Tough decisions are ahead for Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette.
The Predators host their home opener against the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 1, but before then, Brunette must trim his roster from 31 players down to 23.
"There's some guys that are in those positions that played real well. There's some other guys that haven't played up to my expectations," Brunette said after practice at Centennial Ice Rink on Sept. 25. "These are hard decisions, but it's been a really competitive camp."
One final preseason game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sept. 26 will help Brunette make his final judgment.
"In a shortened camp, you can't really wait for anybody," he said. "Some guys have really pushed, some guys haven't."
Here's our
latest roster predictions before final rosters must be submitted on Sept. 29.
The locks: 18 players that are making the Predators roster
Here's the 18 players you can go ahead and put in the opening night lineup, based on everything that's happened over the summer and in training camp.
Forwards (10): Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly, Matthew Wood, Mavrik Bourque, Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Drury, Ross Colton, Nils Hoglander, Alex Kerfoot
Defensemen (6): Roman Josi, Brady Skjei, Nicolas Hague, Ryan Ufko, Adam Wilsby, Ilya Lyubushkin
Goaltenders (2): Juuse Saros, Justus Annunen
Next four in: Players that should make the Predators' final 23
The next four spots are where things get interesting. The Predators need two more forwards to fill out the lineup card, plus they have two defensemen they'd rather not lose on waivers.
Given that, these four players seem on the right side of the cut line:
Forwards (2): Brady Martin, Vitali Pinchuk
Defensemen (2): Nick Perbix, Justin Barron
Martin, the team's top pick in 2025, is the most versatile of the final forward group, which gives him an edge. Pinchuk had an excellent game against the Hurricanes on Sept. 24, scoring a goal and assist, and offers offensive skills that the team needs around.
The last man in: Who makes the final cut for the Predators?
The Predators will need a 13th forward, a healthy scratch that can also step into the lineup if needed. With one preseason game to go, that battle is between left wing Reid Schaefer and center Adam Edstrom. Both have similar skill sets and both would have to clear waivers, so this decision is more about who they'd less like to see claimed on waivers.
Last man in: Reid Schaefer
Eight men out: Which Predators players will miss the cut?
That leaves eight players below the cut line, most of which will be in Milwaukee to start the year.
Forwards (4): Adam Edstrom, Cole O'Hara, Felix Nilsson, Tyson Jost
Defensemen (3): Tanner Molendyk, Hunter Skinner, Jack Ahcan
Goaltenders (1): Ethan Haider
Edstrom, Ahcan, and Skinner will need to clear waivers, but the others are either exempt from waivers or signed only to an AHL contract. One exception is Jost, who is in camp on a professional tryout contract and can be released or signed to a standard contract at any time.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at@alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who makes the final 23? Nashville Predators roster predictions ahead of home opener
