Record:22-18-7, 51 points, seventh place in Central
MVP: Roman Josi -- He's the first defenseman in Predators history to reach 40 points in fewer than 40 games and had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in an NHL career-high 13-game point streak from Dec. 16 to Jan. 9. The captain has kept Nashville within striking distance of a playoff berth during a difficult regular season.
Unsung hero: Ryan Ellis --The defenseman remains sidelined with an upper-body injury sustained by a hit from Stars forward Corey Perry in the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1. Ellis quietly did the dirty work alongside Josi and was on track for NHL career highs in goals, assists and points.
Player to watch: Matt Duchene -- More was expected from the center after he signed a seven-year, $56 million contract July 1, 2019. Duchene began the season with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in nine games to help the Predators get off to a 5-3-1 start. He entered the break with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 44 games. If Nashville is to make a late playoff push, Duchene will have to improve his production.
Biggest need --Special teams. The Predators are in the lower portion of the NHL on the power play (16.9 percent, 24th) and penalty kill (73.7 percent, 29th) and have allowed an NHL-high 0.83 power-play goals against per game. Defense and goaltending have historically been strengths for Nashville, but not this season.
Second-half prognosis -- The Predators are 3-3-0 since John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as coach Jan. 7. The conference race is tight, and Nashville must jump over a handful of teams to climb back into playoff position. A four-game trip through Western Canada from Feb. 4-10 could decide its fate and whether it will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14, Barry Trotz's final season as coach.