If it seems like the Nashville Predators are taking a page out of the Colorado Avalanche’s book, that’s because they are.
The organization is looking towards the best team in the division and figures they want to be just like them, except they’re not.
Still, that doesn’t stop the Preds from aspiring to become an Avalanche clone.
The first step in that endeavor was hiring Chris MacFarland away from Colorado. Then, the club plucked to pieces in Jack Drury and Ross Colton.
The only reason those moves were possible was because the Avs were running into a bit of a cap crunch. So, it wasn’t surprising to see someone capitalize on that situation.
But as far as the Predators actually trying to mimic the Avalanche, they have a long way to go. Nashville doesn’t have the high-end talent that Colorado does. While they have a solid core in Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros, the Preds don’t have the superstar power that comes from having Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Yes, Josi is a 100-point defenseman and former Norris Trophy winner. But there’s a massive difference between Josi and Makar. Makar is a top-three blueliner in the world. While Josi is great, he's not quite in that same conversation.
Moreover, the Predators don’t have that game-breaking forwards that Colorado does.
Sure, Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos are high-end guys. But they’re just not quite up there with the big boys in Colorado.
Predators should be much better in 2026-27
The Predators had a bit of a rough start in 2025-26, then picked up the pace. They were in the playoff picture for a while before ultimately falling off the grid.
That’s not something that could happen this upcoming season. Overall, they’re a bit of a deeper team. They’ve made enough moves to keep them consistent throughout most of the season.
The additions of Mavrik Bourque, Alexander Kerfoot, Nils Hoglander, Vatali Pinchuk, and Ilya Lyubushkin should all contribute to helping the club climb up the charts.
MacFarland also plucked a couple of former Colorado Eagles players in Chase Bradley and Jack Ahcan. So, the Predators look to be a bit of a deeper team, at least on paper. But who knows if that will be enough to challenge the top three in the Central Division.
Realistically, the Predators should be in the mix for a wild card spot this season. That’s why the Avalanche cannot take them lightly. The mission will be to annihilate the Preds before they become a thorn in the side.
It’s just one of those things where the NHL’s toughest division is getting just a little bit harder.
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