Jonathan Marchessault Energized By New Management and a New Teammate
NASHVILLE — Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault sounded like a new man on Friday after the second day of training camp. Marchessault spent time with the media after Nashville's second day of practice and sounded determined to put last season in the rearview mirror.
Marchessault had his lowest point total in 10 seasons in 2025-26 but said he used the experience to look in the mirror and make changes this summer to ensure the new season has better results.
"You never expect to have a bad year like I had last year, so everything was really new to me,” Marchessault said. “I could have just kept going and said, ‘That's a fluke,’ or something like that. But this summer, I just took a different approach. I changed workouts, I changed trainers, I changed everything, and I definitely improved my workouts and my dedication to my professionalism. So, I think it translates to how I feel on the ice this year so far. I tell myself it can't be worse than last year.”
The 13-year NHL veteran praised the vision of new team president and general manager Chris MacFarland as he feels the team is better equipped to compete with the best teams in the league after bolstering the center position with multiple acquisitions.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously, the team was lacking in centers in the past years," Marchessault said. "This summer Chris shows up, and he goes and gets - we had Woody [Matthew Wood], who was a great discovery at center last year. It seems like he's going to play a little bit there. You add Mav [Mavrik Bourque], you add [Alex] Kerfoot, you have Jake [Luchinni], so I mean, we really have good NHL centers in that lineup, I think. I think that's something that's going to help us a lot this year."
New Predators center Mavrik Bourque was traded this summer from Dallas, and he credited Marchessault a few weeks ago for making his transition to Nashville easier, as the pair both hail from Quebec.
"Yeah, for sure. Mav reminds me as a young kid a little bit when I started," Marchessault said. "A lot of energy. A lot of confidence. He's a great player. It's definitely a breath of fresh air type of guy like that coming into the locker room. He has a lot of energy. He's funny. He's fun to be around. We worked in the summer together on the ice, but we never knew each other. As soon as he joined our team, we started getting closer, texting, and I invited him to one of the fun nights that we do at my lake house. That's where you build bonding a little bit. He's awesome to be around, and as soon as you arrive here in Nashville, that day we went out for dinner. Definitely happy to have him around, and he's definitely going to become one of my good friends here."
Marchessault brushed off any notion that what he was doing for Bourque was special, but instead called it part of the job of a veteran player.
"It's just natural," Marchessault said. "That's how you build relationships. I remember the older guys that were nice to me. You can make a decision as an older guy. You can be one of them that was an asshole to young kids, or you can be one that was nice to the younger ones, and you were in those shoes before. I remember the ones that were really nice to me. I remember the ones that were not nice. You decide what kind of veteran you want to be around.
"I think I'm more of an inclusive kind of guy. So I want to make sure everybody feels good. It's kind of part of my role here as the team chemistry builds. You see a guy like Woody last year, you couldn't get three words out of him, but when you get after him a little bit, he gets more comfortable, and he starts giving it back, and I think that's how he gets more comfortable in the locker room. We know he's going to be a big part of our team this year, and he was last year, too. So he's going to be a massive part of the organization for many years. You always want the young guys that have a lot of potential to be comfortable."
The Predators line combinations are still being sorted out as training camp is in its early stages, but its clear Marchessault and Bourque already have chemistry off the ice. Each called the other funny and each have something to prove this season. Marchessault, that he can return to form as one of the top forwards on the team and Bourque that he was worth the investment the Predators made this offseason.
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Joe Gaither covers the Nashville Predators for Nashville Predators On SI. He also oversees videos and podcasts for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral. He began his sports media career in radio in 2019, working for three years in Tuscaloosa covering the University of Alabama and other local high school sports. In 2023 he joined BamaCentral to cover a variety of Crimson Tide sports and recruiting, in addition to hosting the “Joe Gaither Show” podcast. His work has also appeared on the Boston College, Miami, Missouri and Vanderbilt college On SI sites.