The Nashville Predators were widely considered one of the most improved teams heading into the 2024-25 NHL season, which makes their 0-3 start—their worst in over 15 years—all the more puzzling.

The Predators made significant moves in free agency, signing former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to a four-year deal and bringing in Jonathan Marchessault, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and original Vegas Golden Knight, on a multi-year contract. Both players hit the 40-goal mark in the 2023-24 season.

Additionally, they bolstered their defense by signing reliable blueliner Brady Skjei and secured goaltender Juuse Saros with a multi-year contract extension.

But following Tuesday night’s 7-3 setback against the visiting Seattle Kraken, the Predators are left searching for answers. And head coach Andrew Brunette didn’t mince words in his assessment of his team afterward, via The Tennessean.

“We deserve to be where we are at right now,” Brunette said in his postgame press conference. “We’re trying to play firewagon hockey. We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose.

“Even if we climb ourselves back in the third period, we go right back to those kinds of mistakes,” he continued. “When we get behind in games, we get careless. Try to make the extra play, turn nothing into something. And unfortunately, it’s going the other way.”

The Predators host the Edmonton Oilers, who picked up their first win after also starting their respective season 0-3, on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators fell 7-3 to the Kraken on Tuesday night 

The defensive woes for the Predators so far in the young season continued on Tuesday night, as at least two of the seven Kraken goals came as the result of odd-man rushes.

Meanwhile, Seattle tallied four goals in the final frame alone to pull away from Nashville, improving their own record to 2-2.

The Predators will attempt to find the win column for the first time this season when they host the Edmonton Oilers, who began the season with an 0-3 record of their own before finally winning on Tuesday night, on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.