This is Taco Stevenson reporting to you for the 1st time of this fresh new 2027 season and I'm definitely excited to be doing so! 

After much speculation regarding whether or not C Dana Tyrell would be back, Nashville fans were pleased to learn that the veteran superstar stuck around. With talented pivotman Nolan Patrick eager to replace him on the team's top two lines, Tyrell also figured he was probably going to have to change teams once again. Over Dana's 14 year FNHL career, he's been with 5 different teams but arguably none better than the current one. We asked him how he felt about the offseason trade rumors...

"...well, I mean, after signing a long-term offseason deal.. I kind of assumed I would at least get to stay here for a season or two. But then the rumors started flying annnd yeah, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at least a partial distraction. Still, I figured if I play the way I'm capable of..  there's no way they move on from me. So far so good, Taco.."  - Dana Tyrell

'So far so good' is right. After 4 games with Tyrell rollin' heavy minutes, the Preds are 4-0 with 20 goals scored and a mere 3 goals against. While a handful of players are off to a nice start here in 2027, Dana has led the way with team-high 9 points and a robust +10 +/- rating. The other player we have to mention is goalie Thomas McCollum and his early season success. While he'll inevitably come back down to earth sometime this season, his current stats are insane as he boasts a 97.1% save percentage and a 0.75 goals against average. A few other goalies have started out hot as well, but none hotter than Tommy Mac~ 

Up next, the Preds will play host to the New Jersey Devils and as we typically like to do, we'll predict a dirty & disappointing 3-2 loss for the home team. Even without Drouin in their lineup, the Devils are always an enticing underdog play. That being said, I'm off to place my wager on the ol +700 ;)