The Nashville Predators have had the best free agency period they could have. Not only did they sign superstar forward Steven Stamkos to a four-year contract, but they also brought in winger Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei. This was after they already had other skilled players in their lineup such as captain Roman Josi, goalie Juuse Saros, and forwards like Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Marchessault, in particular, signed a five-year contract with Nashville worth $27.5 million.
With Marchessault, it took some NHL seasons under his belt and a few changes of scenery to get his career on track. However, he has arrived as a talented scorer, and he is going to play a key role in the Predators’ offense heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Starting His Career in Columbus and Tampa Bay
Marchessault was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets to a three-year entry-level contract back in July 2012. He previously had played in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Quebec Remparts, as well as in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Connecticut Whale in 2011-12. He made his NHL debut with Columbus during the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, appearing in two games and going pointless. He mainly suited up in the AHL for the Blue Jackets’ affiliate Springfield Falcons, where he accrued 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points in 74 games.
The 2013-14 season saw Marchessault mainly in the AHL with Springfield. However, he was part of a late-season trade between Columbus and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The full deal was Marchessault and Dalton Smith to Tampa for Dana Tyrell and Matt Taormina.
2014-15 saw Marchessault get the call again to the NHL, this time for the Lightning. He played in two games for Tampa and registered his first NHL goal. He spent most of that campaign though with the AHL squad Syracuse Crunch. 2015-16 was another split season between the Lightning and the Crunch, but he spent a good portion of the season in the NHL. He suited up for 45 contests and accumulated seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points.
Breakout Season in Florida and Golden Knight Stardom
After his split campaign between the Lightning and the Crunch in 2015-16, Marchessault inked a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers as a free agent. He was inserted into a lineup that also contained Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, Keith Yandle, and Reilly Smith among others. He finished the 2016-17 campaign ranked third on the team in scoring with 51 points in 75 games (30 goals and 21 assists). Only Trocheck (54 points) and Barkov (52) had more.
Despite an impressive season with the Panthers, Marchessault was left exposed in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and was chosen by the Vegas Golden Knights. He became a reliable offensive star with the new club and finished his time there as one of the best players they have had in their short history, along with William Karlsson. His time in Las Vegas saw the team make the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural campaign, before winning the Cup on their second trip to the Final in 2023. While with the Golden Knights, Marchessault produced the following stats:
- 2017-18: 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points in 77 games
- 2018-19: 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in 82 games
- 2019-20: 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points in 66 games
- 2020-21: 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 55 games
- 2021-22: 30 goals and 36 assists for 66 points in 76 games
- 2022-23: 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points in 76 games
- 2023-24: 42 goals and 27 assists for 69 points in 82 games
Additionally, Marchessault posted 36 goals and 39 assists for 75 points in 95 playoff games for Vegas. During their first run to the Cup Final, he scored eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 20 games. In the Cup-winning run in the 2023 postseason, he notched 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 22 games.
Could Stamkos and Marchessault Play Together?
While Marchessault and Stamkos are both now in Nashville, 2024-25 is not the first time that these two will be teammates. They spent time together as members of the Lightning many seasons ago. Could the two be put together on a line? Does head coach Andrew Brunette set up lines where he has two solid duos in Stamkos-Marchessault and O’Reilly-Forsberg? It will be interesting to see how the lines are worked out considering the amount of skill on the roster.
Both Stamkos and Marchessault will probably play on the power play together, along with Josi and O’Reilly. That’s a dangerous group of four who could be included in Brunette’s plans when they have the man advantage. The spotlight is on Marchessault and Stamkos right now as the new signings, but O’Reilly should be an even bigger weapon on the power play considering his point totals last season for Nashville. In 82 games, he had 26 goals and 43 assists for 69 points. He could be an 80-point player with the help of Marchessault or Stamkos.
Related: Golden Knights Will Miss Jonathan Marchessault
To put it simply, this should be an exciting era for Predators fans. Landing Stamkos alone is huge, but also getting Marchessault is phenomenal work by general manager Barry Trotz and his managerial staff. The team has so much talent and they added Cup-winning experience. As great as it is to have players like Josi or Forsberg who were a part of the 2017 Cup Final appearance against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they do not have the experience of finishing the job. Stamkos has two Cup rings and four appearances, while Marchessault has two appearances and one ring. In addition, Marchessault has also won the Conn Smythe Trophy. They added a great amount of experience, and whether they play together or apart, both Marchessault and Stamkos are going to boost the offensive abilities of the team.
