mindset shifts under new management. With a different vision, the future of a selection of players is uncertain, but one name sticks out of the rest more than others: Joakim Kemell. Kemell is a top prospect in the Predators system, serving as the foundation of the wing's future. The 2022 draftee showed promising signs of development in Europe and the AHL, but when it came to taking the next step in the NHL, he struggled.

It's time for another prospect profile for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft regarding the Nashville Predators, and this next prospect may be one of the best options for them. Previously, we went over defenseman Daxon Rudolph and named him the ideal defensive candidate at 10th overall. This next prospect may be the No. 1 prospect the Predators set their sights on, and for good reason. Today's preview goes to Windsor Spitfires winger Ethan Belchetz. Belchetz is an interesting prospect.

The Nashville Predators finally have new management in the form of new General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Chris McFarland and newly minted Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Rob Blake, and they have some contract issues that are going to need their attention sooner rather than later. This offseason is technically pretty light in terms of expiring contracts for the Predators.

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris MacFarland announced Friday that Rob Blake was hired as the team's Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. Blake's hiring is MacFarland's first move made as a part of Predators management. He will join MacFarland in managing the team's coaching staff, roster situation, scouting and drafting. Welcome to Smashville, Rob! 👋 We've hired Rob Blake as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.

The Nashville Predators have a handful of Smashville alumni competing for the Stanley Cup once again. After former Predators defenseman Seth Jones won the cup with the Florida Panthers last season, Nashville will have more of its players etched into NHL history. There is a total of four former Predators in the finals: three for Vegas and one for Carolina, meaning at least one will raise the cup.

If there's one person to thank for the close playoff push in the latter half of the 2025-26 season, it'll have to be Justus Annunen. Annunen was more than just a backup goalie, he was a pillar to the Nashville Predators back end. He started 23 games and played in 28, winning a career-high 10 games. He posted the team's first shutout in over a year, and it wasn't a quiet scoring game. Annunen stopped 43 shots in 60 minutes of play, surpassing his previous season high of 39.