After a frustrating 2024–25 season left Nashville Predators fans demanding answers, the franchise is betting big on a towering 26-year-old defenseman with Stanley Cup pedigree to help change the narrative. Nic Hague, newly acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights , landed in Music City determined to be part of a serious turnaround. Sitting down at Bridgestone Arena for his first meeting with Nashville media, Hague made it clear this isn’t just a new address—it’s an opportunity to tap back into the hunger that once made him a champion, embrace a bigger role, and help prove last season was, in his words, “a fluke.”
Nicolas Hague reunites with Jonathan Marchessault , eyes offensive surge, and backs Barry Trotz ’s Stanley Cup plan for Nashville PredatorsWhen Nic Hague met reporters inside Bridgestone Arena on Thursday in Nashville, he spoke candidly about the power of playing with something to prove.
“I think that's a powerful feeling to have as a team—and I also thought it was a fluke, by the way,” Hague said of Nashville’s prior season. He recalled a strikingly similar situation in Vegas, explaining, “The year before we won [the Stanley Cup] in Vegas, we missed the playoffs, and that didn't sit well with anybody. We were very hungry, felt like we had something to prove coming into that next year and obviously we were able to do that to the full extent.”
It’s that same sense of urgency that Hague sees in his new teammates. Players like Brady Skjei and Michael McCarron have already spoken publicly about proving last year wasn’t the real Predators, a sentiment that resonates strongly with the 2023 Stanley Cup champion.
Barry Trotz’s plan: How Nashville Predators will unlock Nicolas Hague’s full potentialNashville’s front office has wasted no time showing their belief in him. When general manager Barry Trotz completed the trade on June 30—sending Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas—he quickly followed it by signing Hague to a four-year, $22 million contract.
Trotz praised the newcomer as “big and physical with strong skating ability,” signaling he’ll be a key piece of the blue line not just this season but well into the future.
Hague is more than ready for that challenge. “I get excited about stuff like that,” he said. “I think it's an opportunity for me to take that next step as a player, and it was something that I've wanted to do for a long time, and something I think I'm ready for.”
Reuniting with Jonathan Marchessault and expanding his offensive role Nic Hague brings a track record of solid defensive play, having recorded five goals, 12 points, 82 hits, and 74 blocked shots last season in Vegas. But he wants to unlock more of his offensive potential in Nashville.
“I think there's more to give offensively for my game,” he said, pointing back to his junior days with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads when he thrived in attack. While he adapted to the NHL’s defensive demands early on, he’s now eager to round out his game without sacrificing the improvements he’s made in his own zone.
And he won’t be navigating Nashville alone. He’ll reunite with former Golden Knights teammate Jonathan Marchessault, a familiar face who helped Vegas win it all.
“‘Marchy’s a really good friend,” Hague said. “The guy makes me laugh...it'll be good to see him and [the family], and it'll be nice to have a familiar face around here.”
Settling in after the trade, Hague has been struck by the warm welcome in Tennessee. “I've heard nothing but great things…[and I’ve] talked to a bunch of the players,” he said. “Just being here this weekend and meeting people in the organization, everyone's been so welcoming to my wife and I. It just gets us so excited to be here and live here and call Nashville home, and I can't wait to get going when season starts.”
As October approaches and the new NHL season dawns, all eyes in Nashville will be on Hague and the Predators to see if this new chapter can deliver on its promise and rewrite last year’s disappointing script.
Also Read: Toronto Marlies Sign Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ben King, Nick Rheaume in bold roster revamp
Nicolas Hague reunites with Jonathan Marchessault , eyes offensive surge, and backs Barry Trotz ’s Stanley Cup plan for Nashville PredatorsWhen Nic Hague met reporters inside Bridgestone Arena on Thursday in Nashville, he spoke candidly about the power of playing with something to prove.
“I think that's a powerful feeling to have as a team—and I also thought it was a fluke, by the way,” Hague said of Nashville’s prior season. He recalled a strikingly similar situation in Vegas, explaining, “The year before we won [the Stanley Cup] in Vegas, we missed the playoffs, and that didn't sit well with anybody. We were very hungry, felt like we had something to prove coming into that next year and obviously we were able to do that to the full extent.”
New Predators defenseman Nic Hague on being traded to Nashville and why he was comfortable signing an extension. pic.twitter.com/X6VaxAVk5m
— Steve Layman (@SteveLayman) July 10, 2025
It’s that same sense of urgency that Hague sees in his new teammates. Players like Brady Skjei and Michael McCarron have already spoken publicly about proving last year wasn’t the real Predators, a sentiment that resonates strongly with the 2023 Stanley Cup champion.
Barry Trotz’s plan: How Nashville Predators will unlock Nicolas Hague’s full potentialNashville’s front office has wasted no time showing their belief in him. When general manager Barry Trotz completed the trade on June 30—sending Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas—he quickly followed it by signing Hague to a four-year, $22 million contract.
Trotz praised the newcomer as “big and physical with strong skating ability,” signaling he’ll be a key piece of the blue line not just this season but well into the future.
Hague is more than ready for that challenge. “I get excited about stuff like that,” he said. “I think it's an opportunity for me to take that next step as a player, and it was something that I've wanted to do for a long time, and something I think I'm ready for.”
Reuniting with Jonathan Marchessault and expanding his offensive role Nic Hague brings a track record of solid defensive play, having recorded five goals, 12 points, 82 hits, and 74 blocked shots last season in Vegas. But he wants to unlock more of his offensive potential in Nashville.
“I think there's more to give offensively for my game,” he said, pointing back to his junior days with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads when he thrived in attack. While he adapted to the NHL’s defensive demands early on, he’s now eager to round out his game without sacrificing the improvements he’s made in his own zone.
And he won’t be navigating Nashville alone. He’ll reunite with former Golden Knights teammate Jonathan Marchessault, a familiar face who helped Vegas win it all.
“‘Marchy’s a really good friend,” Hague said. “The guy makes me laugh...it'll be good to see him and [the family], and it'll be nice to have a familiar face around here.”
Settling in after the trade, Hague has been struck by the warm welcome in Tennessee. “I've heard nothing but great things…[and I’ve] talked to a bunch of the players,” he said. “Just being here this weekend and meeting people in the organization, everyone's been so welcoming to my wife and I. It just gets us so excited to be here and live here and call Nashville home, and I can't wait to get going when season starts.”
As October approaches and the new NHL season dawns, all eyes in Nashville will be on Hague and the Predators to see if this new chapter can deliver on its promise and rewrite last year’s disappointing script.
Also Read: Toronto Marlies Sign Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ben King, Nick Rheaume in bold roster revamp
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