The Predators were too good to fail last year, but not nearly strong enough to actually compete.And that’s basically become Nashville’s trademark in recent years. Despite efforts to tear this team down and build it up over the last few seasons, the result has always been the same: a finish in the mushy middle.So how can the Predators create a path out of this situation? It depends. But either scenario leaves this team with a lot of work ahead.Here’s where the Predators stand going into the 2026-27 season using the Cup checklist. All projected values are age-adjusted based on each player’s profile of comparable peers.What the Predators have For years, everything has revolved around Nashville’s core players at each position: Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Juuse Saros. The Predators just have to be realistic about where each of these players fit at this point in their respective careers.Saros’ best days are likely behind him after falling below expectations in three straight years. His shorter stature only gives him a taller hill to climb to get back to that bona-fide star territory. So do incoming age-related declines. For now, at least, he’s still passable; the fact he was a bit closer to average relative to his workload this season helps keep him there, along with his starting volume.Josi is also in a race against Father Time at 35 years old, but elite players tend to age better than the average skater. He’s enough of a difference-maker offensively to hold his role as a franchise defenseman.Forsberg, on the other hand, fits more comfortably in the next tier as a scoring forward on a contender. He still shoots the puck often and efficiently, which adds a sustainability factor to his goal-scoring ability. The play-driving just isn’t as strong as years past.Ryan O’Reilly has still got it on both ends of the ice between his shutdown game and his playmaking, and that helped Steven Stamkos get back on track on the wing. He may not be as dimensional a threat anymore, or strong enough to shake it at center, but he is still a dangerous goal scorer.Two up-and-comers showed long-term potential in supporting and depth roles. Luke Evangelista gave the team a playmaking spark in the top six, and at 24 years old, there’s likely more untapped potential there. Zachary L’Heureux showed some defensive upside, too.What the Predators need There’s two ways to answer this, but it depends on what direction management decides to take this summer.