NHL EDGE stats 2026-27 season outlook for Nashville Predators

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key NHL EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2026-27 season. Today, we look at three advanced metrics trends surrounding the Nashville Predators:

1. Offensive zone time percentage

The Predators, despite missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past two seasons and losing in the first round of the 2024 postseason, have ranked highly in offensive zone time percentage in all three of those most-recent years. Nashville ranked sixth in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths (42.0 percent) last season, tied for third in 2024-25 (42.9 percent) and fourth in 2023-24 (43.4 percent).

Led by an experienced core of Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly, the Predators had plenty of EDGE standouts and strong special teams but had trouble finishing at even strength. Nashville ranked fifth in penalty kill percentage (81.7 percent) and was tied for 10th in power-play percentage (23.1 percent) but had the seventh-lowest 5-on-5 shooting percentage (8.7 percent; 26th out of 32 teams).

Of the three major shot locations, Nashville had its best marks from distance. As a team, the Predators ranked seventh in long-range goals (22) last season; Josi was the team leader in long-range shots on goal (75; 92nd percentile among defensemen) and tied with Nicolas Hague for the Predators' most long-range goals (three each). Forsberg, meanwhile, ranked in the 98th percentile among forwards in long-range shots on goal (33).

Stamkos, who was in the 97th percentile among forwards in hardest shot (95.00 mph) and Forsberg, in the 92nd percentile at his position in average shot speed (61.02), gave Nashville two of the NHL's top 15 goal-scorers last season: Stamkos was tied for ninth (42 goals), and Forsberg tied for 13th (40). Stamkos, 36, stood out in many other advanced stats categories during his bounce-back season, from high-danger goals (19; 96th percentile) to mid-range goals (13; 96th percentile), mid-range shots on goal (71; 92nd percentile) and offensive zone time percentage (45.6; 91st percentile).

2. Saros' saves by location

Juuse Saros, 31, remains in his prime and one of the League's top workhorse goalies; he led the NHL in saves (1,519) for the third time in four seasons (also had most saves with 1,672 in 2023-24, 1,928 in 2022-23) and ranked second in games played (59; behind Karel Vejmelka's 64) last season. Saros led the NHL in mid-range saves (473) and ranked third in mid-range save percentage (.920).

Saros was also the only goalie in the top five of all three saves by location categories; in addition to his mid-range prowess, he was tied for fourth in high-danger saves (379) and tied for third in long-range saves (333). Backup Justus Annunen also excelled in some key advanced stats categories; he was tied for second in high-danger save percentage (.850 behind Ilya Sorokin's .864) and ranked 10th in percentage of quality starts (60.9 percent; starts with greater than .900 save percentage).

3. Sneaky offseason additions

Nashville is in a transition phase after Barry Trotz stepped down as general manager last season; the Predators hired Chris MacFarland as GM on June 2 after he held the same role with the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. As Nashville continues to build around its elite players at each of the three positions (Forsberg, Stamkos, Josi, Saros), the team has made some under-the-radar additions that could pay dividends based on underlying metrics.

Forward Mavrik Bourque (acquired from Dallas Stars) goes from one of the deepest teams in the Dallas Stars to Nashville, where he could get more consistent top-six usage and power-play time. Bourque, who set NHL career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and shots on goal (147) last season, has breakout potential with a chance to play much bigger minutes than he did in Dallas (14:09 per game, including 0:52 on power play, over his first 156 NHL regular-season games). Bourque was quietly among the forward leaders in high-danger goals (14; 87th percentile) last season despite limited usage.

The Predators also acquired forwards Ross Colton and Jack Drury in separate trades with the Avalanche, with each following MacFarland to Nashville. Colton ranked highly among forwards in hardest shot (94.11; 95th percentile), 20-plus mph speed bursts (194; 94th percentile) and long-range shots on goal (23; 93rd percentile), while Drury thrived in even-strength offensive zone time percentage (44.0 percent; 94th percentile). If Bourque, Colton and/or Drury boost Nashville's depth and finishing ability, the Predators have the foundation in place to quickly re-emerge as a wild-card contender in the Western Conference.