NHL EDGE stats leaders for Nashville Predators

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2025-26 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Nashville Predators.

1. Offensive zone time percentage

The Predators ranked third in the NHL in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths last season (44.1) behind the Carolina Hurricanes (47.2) and Florida Panthers (44.9). Nashville defenseman Roman Josi was fifth at his position in that category (47.0), marking consecutive seasons of him ranking in the top 10 (48.0 in 2023-24; seventh).

Josi, 35, also ranked highly among defensemen last season in top shot speed (97.77 miles per hour; 90th percentile) and midrange shots on goal (40; 95th percentile) despite being limited to 53 games. He is recovering from Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition where a change in posture from lying down to standing causes an abnormal increase in heart rate, but is expected to play for Nashville this season.

Other returning standouts for the Predators in terms of offensive zone time percentage (percentage of time that puck spends in offensive zone while player is on ice and game clock is running), were the following forwards (percentiles at position listed below):

• Ryan O'Reilly: 46.5 (95th percentile)

• Michael Bunting: 46.2 (94th percentile)

• Steven Stamkos: 45.9 (92nd percentile)

• Luke Evangelista: 45.9 (92nd percentile)

• Jonathan Marchessault: 45.8 (91st percentile)

• Filip Forsberg: 45.6 (90th percentile)

2. Forsberg's shots on goal by location

Forsberg, who ranked fifth in the NHL in shots on goal (281) last season, was among the League's best in midrange shots on goal (102; ninth) and forward leaders in long-range shots on goal (42; fourth). Forsberg also ranked highly in high-danger shots on goal (53; 81st percentile among forwards).

Forsberg, like his teammate and fellow elite scorer Josi, was among the best at his position in top shot speed (96.32 mph; 97th percentile among forwards) and also ranked highly in average shot speed (62.82 mph; 90th percentile). Forsberg also brings a physical element to his game; he was one of two NHL players last season with at least 30 goals (31) and 150 hits (151), joining Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals (33 goals; 233 hits).

3. Saros' high-danger saves

Workhorse goalie Juuse Saros faced the fifth-most high-danger shots on goal (428) in the NHL last season and was tied for the sixth-most high-danger saves (346).

Even with Nashville missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Saros' save percentage (.896) being well below his career average (.914), he did his part on many nights with 27 games of greater than a .900 save percentage (not far behind Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord, who was 10th in the NHL with 30 such games), including four shutouts.

The defensive struggles in front of Saros mounted as the Predators finished tied for the third-worst 5-on-5 save percentage (.899) in the NHL last season. But considering Nashville was tied for 12th in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage (50.2) last season, acquired defenseman Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and has multiple forwards with bounce-back potential, Nashville could get back into postseason contention if their core players stay healthy this season.

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