Four storylines to follow as Nashville Predators open 2025-26 training camp

The Nashville Predators open training camp for the 2025-26 season with their first practices on Sept. 18 at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.

For three weeks, 60 players will compete for the 23-player opening night roster. Returning from last season are Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos. During the summer, Nashville added defensemen Nick Perbix and Nic Hague in free agency, traded for forward Erik Haula, and traded defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and forward Colton Sissons to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Predators' first preseason game is a doubleheader against the Florida Panthers on Sept. 21 at Bridgestone Arena, with the regular-season home opener set for Oct. 9 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here are four storylines to watch as training camp gets underway.

New-look defense? Where Nic Hague, Nick Perbix fit in

The Predators renovated their defense by subtracting Lauzon and adding Perbix and Hague. The goal, according to general manager Barry Trotz, was to get bigger and younger on the back end.

Perbix, 27, and Hague, 26, are both over 6-foot-4 and bring a healthy dose of beef to the defense. Their offensive skills may be sparse, but if they can prevent odd-man rushes and protect goaltender Juuse Saros, no one will mind.

Watch for emerging partnerships among the top four defensemen: Perbix, Hague, Josi and Brady Skjei. The most likely outcome is Josi with Hague, and Skjei with Perbix, but coach Andrew Brunette likely will try multiple combinations.

Roman Josi's health after POTS diagnosis

Speaking of defensemen, the Predators' captain was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) last season. The revelation came after investigating the aftereffects of a head injury suffered in a Feb. 25 game against the Panthers.

Josi missed the final 25 games of the season, but has since reported he feels ready to go for 2025-26. He is on medication to treat symptoms, which include dizziness, fatigue and brain fog.

Though the diagnosis is not career ending — Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Katie Ledecky also has been diagnosed with POTS — it remains to be seen how this will affect Josi's impact. He is clearly the team's best defenseman — as he goes, so go the Predators.

Will the team immediately ask him to play 24-25 minutes per night, as he has done for the past 14 years? Or will it dial back his usage? Training camp should tell us a lot.

Possible rookies in the Predators' opening night lineup

The Predators have a decision to make regarding 2025 first-round pick Brady Martin. If he makes the Predators out of training camp, they can start the clock on his three-year contract and begin his NHL career. If not, they can send him back to the OHL for the season, delaying his pro contract by one year. Note that they can play him in up to nine NHL games before making that decision.

Martin making the team out of camp would be a long shot. He performed well in the rookie tournament in Florida, but outperforming O'Reilly, Haula, Fedor Svechkov, and Michael McCarron for a center spot is a big challenge.

It's much more likely that another rookie, winger Joakim Kemell, makes the team out of camp. Nashville's 2022 first-round pick, he has been brewing in the American Hockey League for three seasons, scoring 41 goals and 53 assists in 146 games.

Kemell would fit perfectly as a young scoring right winger in the Predators' lineup — training camp is his chance to prove he can take that on.

What tools has Andrew Brunette added?

In May, when Trotz came out in support of Brunette, he qualified his statement with a plea for Brunette to improve from Year 2 to Year 3.

"(Brunette) had a tough situation this year in terms of our team, our makeup, how we came together or didn't come together," Trotz said. "He needs to add a lot of tools to his tool belt. But I think I was that guy. I was Andrew Brunette, way back when. I thought I had a lot of tools in my tool belt. Then you find out you have to add a couple more."

In particular, Trotz mentioned Brunette was "too nice" at times, especially in dealing with veterans. His hesitancy to demote or scratch highly paid but underperforming players reminded Trotz of an important lesson he had to learn in his own coaching career.

"I don't have to be a nice guy, I don't have any problem with that," he said.

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Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Four storylines to follow as Predators open 2025-26 training camp