Predators can't overcome early struggles, miss playoffs for 2nd straight season

The Nashville Predators failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four seasons. 

The Predators (38-33-10) were eliminated with a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings' 5-3 win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

Nashville qualified for the playoffs for eight straight seasons from 2014-22. They advanced to the only Stanley Cup Final in their history in 2016, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Here's a look at what happened in the 2025-26 season for the Predators, and why things could be better next season:

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Erik Haula, F; Tyson Jost, F

Potential restricted free agents: Justin Barron, D

Potential 2026 Draft picks: 12

What went wrong

Bad start: The Predators were 4-6-2 in October and 4-7-2 in November, a difficult beginning in a very competitive Central Division. Consistency was a problem for Nashville in the early going, and it took too long for them to right the ship. They also only had one winning streak longer than three games (five, from March 17-24).

Gave up too much: The Predators have allowed 3.23 goals-against per game this season, 25th in the NHL. Their goaltenders were busy, facing 29.5 shots per game (26th). They also scored less than three goals per game (2.94, tied for 19th). It was just a bad combination for finding success this season.

Trotz's announcement: The Predators were already struggling when Barry Trotz announced on Feb. 2 that he was going to retire after three seasons as their general manager, although he's staying in the role until the Predators name a successor. While Trotz will remain with the organization as an adviser, the uncertainty had to hit hard for a team that was fighting through another disappointing season.

Reasons for optimism

Stamkos' second half: Steven Stamkos reached the 40-goal mark this season, and 12 of those goals have come since late February, when the NHL resumed play after the 2026 Winter Olympic break. The 36-year-old has 63 points (40 goals, 23 assists), third on the Predators behind Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg, who each have 73 points. This came after Stamkos had a disappointing first season in Nashville with 27 goals and 53 points last season.

Wood's progress: Matthew Wood has emerged as a reliable second-line center, which is great news for the Predators, considering they don't have a lot of depth at the position. The 21-year-old is wrapping up a solid rookie season in which he has 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 70 games. The No. 15 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has found good chemistry with left wing Forsberg and right wing Jonathan Marchessault.

Draft options: The Predators have 12 picks, including three in the first two rounds, heading into the 2026 NHL Draft. Nashville got a second-round pick for forward Michael McCarron when they traded him to the Minnesota Wild on March 3. The Predators also picked up one of their two third-round picks when they traded forward Michael Bunting to the Dallas Stars on March 5. That draft capital will be huge to restock the organization, or to use to acquire established players for next season.