Hockey is back! After a five-month hiatus, the Nashville Predators are back for training camp and the preseason. 

60 players will hit the ice in hopes of making the Predators roster this fall. Practices commence on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 8:45 a.m. at Ford Ice Center Bellevue. Practices will be divided into three groups. 

The Predators will play their first preseason games, a split session against the Florida Panthers, on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena at 2 p.m. CST and 6 p.m. CST. 

As the countdown to the regular season continues, here are five storylines to watch during training camp. 

Luke Evangelista's contract saga 

Luke Evangelista's qualifying contract has been the story of the summer among the Predators fanbase. 

The star forward was extended a qualifying offer on July 1, but did not sign it, as it expired on July 15. It's been crickets throughout the summer, with multiple reports claiming that there is still a gap in agreement by Evangelista and the Predators when it comes to a new contract. 

General manager Barry Trotz spoke on July 1 about contract negotiations, saying that Evangelista wants a shorter term and that he is "the future" of the organization. 

He has grown into a top-six forward over the last three seasons, scoring 32 points in 68 games last season. Evangelista plays a critical role in improving the Predators' offense. 

Evangelista is skating with the first group in Thursday's session, meaning that fans may get an answer on where he stands with contract negotiations early on. 

Roman Josi's health upon returning to the ice 

 Over the summer, Roman Josi revealed that he had been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is a condition where the body's autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions, malfunctions. 

It was the reason why Josi had missed the final 25 games of the regular season. Josi told Swiss magazine, Blick, in June that he has managed his POTS diagnosis well and is confident that he'll be healthy enough to return to the ice next season. 

Trotz also said that Josi is "progressing exceptionally well" and will be returning for training camp. 

Having Josi back is a major plus for the Predators, but the big thing to look out for is whether there will be a lag for him in returning to the ice. At 35 years old and dealing with POTS, the hope is that Josi's game will show no dip. 

It's going to be a big season for the Predators captain as he's expected to pass 1,000 career games, 200 career goals and is representing Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

Nic Hague's role in Predators' defense

The acquisition of Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague was the Predators' biggest gain in the offseason. 

Nashville traded defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and center Colton Sissons for Hague on June 29, just days ahead of the opening of free agency. Hague later revealed in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he did not want to leave Vegas. 

Upon Hague's arrival in Nashville, Trotz said that the 6-foot-6-inch defenseman would play on the Predators' top pairing and would play a major role in the team's defense. Trotz also said the team needed help from the defense and wingers to aid the depth gap at center. 

Where things don't add up is that Hague never played on the first or second pairing during his six seasons in Vegas and hasn't scored more than 17 points in a season. The Predators are putting a lot of responsibility on Hague. 

A stay-at-home player may benefit Josi, who is a more offensively active defenseman, but there's a high risk of this trade looking like a bust. Hague's contract was even ranked as one of the Top 10 worst in the NHL by The Athletic.

Getting Stamkos offensively charged 

When playing 50 games or more in a season, Steven Stamkos has scored less than 55 points twice: his rookie season and last season. 

Stamkos played in all 82 games last season, scoring 53 points, which was his lowest point total when playing more than half of the season since the 2008-09 season. He was fresh off an 81-point season in 2023-24 and scored 106 points during the 2021-22 season. 

The Predators loaded up their first line, having Stamkos center Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault. Forsberg scored 76 points and Marchessault 56, which is right around his average over the last four seasons. 

At 35 years old, there's the possibility that Stamkos could be reaching the twilight of his career or that he may need to be moved somewhere else in the lineup. The popular conversation has been to move him to the wing and Ryan O'Reilly to the first line center position. 

It'd give Stamkos a role that's more focused on scoring and could reignite that flame. However, with moving him to the wing, the Predators need a center that will complement his game. 

Fixing the depth issue at center

It was surprising when the Predators didn't bring in any centers during the offseason via trade or free agency. The lone addition was its fifth overall pick, Brady Martin. 

O'Reilly proved that he is the Predators' top center, scoring 53 points while playing on both the second and first line. Stamkos had a solid 53 points, but that fell way below what he's been averaging in the last few seasons. 

With talks of moving Stamkos to the wing, the Predators' depth down the middle becomes slimmer. Sliding Erik Haula from wing to center could bring up the third line and could be the player that the Predators are looking for to get Stamkos going. 

Fedor Svechkov is expected to play a bigger role this season, centering the second or third line. The Predators need more out of him as he scored just 17 points in 52 games last season. It's very likely he'd get tried out with Stamkos on the wing. 

Then there's the fourth line. Michael McCarron hasn't brought much to the table when it comes to offense, scoring 14 points in 74 games last season and logging a whopping 102 penalty minutes. 

That's where Martin could come in and take over that spot. This preseason is going to be huge for the 6-foot center, seeing if he can keep up with the NHL pace and make the Predators roster in his first year.

Then there are all of the Milwaukee Admirals rostered players and players on professional or amateur tryouts. Overall, if someone unexpected jumps out during camp down the middle, the Predators should be open to working them into the lineup.