NHL Preview 2024-25 775 SportsForecaster.com

Forwards

Luke Evangelista [RW]

  • Age: 22
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 166
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 80 16 23 39 0 18 0.49
Career 199 37 68 105 10 54 0.53
Forecast 82 26 24 50 - - 0.61

The 22-year-old arrived as a full-time NHL player last campaign, producing nearly a half-point per game despite averaging 13:57 of ice time. Evangelista has excellent hockey IQ, a good understanding of the offensive side of the game and an ability to create scoring chances. He has to move his feet more and improve his defensive play.

Filip Forsberg [LW]

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 205
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 82 48 46 94 16 43 1.15
Career 808 328 372 700 14 361 0.87
Forecast 79 41 49 90 - - 1.14

After missing 32 contests in '22-23, Forsberg had his best campaign ever last season. He set career highs in goals (a franchise-record 48), assists, points and game-winning goals (11, tied for second in the NHL). He has been an above-average performer for the better part of a decade but had not played more than 69 games since '16-17.

Mark Jankowski [C/LW]

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 212
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 32 7 8 15 11 8 0.47
Career 431 69 59 128 11 134 0.30
Forecast 49 6 7 13 - - 0.27

In baseball parlance, the '12 first-rounder is a ''4A player,'' someone who is productive at the highest level of the minors but not enough to be a big-league regular. Jankowski's big AHL performance (40 GP, 15-32-47) earned him several recalls to Nashville in '23-24. He did a good job in a depth role and earned a two-year extension.

Jonathan Marchessault [RW]

  • Age: 33
  • Ht: 5-9
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
VGK 82 42 27 69 -2 40 0.84
Career 739 256 295 551 -7 354 0.75
Forecast 80 30 36 66 - - 0.83

Thirteen players scored at least 42 goals in 2023-24, but only Marchessault did it while averaging less than 18 minutes of ice time. Of his 42 markers, 34 came at even strength. He is durable despite being a bit undersized (5'9'', 185 pounds), is a threat off the rush, has a quick release and is difficult to defend in tight quarters.

Michael McCarron [C/RW]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-6
  • Wt: 232
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 70 12 10 22 4 100 0.31
Career 329 29 38 67 -33 449 0.20
Forecast 75 7 9 16 - - 0.21

The 6'6'' McCarron spent all of 2023-24 in the NHL, something that had not happened since he entered the league eight years earlier. Not surprisingly, the bottom-six forward hit double figures in goals and surpassed 20 points for the first time. He also paced the Predators in penalty minutes (100) and was second on face-offs (53.2%).

Tommy Novak [W/C]

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 179
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 71 18 27 45 -3 8 0.63
Career 230 53 77 130 -9 28 0.57
Forecast 77 22 30 52 - - 0.68

The 27-year-old has found a niche as a secondary scorer who produces good offense for a player who averaged 14:12 of ice time in '23-24–his first season spent entirely in the NHL. After a fast start, an upper-body injury sidelined Novak for 11 games, but he had a late-season scoring surge that fueled Nashville's 18-game point streak.

Gustav Nyquist [RW/LW]

  • Age: 35
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 180
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 81 23 52 75 7 8 0.93
Career 883 209 328 537 -31 212 0.61
Forecast 81 17 35 52 - - 0.64

Not many players have a career year at age 34, but the smooth Swedish forward did in '23-24. He reached the 20-goal mark for the first time since '18-19 and outdid his previous career high in points by 15. A big part of his improvement came from capitalizing on expanded power-play time: he registered 24 points with the man advantage.

Ryan O'Reilly [C/RW]

  • Age: 33
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 216
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 82 26 43 69 6 18 0.84
Career 1180 312 533 845 -20 196 0.72
Forecast 80 23 42 65 - - 0.81

The 33-year-old center flourished in his new home in '23-24. O'Reilly finished with his most goals and points since 2018-19, the year he led St. Louis to the Stanley Cup championship. He continues to be one of the NHL's best on face-offs (53.9%, his 14th straight season over 51%) and made the power play go (14 PPG, 28 PPP in '23-24).

Colton Sissons [C/RW]

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 200
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 81 15 20 35 -6 38 0.43
Career 714 96 128 224 13 256 0.31
Forecast 82 13 23 36 - - 0.44

He is coming off his best offensive season, one that saw him reach 15 goals for the first time in five years. He also put up a career-high 35 points in 2023-24. For most of his nine seasons with the Predators, he has been a defensive forward who provides secondary scoring. More recently, he has been used in more offensive situations.

Cole Smith [LW/RW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 195
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 80 9 14 23 5 63 0.29
Career 242 20 35 55 -18 200 0.23
Forecast 81 11 10 21 - - 0.26

The late-blooming undrafted free agent has played his way into a bottom-six winger role. He is coming off his best offensive season and also finished in the NHL's top 15 in hits (235) in '23-24. His physicality helped him earn a regular gig in the lineup and helped the Predators establish an identity under head coach Andrew Brunette.

