"Obviously we'd love to dress the strongest lineup we can, especially veteran guys ... but one door closes, another one opens," Cassidy said. "That's the way we've got to look at it. There's opportunity for other guys. We've just got to put our best foot forward and obviously there are some good individuals out of the lineup and we have to do it more as a team tonight. That's what's in front of us."
The Predators begin their defense of the Western Conference championship after losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
"I think everybody's ready," coach Peter Laviolette said. "Like I said training camps are long, players can't wait to get through them and star playing games. So we're here finally, it's good."
Center Nick Bonino, who left the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent to sign a four-year contract worth $16.4 million with Nashville on July 1, will make his Predators debut despite missing the entire preseason while recovering from a leg injury.
