The Nashville Predators are sporting a 3-4-0 record seven games into the 2023-24 NHL Season. While the season is fresh, some storylines are emerging through the team’s first few games. The Predators don’t have high expectations falling on them this season.
While the team could reach the 2024 NHL Playoffs, it’s doubtful fans will be too disappointed if they miss the postseason for a second consecutive year. Instead, looking for players to take strides in their development, seeing if coaching systems fall into place, and ensuring certain veterans are producing are points of interest early on. Here are three notable storylines through the Predators’ first seven games.
Predators Are Running With Saros
The Predators are confirmed to start Juuse Saros in their eighth straight game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 28th. The Predators are riding their Vezina-calibre goalie, who has played over 60 games in each of the last two seasons. He is putting up a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA) through his first seven games.
It’s understandable why Brunette continues to start Saros. After all, he led the NHL in goals saved above expected with 46.7, proved he can provide elite goaltending while taking on mass amounts of games, and is beginning to find his groove. Of course, the Predators will play Saros significantly more than their backup, but following an eighth straight start, fans will be keeping a running tally of how long it takes the organization to start backup Kevin Lankinen and give their All-Star a rest.
Josi’s Slow Start
Predators captain Roman Josi is off to a slow start. The defenseman has just three assists through his first seven games, equalling 0.42 points per game. This is a far cry from the 0.88 and 1.20 point-per-game rates he put up in his last two seasons. Of course, a near half-point-per-game pace is good for the average defenseman, but Josi is in an elite class, meaning the standards placed upon him are that of an elite player.
Josi’s slow start is not for a lack of trying. He is averaging a hair under 24 minutes a game, leading all Predators players. He has a 61-percent Corsi For, on-ice expected goals percentage of 60.8, and is starting 19.8% of his shifts in the offensive zone, the second most in his career. All signs point to Josi’s production picking up. These underlying numbers paint a prettier picture than the stat sheet, meaning it’s likely points will start piling up for the Norris-calibre defenseman.
The Predators Contrasting Special Teams
The Predators’ special team units flipped the typical script we see through their first seven games. Last season, the Predators had an abysmal power play. They boasted a 17.6 percent success rate with the man advantage, placing them 27th overall league-wide. Andrew Brunette’s offensive style appears to be working in the early goings of the season. Their power play is currently ranked 13th in the NHL at 20.7%. That is a sizeable jump from last season. The sample size is small, but Brunette is creating a system where players can lean into their offensive skills much easier, which is a recipe for a fun, fast, and entertaining viewing experience.
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Speaking of small sample sizes, the Predators penalty kill is bad — historically bad. The Predators, a team known for their hard-working, defense-oriented style, has the 31st-ranked penalty kill league-wide. Their 68.2% kill rate is currently the lowest mark for a season in franchise history; the next worst—75.5%—came in 2012-13. Granted, it’s highly doubtful the Predators maintain such a poor penalty kill and set a franchise-worst record, especially since they had the sixth-best penalty kill last season with 82.5%.
The Predators have stellar defensive-minded forwards in Cody Glass and Ryan O’Reilly, among others, and a good defense. Glass and Luke Schenn missing time with injury has hindered the defensive side of their game. Still, they should be able to get back into the mid-70s. If by the 20-game mark, the Predators are still hovering around the high-60, low-70 percentile, then their penalty kill will be a cause for concern. As for now, it’s just a statistical blip that will likely resolve itself.
Related: Predators’ Top 25 Players of All-Time: Jordin Tootoo
It’s early, so these storylines aren’t a cause for unbridled praise or a reason for complete disarray just yet. Odds are everything will regress to their relative norm. A bump in Josi’s production and the penalty kill is likely, while the power play hovering around 20% seems fitting for the coach and talent on the roster. It’s fun to point out minor statistical storylines early in the season. Now, whether these small sample sizes will emerge as larger trends as the season progresses is the real question.
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