Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators 20 September 2026 Prediction

  Prediction by   Gevorg Danielyan     September 19, 2026 

Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa for the Tampa Bay vs Nashville preseason opener. The Lightning enter the new season with high expectations, while the Predators will again try to rebound and reach the playoffs. Recent head-to-head results give Tampa Bay a clear advantage.

Tampa Bay Must Plan for the Future

There has been growing speculation in the North American media about Nikita Kucherov’s next contract. The Russian star’s current deal runs through the end of this season, and Tampa Bay will then need to find enough cap space to re-sign him.

The Lightning added Ilya Mikheyev from Chicago this summer after he recorded 36 points, including 18 goals and 18 assists, last season. Corey Perry was the most notable departure, returning to Los Angeles.

Nashville Is Building Through the Draft

Last season was another poor one for Nashville. The Tennessee club finished near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and missed the playoffs, but it added several prospects through the draft.

The Predators had two first-round picks, selecting Wyatt Cullen, the son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen, at No. 10. They then drafted Tommy Blyle at No. 31 following his season in a Canadian junior league. Nashville also acquired Ilya Lyubushkin from Dallas. The Russian defenseman recorded nine points, with one goal and eight assists, during the 2025-26 regular season.

Tampa Bay Has Won Six Straight Against Nashville

Tampa Bay has been a difficult matchup for Nashville. The Predators have lost each of the past six head-to-head meetings, with three of those defeats coming in overtime or a shootout. In their final meeting of last season, the Lightning earned a 3-2 home win on a goal from Perry.

Tampa Bay vs Nashville Prediction: Tampa Bay to Win

Main prediction: Tampa Bay has won six consecutive meetings with Nashville, including the past three in regulation. The Lightning also have the stronger roster after retaining their core players and adding depth. The pick is Tampa Bay to win.

Totals prediction: Games between the Lightning and Predators have generally been low-scoring. They exceeded six total goals in only one of their past six meetings. With both teams still working into game shape early in the preseason, the pick is under 5.5 goals.