Nashville Predators Report Card After Being Swept by Avalanche

The season has come to an end for the Nashville Predators.

It’s been an eventful year for the Preds, as many did not believe this team would qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the season began back in October. Although Nashville proved everyone wrong by getting in, the playoff journey was short-lived.

The Predators fell in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. As the top seed in the West, the Avs were clearly superior to the Predators, outscoring them 21-9 in the series.

While the playoff flop will leave a bad taste in the mouths of Preds fans, let’s not forget that the regular season was solid. Many expected regression after barely getting into the playoffs a year ago, but Nashville’s 45-30-7 record was a slight improvement over last season.

The Predators enjoyed a solid season overall in 2022.

Captain Roman Josi was one of the highlights of the season, not just in Tennessee, but across the NHL. He led all defensemen in points with 96 (23 goals and 73 assists). As a result, Josi is a finalist for the Norris Trophy.

The Preds also enjoyed a resurgence from forward Matt Duchene, who posted his best campaign as a Predator, scoring 43 goals and 43 assists for 86 points. His previous best with Nashville was 42 points, and his previous career-high was 70 points while with the Avalanche.

In addition, goaltender Juuse Saros emerged as one of the league’s better netminders. On Tuesday, he was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie. Unfortunately, he was unavailable in the postseason, and his team missed his services desperately.

Looking at the year as a whole, I’m not convinced that General Manager David Poile was able to get his money’s worth at the trade deadline, as he didn’t completely buy or sell. As a result, I question whether or not this season’s success can be replicated in 2023.

If this turns out to be the last chance for the Predators as currently constructed, this campaign will not be viewed as favorably as time passes. Nashville will keep its fingers crossed, though, that its club can get back into the playoffs next year and sustain a deeper run.

Things did not go according to plan in the postseason, and it’s hard to say where the Predators go from here. Still, it was a solid year for Nashville, highlighted by incredible individual performances, and they deserve credit for what they accomplished in the regular season.

The Grade: B-