Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: TSN4 (Canada), Scripps Sports/The Spot (Nashville market), ESPN+ (out-of-market)
The Predators open their first road trip of the 2026-27 season (a three-game Eastern Canada swing) against a Maple Leafs team wrapping up its season-opening four-game homestand. Nashville is coming off a 2-1 win over Dallas; Toronto fell 3-2 to Ottawa in its last outing. Both clubs have two points early in the young season.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Nashville Predators (projected; Juuse Saros confirmed to start; Matt Murray backup after Justus Annunen was placed on IR):
Forwards: Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Alexander Kerfoot; Filip Forsberg – Matthew Wood – Nils Hoglander; Ross Colton – Mavrik Bourque – Jonathan Marchessault; Reid Schaefer – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom
Defense: Nicolas Hague – Roman Josi; Brady Skjei – Nick Perbix; William Trudeau – Adam Wilsby
Scratches: Ilya Lyubushkin, Jack Ahcan, Vitali Pinchuk
Toronto Maple Leafs (projected; Anthony Stolarz projected/confirmed in multiple reports, with Sergei Bobrovsky also available):
Forwards: Kirill Marchenko – Auston Matthews – Jack Roslovic; Gavin McKenna – John Tavares – William Nylander; Easton Cowan – Nick Paul – Colton Sissons; Brandon Duhaime – Teddy Blueger – Bo Groulx
Defense: Morgan Rielly – Darren Raddysh; Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev; Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Troy Stecher
Scratches: Zack MacEwen, Nick Blankenburg
Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (selected by Toronto out of Penn State after a standout NCAA season), is looking for his first NHL point in his fourth game.
Injury Reports
Predators: Justus Annunen (G, undisclosed) placed on injured reserve Tuesday (day-to-day earlier reports); Matt Murray recalled from AHL Milwaukee to back up Saros. No other major absences noted in projected lineups.
Maple Leafs: Dakota Joshua (C/core/abdomen, IR); Max Domi (C/back/undisclosed, IR/long-term); additional depth injuries include Cade Webber (D, elbow, IR), Elvis Merzlikins (G, shoulder, IR/long-term), and William Villeneuve (D, knee, IR).
Recent Team Forms
Nashville: L 3-1 vs. Minnesota (Oct. 1), W 2-1 vs. Dallas (Oct. 3). Strong goaltending from Saros (1-1-0, ~2.03 GAA, .933 SV% through two starts; 29 saves in the win over Dallas). Offense has been modest (1.5 GPG) but the power play has clicked (power-play goals from Stamkos and Hoglander in the Dallas win).
Toronto: Mixed results on the homestand (losses to Montreal and Ottawa sandwiching a win over the Islanders), scoring exactly two goals in each of its first three games (1-2-0 overall, 2.00 GPG). Nylander, Cowan, and Rielly lead with three points each. Defense/goaltending has been solid enough to keep games close (2.33 GAA). Stolarz looked sharp in his start.
Series History
All-time (approximate from recent data): Predators roughly 17-16-1-2 or close (Leafs hold a slight edge in some tallies around 18-17-1). Nashville is 4-6-0 in the last 10 meetings and 0-5-0 in the last five at Scotiabank Arena. Recent results include Nashville’s 5-3 home win on Dec. 20, 2025, and Toronto’s 7-4 home win on Oct. 14, 2025. The teams have not met in the playoffs. This is the first of two meetings this season (Nashville hosts in February).
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Auston Matthews / top Leafs line vs. Nashville’s shutdown/defensive structure (O’Reilly, Josi, Saros): Matthews looks for continued production after scoring against Ottawa; Nashville’s veteran core aims to limit high-danger chances.
Gavin McKenna (with Tavares/Nylander) vs. Predators’ middle six and defense pairs: The highly touted rookie seeks his first point against a Predators group that has limited offense early.
Filip Forsberg / Steven Stamkos vs. Toronto’s blue line (Rielly, Tanev, McCabe): Nashville’s scoring threats on the power play and at even strength against Toronto’s mix of veterans and mobile defenders.
Goaltending duel: Juuse Saros (strong early numbers) vs. Anthony Stolarz (excellent in limited action) or Bobrovsky.
Roman Josi’s minutes and Nashville’s power play (strong percentage early) against Toronto’s penalty kill (perfect early in limited samples) will be critical.
Betting Trends
Early-season scoring has been low for both (combined under three goals per game average so far). Toronto has been tight at home but is seeking consistency; Nashville travels well in some historical contexts but has struggled recently at Scotiabank. Goaltending edge leans toward Saros’s volume and early form, while Toronto has home ice and higher-end skill (Matthews, Nylander, McKenna upside).
Game Odds
Nashville Predators 6
Toronto Maple Leafs – 151
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 5, 2026
