$18,000,000 Predators star heartbroken over playoff elimination

On Thursday, the Nashville Predators became the third team in the NHL this season to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Nashville blew a 2-0 lead, en route to a 3-2 regulation loss at home to the St. Louis Blues. The team thought they had tied the game just before the final buzzer courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault; however, replay deemed it to have entered the net after the clock struck zero.

It was another disappointing loss in what's been a lost season from the start for the Predators. Star forward Ryan O'Reilly echoed that sentiment when he spoke to the media after the game.

Predators reporter Alex Daugherty shared O'Reilly's postgame comments on X.

"It felt like we were eliminated a long time ago, honestly," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly has been critical of his team and his play throughout the year and he's not pulling back on it.

He is in the second season of a four-year $18,000,000 deal signed with Nashville in 2023 (per Spotrac). O'Reilly has not produced up to the level that he'd like, with 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) in 69 games on the campaign. This comes after an excellent 2023-24 where he racked up 69 points (26 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games.

It's been a disastrous season for the Nashville Predators

After being deemed the winners of the offseason, nothing has gone right during the 2024-25 campaign for the Nashville Predators.

With a 27-37-8 record and 62 points, Nashville is 30th in the NHL standings, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks (51 points) and San Jose Sharks (49 points).

The additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei were thought to have pushed a team that made the playoffs a year ago into potential Stanley Cup contention. However, it's gone in the opposite direction as the Predators are poised to select at the top of the 2025 NHL draft.

Stamkos and Marchessault have had down years, producing just 45 (23 goals, 22 assists) and 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) through 72 games. Nashville general manager Barry Trotz will need his $32,000,000 and $27,500,000 offseason acquisitions to bounce back in a big way next season.

The Predators will continue to play out their season on Saturday when they host the Vegas Golden Knights. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. EST at Bridgestone Arena.