It’s no secret that it’s been a difficult season for the Nashville Predators so far, and it’s clear that the players feel it as well.
Following a tough 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn didn’t shy away from sharing his frustrations with Nashville’s goalscoring woes.
“You don’t really even know what to say anymore,” said the veteran. “I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a group where you literally can’t score goals … sometimes you’re giving up a lot or the defensive game’s not there, but at least you catch the odd break and get the puck in the net and it’s been hard to come by.”
The Nashville Predators have three goals in three games since returning from the 4 Nations break, including getting shut out 5-0 by New Jersey on Sunday. They sit second last in the league in Goals For with 147, one more than the Anaheim Ducks’ 146.
Pre-season expectations had the Predators set to improve from a first-round exit in the playoffs last year after a summer that saw GM Barry Trotz sign two highly coveted veterans with Cup-winning experience in Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. This year, they’ve taken a dramatic fall, sitting third last in the league with 47 points. With not much goalscoring showing up on the roster, frustrations are clearly mounting.
Schenn had two stints with the Canucks organization. He was first dealt to Vancouver from the Ducks in early 2019 before signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent that summer. Two years later, he signed with Vancouver as a free agent on a two-year, $1.7 million contract.
As part of that team, he not only continued his reputation as a strong shut-down defenceman but also saw the most productive years of his career offensively, with 30 points in 121 games. He was then traded at the 2023 deadline to the Toronto Maple Leafs before signing with the Predators as a free agent.
With one more year remaining on his contract at $2.75 million AAV, there are questions about whether Nashville will be active ahead of the March 7th trade deadline to shake things up. Amidst his vocal frustrations, he may be one of the veteran pieces that gets dealt.