Steven Stamkos [W/C]

  • Age: 34
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 193
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
TB 79 40 41 81 -21 34 1.03
Career 1192 590 611 1201 0 699 1.01
Forecast 82 37 45 82 - - 1.00

"Stammer" hit the 40-goal mark for the seventh time in his 16 NHL seasons. His one-timer from the left circle is lethal, especially on the power play. He won more than 50 percent of his face-offs for the eighth straight season and averaged more than a point per game in '23-24. Stamkos is now 45 goals away from the magical 600 mark.

Philip Tomasino [RW/LW]

  • Age: 23
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 190
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 41 7 13 20 -6 25 0.49
Career 218 34 61 95 -11 49 0.44
Forecast 70 10 24 34 - - 0.49

The 23-year-old was a full-time NHL player at age 20, but he has spent time in the AHL during each of the past two seasons. Consistency at the NHL level has been an issue for Tomasino, who is a solid skater with an excellent shot. He sees the ice well and has quality playmaking skills but needs to improve his play away from the puck.

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Alexandre Carrier

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 174
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 73 4 16 20 7 44 0.27
Career 324 14 81 95 18 181 0.29
Forecast 76 5 19 24 - - 0.32

Staying healthier helped Carrier rebound in 2023-24, after he missed nearly half of '22-23 with due to injuries. Despite his lengthy history in the infirmary, he is still always willing to put his body on the line. The 27-year-old Carrier averaged 18:48 of ice time and finished third on the Preds with 137 blocked shots last campaign.

Roman Josi

  • Age: 34
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 201
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 82 23 62 85 12 45 1.04
Career 978 192 542 734 52 413 0.75
Forecast 82 20 67 87 - - 1.06

The 34-year-old from Switzerland has taken his game up a few notches in his 30s, winning the Norris Trophy in 2020 and being named a finalist in '22 and also last season. Nashville's captain broke the 80-point plateau for the second time in three campaigns, and he led all NHL defensemen in goals, power-play markers and shots on goal.

Jeremy Lauzon

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 225
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 79 6 8 14 -3 98 0.18
Career 333 14 35 49 -9 381 0.15
Forecast 78 4 10 14 - - 0.18

Opponents paid a price for coming down Lauzon's side of the ice in '23-24; his NHL-record 383 hits were 57 more than anyone else in the entire league. He also blocked 111 shots and was in the NHL's top 15 in penalty minutes (98). The 27-year-old Lauzon also contributed some offense in '23-24, setting career highs in goals and points.

Tanner Molendyk

  • Age: 19
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 181
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
WHL 50 10 46 56 40 18 1.12
Career
Forecast 41 3 11 14 - - 0.34

Nashville's first-round pick in '23 averaged more than a point per game in the WHL last campaign, despite losing chunks of time to injury. He is extremely mobile, moves the puck well and plays with poise under pressure. Molendyk was more offensively ambitious last season but remains a good defender who moves quickly to disrupt plays.

Luke Schenn

  • Age: 34
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 225
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 63 1 6 7 1 43 0.11
Career 1091 44 165 209 -46 864 0.19
Forecast 70 2 9 11 - - 0.16

The No. 5 pick in the 2008 draft has not scored more than five goals or finished with more than 22 points in any of his 16 NHL campaigns. However, he is still a desirable defenseman who should play in his 1,000th NHL game this October. The 34-year-old has had a career revival in his 30s, serving as a physical complementary blueliner.

Brady Skjei

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 210
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Car 80 13 34 47 15 40 0.59
Career 719 78 209 287 -18 386 0.40
Forecast 81 13 36 49 - - 0.60

After rediscovering his offensive game in '21-22, Skjei has been on an upswing ever since. He posted a career high in points last campaign and tied for third on the Hurricanes with nine points in 11 playoff games. Furthermore, he finished plus-15 while playing tough minutes on defense, especially on the penalty kill (2:12 SH TOI/GP).

Juuse Saros

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 180
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Nsh 64 35 24 5 3 2.86 0.906
Career 430 211 160 41 27 2.7 0.913
Forecast 63 40 - - 5 2.6 0.918

Few netminders are as durable and productive as Saros, who has started at least 63 games and posted 33 or more victories in each of the past three seasons. He found his stride following the '24 All-Star break and went 12-0-2 during Nashville's 18-game point streak, but his goals-against average and save percentage were career worsts.

Scott Wedgewood

  • Age: 32
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 201
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Dal 32 16 7 5 0 2.85 0.899
Career 173 75 55 27 9 2.79 0.908
Forecast 25 12 - - 1 2.82 0.903

The veteran backup got additional playing time last campaign because of injury and finished with a career-high 16 wins, although his save percentage dropped below .900 for the first time since '17-18. He is solid enough to carry the load for a few games when the starter is injured, but that is the extent of it. Wedgewood is a backup.