Nashville Predators 2024-25 Defensive Pairing Predictions – The Hockey Writers –

The Nashville Predators have a formidable roster heading into the 2024-25 NHL season. The offense will be led by newly signed forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, as well as other Predators like Ryan O’Reilly, Tommy Novak, and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville is also covered in net, with the two goalies likely to be Juuse Saros and Scott Wedgewood. As for defense, what could these pairings look like in the upcoming season? Head coach Andrew Brunette will use training camp and the preseason to look at who meshes well with who. Here are some predictions for what the Predators pairings could look like.

First pair: Brady Skjei-Roman Josi

Captain Roman Josi is a sure thing for Nashville’s starting defensive pair. He is one of their best talents in franchise history and is the current all-time point producer in the backfield. Since the 2011-12 season, Josi has produced the following stats for the club:

• 2011-12: Five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 52 games
• 2012-13: Five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 48 games
• 2013-14: 13 goals and 27 assists for a total of 40 points in 72 games
• 2014-15: 15 goals and 40 assists for 55 points in 81 games
• 2015-16: 14 goals and 47 assists for 61 points in 81 games
• 2016-17: 12 goals and 37 assists for 49 points in 72 games
• 2017-18: 14 goals and 39 assists for 53 points in 75 games
• 2018-19: 15 goals and 41 assists for 56 points in 82 games
• 2019-20: 16 goals and 49 assists for 65 points in 69 games
• 2020-21: Eight goals, 25 assists, 33 points in 48 games
• 2021-22: 23 goals and 73 assists for 96 points in 80 games
• 2022-23: 18 goals and 41 assists for 59 points in 67 games
• 2023-24: 23 goals and 62 assists for 85 points in 82 games

Based on the last few campaigns, Josi is playing the best and most offensive hockey of his career. He could win the Norris Trophy in 2024-25. He will have a lot of competition as many worthy candidates will impress. Josi will certainly be one of the top defensemen this upcoming season and will be in that Norris conversation.

Related: Nashville Predators sign Brady Skjei to 7-year contract

Josi’s potential partner on the blue line is newly signed Brady Skjei. The 30-year-old defenseman signed a seven-year free agent deal with Nashville. Skjei brings offensive ability and is a reliable defender. He comes to the Predators from the Carolina Hurricanes. During his tenure in Raleigh, Skjei has put up the following numbers:

• 2020-21: Three goals, seven assists, 10 points in 52 games
• 2021-22: Nine goals and 30 assists for 39 points in 82 games
• 2022-23: 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points in 81 games
• 2023-24: 13 goals and 34 assists for a total of 47 points in 80 games

If Skjei and Josi can develop solid chemistry, both defenders could potentially put up career-highs. Nashville will get significant offensive contributions from at least these two defenders.

Second pair: Jeremy Lauzon-Alexandre Carrier

The Predators’ second-string defense could be Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier. Lauzon previously played for the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken. He joined Nashville in the 2021-22 season when he was traded for a 2022 second-round pick from Seattle. Since arriving in Nashville, he has produced the following numbers:

• 2021-22: One goal in 13 matches
• 2022-23: Three goals, nine assists, 12 points in 67 games
• 2023-24: Six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 79 games

On the other side of the aisle for Nashville could be Alexandre Carrier. He recently signed a three-year contract extension worth $11.25 million. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has become an integral part of the Predators’ blue line. Last season, Carrier had four goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 73 games. His current career-high in points in the league came in 2021-22, when he had three goals and 27 assists for 30 points in 77 games.

The two defensemen may not score as much as the first pair, but they will be significant contributors on the defensive end. Predators GM Barry Trotz already sees Carrier’s value to the team, which is why he signed him to a three-year extension. As for Lauzon, he has become an NHL regular during his time with Tennessee, playing in 67 games in 2022-23 and 79 in 2023-24. They could be a key pairing for the Predators in games.

Third pair: Spencer Stastney-Luke Schenn

The Predators’ final defensive pairing is a mix of veteran and rookie defenseman. Luke Schenn has played in the NHL since being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, he has played for the Leafs on two separate occasions, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Arizona Coyotes, the Anaheim Ducks, two stints with the Vancouver Canucks, the Tampa Bay Lightning (where he won two Stanley Cup championships) and is now entering his second season in Tennessee. Last season, Schenn played in 63 games for the Predators. In that time, he scored a goal and six assists for seven points. He is close to playing in 1,000 NHL games. In 996 games, he has 43 goals and 155 assists for 198 points.

On the other side of that pair is Spencer Stastney. The 24-year-old was selected by Nashville in the fifth round (131st overall) of the 2018 Draft. He has yet to play many NHL games, but he has the potential to become a significant defensive player for the club. Below are the stats that Stastney has put up in his young career with the team:

• 2022-23: Two assists in eight games
• 2023-24: Two goals, two assists, four points in 20 games

Stastney has an impressive hockey background, having been a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team and the U.S. Under-18 National Team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He also played four years of college hockey at Notre Dame. He may have only played 28 games in the NHL, but I believe that if he has a good training camp and preseason, he will be one of Nashville’s six defensemen in 2024-25.

The Predators blue line brings a lot to the table. They can generate offense with talents like Josi and Skjei, and the other four can be solid defensively, causing problems for opponents. This could be the defensive pairing, or Brunette could decide to go in a different direction. Predators fans will soon find out what the defensive core will look like in the upcoming campaign.