Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
TV/Streaming: ALTITUDE (COL), Scripps/The Spot (NSH), ESPN+ (out-of-market)
This is a Central Division matchup and the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the clubs (they are scheduled for additional games later). Colorado enters with a high-powered offense, while Nashville is wrapping up a back-to-back after an overtime loss the previous night.
Projected Lineups
Avalanche
Forwards (common projections):
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes
Taylor Makar / Parker Kelly – Logan O’Connor and depth Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood (primary option/probable in many projections) or Scott Wedgewood.
Predators
Forwards (projections):
Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Matthew Wood
Filip Forsberg – Mavrik Bourque – Jonathan Marchessault
Vitali Pinchuk / others – Alex Kerfoot – Nils Hoglander
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom Defense: Roman Josi-led pairs (including combinations with Adam Wilsby, Nicolas Hague, Jayden Struble, Brady Skjei, Nick Perbix, etc.). Goalies: Juuse Saros (primary) or Justus Annunen (possible on the back-to-back).
Lineups remain fluid; final confirmations typically come closer to game time after morning skates (or lack thereof on the second night of a back-to-back for Nashville).
Injury Reports
Avalanche:
Nicolas Roy (C, lower body) – Day-to-day/out (expected around Oct. 28 in some reports).
Zachary L’Heureux (LW/upper body) – Out/IR (longer timeline, into early November).
Limited other absences noted; the core remains largely intact.
Predators:
William Trudeau (D, upper body) – Out/IR.
Relatively healthy otherwise, with recent roster moves (e.g., claiming a defenseman on waivers).
Both teams are missing only secondary pieces, so the star talent is available on both sides.
Recent Team Forms
Avalanche: 6-4-1 overall with strong offensive output (around 4.27 goals per game, among the league leaders). They snapped a minor skid with a 6-3 home win over Tampa Bay on Friday, powered by Nathan MacKinnon (goal + 3 assists in that game) and contributions from Lehkonen (tied near the league lead in goals early), Necas, and Cale Makar from the blue line. Defensive numbers are solid-to-average (around 3.00 GA/GP), and special teams are functional. They generate high shot volume.
Predators: 3-3-4 and more inconsistent. They dropped a 3-2 overtime decision at Pittsburgh on Saturday (Stamkos scored) after a heavy 6-0 loss earlier in the week. Offense has been limited (around 2.5 GF/GP), though Stamkos leads with solid production (5 goals, 11 points range), supported by Forsberg, Josi (strong assist totals), and O’Reilly. They sit lower in the Central standings early and have struggled to generate consistent scoring chances. Special teams have been a relative strength (stronger PP percentage early).
Colorado holds a clear edge in pace, talent, and recent results; Nashville’s back-to-back adds fatigue risk.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Nathan MacKinnon / Martin Necas / Artturi Lehkonen vs. Roman Josi and Nashville’s top defense/pairs: MacKinnon is in elite form and drives Colorado’s attack. Containing him (and the supporting skill of Necas and goal-scorer Lehkonen) is Nashville’s biggest challenge. Josi will log heavy minutes trying to neutralize the top line.
Cale Makar / Devon Toews vs. Steven Stamkos / Filip Forsberg: Makar’s elite transition and offensive ability from the back end will test Nashville’s forwards. Stamkos and Forsberg need to generate secondary scoring and pressure Colorado’s defense.
Nazem Kadri / Brock Nelson / Gabriel Landeskog depth vs. Ryan O’Reilly’s line: Middle-six battles and faceoff/board work will matter in a potentially physical Bridgestone environment.
Goaltending: Blackwood/Wedgewood vs. Saros/Annunen — Saros is the more proven option, but the back-to-back could force a change. Colorado’s high volume will test whoever starts for Nashville.
Secondary factors: Special teams (Nashville’s PP vs. Colorado’s PK) and transition play, where the Avalanche excel.
Series History
First meeting of the season. All-time regular-season series is competitive (Colorado holds a slight edge in some historical tallies around 45-43-15 range in prior counts; Nashville has been strong at home historically, including a solid recent home mark against Colorado). The teams met in the 2022 playoffs (Colorado swept). Expect a competitive divisional feel with Colorado’s talent edge.
Betting Trends
Colorado is a heavy road favorite due to superior offense and overall talent.
Nashville is on a back-to-back and has struggled to score, but home underdogs covering the +1.5 have value in models.
High totals reflect Colorado’s scoring punch; under has some support if Nashville slows the pace.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 225
Nashville Predators 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, October 24, 2026
