The Nashville Predators are set to conclude their six-game road trip tonight when they meet the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place for an 8 p.m. CT puck drop. This evening’s contest is the first of three meetings between the Preds & Oilers this season and the first of two over the next week.
After dropping the first game out of the Christmas break, the Predators have won three of their last four outings on the trip, including a dramatic, 4-3 victory in Calgary on Saturday night. Now, the Preds will look to measure themselves against one of the top teams in the Western Conference as they sit just one point out of a Wild Card spot in the West.
“I think it's going to be a hard game,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following Monday’s practice in Edmonton. “Obviously, we saw what happened; we watched the Oiler game the other day [when they lost to Philadelphia]. They're not going to be happy. It's their home ice. Our focus has to be on the game. Our mindset has to be right. We know the smallest margins of error against the team that we're playing could be dangerous, so we’ve got to make sure we're ready to go. It's been a long road trip for us. We can't make excuses. I think these are games where the points have to mean a little bit more for us than them, and we have to bring our best.”
Just as Monday’s practice in Edmonton was concluding, the Preds announced a two-year, $2.5 million contract for goaltender Justus Annunen, beginning in the 2026-27 season.
“I wanted to stay here, and they wanted me to stay here, so that's pretty easy,” Annunen smiled. “But very happy to be here with [Juuse Saros], of course, and with the other teammates, too. We have a great group of guys, so I’m very happy to be here. We have awesome fans, too, and a great organization. It's a great city to live in. So, I’m very happy to stay here.”
