# @puckempire on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DbdlSxyHO3F
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68611566-puckempire-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/08b63f30ce.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-31T15:26:11.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Puck Empire 👑 (@puckempire) — https://gondola.cc/puckempire

## Caption

Continuing on with our 2026-27 NHL standings projections, we have the Nashville Predators at #26.

Nashville's in an iffy spot, partially rebuilding with some young talent starting to flow through the roster, but also still committed to veterans that are too good to make them tank, they're stuck in a middling phase which I think will keep them competitive at times during this season, but this isn't a playoff squad.

Offensively, you've got young talent like Matthew Wood, Luke Evangelista, Mavrik Bourque & hopefully rookies like Brady Martin & Vitali Pinchuk who are set to help make an impact, but the Preds seem to be outclassed down the middle which is a recipe for disaster. O'Reilly is a good 2C, not a 1C in 2026. Matthew Wood ideally takes a step towards being a good 2C this season, but is he there yet? Probably not. I also don't anticipate Stamkos having a 40+ goal campaign this season. He'll be 36 the majority of the year and I think he's trending towards being mainly a 30-35 goal guy the rest of the way. Overall though the offense isn't bad, it's just punching above their weight at certain spots.

Defensively, this team is a disaster. Their clear #1D in Roman Josi has had injury troubles in 3 of his past 4 seasons, and his supporting cast is pretty awful. Brady Skjei is ideally a fine 3D/good 4D, not a 2D. Perbix is ideally a third-pairing guy. We'll see what Ryan Ufko becomes, from what he has shown at the pro level so far, he looks very promising... but a lot of pressure on him.

In net, I expect a bounceback from Saros, but behind a bad defensive line and a team that will likely struggle to score, there won't be much he can do.

Once Nashville's prospects develop in 2-3 years, I think this franchise is going to get back to pushing for a Stanley Cup. But right now, they're in no man's land.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 2,879
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 63

## Tags

1d, 26

---
Copyright (c) Gondola