NHL Predictions: October 10 with Dallas Stars vs Nashville Predators

Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, our team here at Last Word on Hockey breaks down head-to-head matchups and other key elements that may influence the outcome of each game. We also have a featured game of the day, which is considered must-watch TV. This NHL Predictions article looks at the Dallas Stars versus Nashville Predators 2024-25 NHL season opener in Nashville, Tennessee.

NHL Predictions

Dallas Stars vs. Nashville Predators

Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

TV: Victory+, Hulu/ESPN+

The 2024-25 NHL season has arrived, and Dallas and Nashville meet in a Central Division clash. The Stars won the division and the Western Conference during the regular season last year. They have made consecutive trips to the Western Conference Final and are looking to take the next step and possibly win their second Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, Nashville revamped its roster with scorers throughout the offseason after finishing fourth in the division and claiming the final playoff spot.

Head coach Pete DeBoer returns for his third year behind the bench for Dallas. The team surprised everyone with its success in his first season, but that has only heightened and amplified the expectations going forward. Andrew Brunette returns for his second season behind the bench in Nashville, hoping to guide the Predators to a more ideal finish. Let’s take a brief look at each team heading into the 2024-25 NHL season in this edition of our predictions.

The Stars Story

Dallas lost some key veterans in the offseason. Joe Pavelski retired, Ty Dellandrea and Radek Faksa were traded. They bought out Ryan Suter. Chris Tanev signed with Toronto, and Scott Wedgewood signed with Nashville. They opted to replace those guys internally with younger talent. Wyatt Johnston was expected to take over Pavelski’s spot on the top line, and Mavrik Bourque and Oskar Back earned spots on the opening roster. However, injuries may have changed those plans based on the line usage at practice on Wednesday.

Dallas made its big offseason moves on defence, signing veterans Mathew Dumba, Brendan Smith, and Ilya Lyubushkin to join returning players Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Esa Lindell. The group is very offensively-minded but more physical than a year ago and will be a critical factor in the team’s success. Having a star goalie in Jake Oettinger helps immensely, but they cannot rely on him to do everything. Still, Dallas is a team many believe can win the Stanley Cup and will contend in the Central Division and the Western Conference.

The Predators Story

Nashville was one of the headliners in free agency, making moves that appear to signal that they believe they can contend. The most significant additions were forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenceman Brady Skjei. The signings give Nashville a two-line scoring punch at a minimum.

Skjei and Roman Josi become an elite defence pairing in front of star goaltender Juuse Saros, who signed a lengthy contract extension in the offseason. Saros might miss Thursday’s game, meaning Scott Wedgewood would face his former squad in his first appearance with the Predators. Nashville has made vast improvements and should be a contender in the Central Division.

Prediction

Injuries and availability (or lack there of) can make things hard to predict, especially for a season opener. You never know who needs to knock off a little rust or how in-tune each line or defence pairing is with each other. While Nashville has improved, Dallas’ players have more experience together, and the Stars absolutely have the advantage in net if Saros is unable to play.

Prediction: Stars win 4-2.

Prop Bets of the Night

According to Bet365, the over/under on this game is 6.0. W realize our final score prediction is at that exact point, but we would lean toward the under rather than a push. We also like Miro Heiskanen (+330) to have multiple points in the game and Wyatt Johnston (+900) to score the first goal.