What the Nashville Predators Depth Chart Could Look Like at 2026 Training Camp
No one should be surprised with the numerous moves that Chris MacFarland made after taking over as president of hockey operations and general manager of the Nashville Predators in June.
Everyone knew that would happen. Nashville had made the Stanley Cup Playoffs just once over the past four seasons, and even then it was quickly dispatched in the first round (2023-24 by Vancouver in six games).
But MacFarland didn't mess with the team's veteran core, nor sacrifice much out of the young up-and-coming talent pool that's impressive and should supplement the roster for years. Instead, he worked to upgrade the depth, acquired players to provide immediate competition and challenge for roles, and improve Nashville in one specific area: Tenacity.
Put simply, he brought in the kind of players you really want to have on your team in the postseason, when everything is on the line.
MacFarland also did so without subtracting much from last year's team. Zachary L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov were traded to his former team, the Colorado Avalanche for some key role players, and Erik Haula signed unrestricted free agent with the Los Angeles King. Haula was popular, however considering that the veteran is 35, and with Nashville having numerous key players around that age, it was more than understandable. Nashville needed to take a step at getting younger.
With training camp just a over a month away, and less then two months until the season opener, here's a look at the team's depth chart and where everyone sort of fits in. You'll notice that there are more players listed than roster spots, which speaks to how the Predators are on target for a competitive camp and preseason.
The Predators have approximately $7.7 million cap space, which will give MacFarland some flexibility moving forward. He could save a good bit of it for the trading deadline or helping sign a couple of the players who will be unrestricted free agents after this season. They're marked with "-u" and the restricted free against with an "-r" below:
Center
Ryan O'Reilly-u
Mavrik Bourque
Jack Drury
Vitali Pinchuk
Adam Edstrom-r
What's O'Reilly worth at age 35? If the Predators fall out of the playoff chase early he'll be the top candidate to be traded to a Staley Cup contender. There were a lot of rumors about just that this past year, and even though he doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract the team treated him like he did. O'Reilly reportedly told the Predators that he didn't want to be traded last season, which is why he's still in Nashville. ... Bourque, 24, was traded as a restricted free agent by the Stars along with Ilya Lyubushkin in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round selection. He subsequently signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension. Bourque is coming off a season with 20 goals and 21 assists, and will have a bigger role on the Predators. ... Drury was acquired from the Avalanche and quickly signed a five-year contract. In addition to being a big locker-room presence and strong on penalty kills, he's also one of the best in the league at faceoffs. ... We're going with Pinchuk fourth, but keep a close eye on him during training camo. At 24, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound center was third in the KHL in goals (31) and tied for sixth in points (66) last season while appearing in 65 games for Dinamo Minsk.
Left Wing
Filip Forsberg
Steven Stamkos
Ross Colton-u
Nils Hoglander
Reid Schaefer
There's been a lot of talk about Nashville's aging stars, but Forsberg is only 31 and under contract through 2029-30. He's coming off his third 40-goal season, although the 75 points were down from previous years. ... Stamkos might get first-line play, but he's also 36. He had 206 shots last season while notching 42 goals and 24 assist for 66 points. but his shooting percentage was above 20 percent for just the second time (2013-14 the other). ... Colton is a versatile forward who could line up in a lot of different spots, but next to his former Avalanche teammate Drury makes a lot of sense or the start of the season. The 29-year-old had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 73 games last season, and is best known for scoring the Stabley Cup-clinching goal for Tampa Bay in 2021. ... Hoglander, 25, was acquired from Vancouver for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft. Don't be fooled by his 5-9 stature, he's a pain in the rear to play against and has non-stop drive.
Right Wing
Luke Evangelista-r
Jonathan Marchessault
Matthew Wood
Alexander Kerfoot
Joakim Kemell
Ozzy Wiesblatt-u
Cole O'Hara
The 24-year-old Evangelista is coming off 56-point season with 12 goals and 44 assists, and has established himself as a top-six forward. Due to make $3 million this season, look for the Predators to try and extend him this season, but remember he was in a contract standoff last year and missed a lot of training camp. ... Marchessault is an undersized grinder who went from netting 42 goals for the Golden Knights in 2023-24 to just 12 last season. The last time he dipped to below 20 goals in a season he bounced back with 30 in 2021-22. Nashville would be just fine with that from the 35-year-old who is signed through 2028-29 and has a no-movement clause. ... The player to watch is Wood. The 6-4 power forward was the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he's still just 21. He had 17 goals and 13 assists while averaging just 12:19 minutes per game last season. Is he ready for the second line? ... The 31-year-old Kerfoot signed a two-year contract after tallying 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 34 games for the Utah Mammoth last season. He has 305 points (105 goals, 200 assists) in 639 NHL games. Kerfoot can play a lot of roles, especially on special teams, and is also strong at faceoffs. ... Kemell was the No. 17-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and still has a ton of potential. He played in 16 games for Nashville last season. ... Wiesblatt is a high-energy forward who played in 40 games last season.
Left Defense
Roman Josi
Nicolas Hague
Adam Wilsby-r
Tanner Molendyk
Josi is one of the premier defensemen in the league who can do everything. Last season he had 13 goals, 42 assists for 55 in 68 games. He played 25 minutes per game, ran the power play and he remains solid defensively. At 36 the only real question with him is durability and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Predators start to slightly scare back is playing time. ... Hague is 6-foot-6, 240-pound defenseman with a booming shot. He's also been tested in the postseason and scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final for the Golden Knights. ... Wilsby is known for his strong transition play, but he has some durability concerns. ... We're including Tanner Molendyk on here as he was drafted No. 24 overall by the Predators in 2023. The guy can really skate, but last year was his fist season at AHL Milwaukee, where he notched 23 points in 60 games. At 21, the guess here is that he's still a year away, but keep an eye on him at training camp.
Right Defense
Brady Skjei
Nicklaus Perbix-u
Ilya Lyubushkin-u
Justin Barron-r
Ryan Ufko
Skjei is a left-handed shot, but he seems to work best with Josi on the top unit. He's a really good skater who is solid defensively and strong in the transition game. ... Perbix doesn't have elite speed, but he doesn't make a lot of mistakes either. He's like an offensive lineman in football who likes to play a position that doesn't draw a lot of attention, but every team needs. ... Lyubushkin isn't flashy either, but he's an established veteran with a lot of experience. ... Barron was a first-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, 25th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche, so maybe MacFarland knows something. .... The player to watch is Ufko as he played in 18 games last season and had two goals and nine assists. Even better is that he's able to run the power play, and appears to be the heir apparent to take over that role eventually.
Goaltender
Juuse Saros
Justus Annunen
Matthew Murray
We don't want to say that MacFarland didn't waste any time worrying about his goaltending situation after taking over, but it probably didn't give him any stress. Saros played in 59 games last season and had a career-high 3.16 goals-against-average. However, he also won a bronze medal with Team Finland at the Olympic Winter Games in Milano, Cortina, where he was the only goalie to play every minute for his team. He had a 1.66 goals against average and .940 save percentage. Annunen suited up for 29 and posted a 2.64 GAA, and 0.907 save percentage. ... Murray is the primary goaltender for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.
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Christopher Walsh is the publisher of Nashville Predators On SI. He's also the founder of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and the publisher of Boston Bruins On SI, along with the Boston College Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, and Vanderbilt Commodores sites. The longstanding sports writer is the author of 26 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and the only four-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.