Good afternoon, folks! It’s hockey time in Tennessee! I’ve previewed so many Game 1s for Nashville, and it’s truly an honor to continue writing for On the Forecheck season after season. You know that I’ll always say that it’s Nashville’s time to get a Stanley Cup in Nashville. It’s not really boom or bust this season, but Nashville certainly has the right ingredients. It’s been hard watching Colorado, St. Louis, and Vegas grab a Cup in the last few seasons when we all thought Nashville would be a surefire Cup winner in 2018 or 2019. Could this be the season?
Nashville Predators
It’s so excellent to see GM Barry Trotz go big in the offseason, acquiring big names like Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei, and Jonathan Marchessault to beef up Nashville’s roster. It’s time to put the money on the ice, though, and see what this upgraded roster can do. While the Predators are an old team, they’re a talented team. We’re looking for guys like Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros to lead the way.
It’s a bit unclear whether Juuse Saros’s injury is something to worry about, but I expect to see Scott Wedgewood in between the pipes tonight. Wedgewood is a former Star, so he’ll be motivated to play well against his former squad. There was a lot of consternation and concern over Wedgewood’s preseason body of work — will he show up tonight or will he flop? Goaltending makes or breaks a season.
Dallas Stars
We most recently saw the Stars lose in six games to the Edmonton Oilers last spring. They have plenty of young stars like Jason Robertson, Logan Stankoven, Thomas Harley, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz. Robertson had 80 points last season, and Miro Heiskanen is probably one of the best blueliners in the League. We’ll see our old friends Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell tonight, too.
In net, Casey DeSmith was brought in over the summer to back up Jake Oettinger. Oettinger is a great young goalie who is technically sound and generally very unflappable. Expect Oettinger to get the nod tonight — “Otter” is tough to beat nearly every night. He’s 5-2-2 against Nashville in his career.
The Stars have won five straight games at Bridgestone Arena. They have a lot of fans who travel to away games, and there’s going to be a lot of green in the building tonight. Coach Pete DeBoer said “Any time you’re in the division, particularly with what Nashville added, they’re going to have some excitement with their new players and their first game, and they’re going to try to make a statement.”
Reasons to Watch
- Opening night of the 2024-2025 hockey season for Nashville
- How will the new additions fit in?
- Will Scott Wedgewood start tonight?
- If you’re an Alabama fan, maybe you can forget about last Saturday’s loss with some refreshing hockey.
Keep Your Eye on This Guy
If I’m Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault, I’m grinding my way to the net tonight and shooting everything at Jake Oettinger. They’ll be extra motivated to score in their first official game as a Pred — which one lights the lamp first? Both looked great in limited preseason outings.
Tonight’s Theme Song
How to Watch
Per the Preds dot com preview, “Tonight’s home opener will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu with Bob Wischusen and AJ Mlezcko on the call.”
As always, you can tune in on 102.5 The Game for the radio call.