To say things didn’t go as planned for the Nashville Predators is an understatement. After signing several high-end players to long-term deals, the Predators failed to make the playoffs and finished at the bottom of NHL standings. Now, with a new season on the horizon, players and staff alike are ready to move on from 2024-25.
Two of those players – Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault – sat down with the Journal de Quebec for an interview. They discussed the first season with Nashville, how next season will go and their careers leading up to this point.
These are three key takeaways from that interview:
Predators New Signings Faced Tough Transition
The biggest struggle the Predators faced last season was the abrupt adjustment to a new team.
“Itâs difficult because you become a free agent [on July 1st] and you don’t have time to think. You choose a team, you sign and everything comes together. I was in a place where I had all the answers and suddenly I came somewhere where I had all the questions. I was in Tampa for 16 years and every time someone had a question, I was the one they came to see.”
Stamkos played 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, captaining them to two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He currently serves as an alternate captain of the Predators. The Athletic ranked the Lightning the most efficient team in the NHL. The Predators, on the other hand, wound up 30th on the list.
Struggles Snowballed as Season Progressed
As the tearm struggled to make adjustments, one issue quickly metastasized into the next. “Our bad start snowballed,” Stamkos said. It was difficult last year to know at the holidays that we were practically eliminated. This was new to many of us.”
Still, despite this, both Stamkos and Marchessault agree that the season’s struggles won’t matter in the future.”It will be different because there are fewer expectations and when there are fewer expectations, you can surprise other teams,” Marchessault said.
“People probably don’t give us a chance to bounce back,” Stamkos added on. “We understand what we need to do better. We’ll come back with renewed joy.”
Stamkos, Marchessault Ready for Next Season
Fortunately, Stamkos and Marchessault appear reinvigorated for 2025-26.
“At the time, I was disappointed to find myself in a situation where we didn’t win many games,” Stamkos continued. “I’m really happy in Nashville. It’s a beautiful pace of life for my family. I’m lucky to be here and in these situations, it’s important to look back on your journey.”
“If you had told me 20 years ago that I would play for a NHL organization, I would shut my mouth and say nothing,” Marchessault added.
While Marchessault won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in 2o23 with the Vegas Golden Knights, he insists that he’s still just as hungry as he was before. “Iâm 34 and I feel really good. I can still give very good things. I want to continue to give my team a chance to win, but not just games. I’m a guy who wants to win the playoffs.”
Ultimately, it appears the star players of the Predators are ready to approach next season with a positive attitude. “I’m sure Jonathan felt like me,” Stamkos concluded. “We will be better equipped this season.”
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