Foto: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN / COP 89 / MI0707
Prospect System Ranking – 10th (Previous Rank - 6th)
GM: Barry Trotz Hired: July 2023
COACH: Andrew Brunette Hired: May 2023
Big things are happening in Music City, with Barry Trotz now guiding the ship. In his first full season as GM, the former bench boss made significant splashes during the 2024 free agency period, locking up big fish like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.
In a somewhat surprising move, the Predators also re-signed veteran goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract. While securing a cornerstone in net makes sense in most cases, it threw a wrench in the future plans of McKeen’s top-rated goaltending prospect, and Nashville’s top prospect, Yaroslav Askarov, resulting in a trade to San Jose. The return included 109th ranked prospect David Edstrom, who slots in at the fifth ranked prospect for the Predators. They also acquired a conditional first round pick (previously acquired from Vegas) and goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona. For Trotz it did add to potential future stock but the prospects and pick also offer trade alternatives for an organization that has gone all in to win now.
Down on the farm, the Predators boast several prospects on the verge of making the leap to the NHL. Joakim Kemell (52nd), Fyodor Svechkov (159th), and Zach L'Heureux (82nd) are all coming off respectable rookie campaigns and have shown they can handle the pro ranks. Reid Schaefer (162nd), Ryan Ufko (171st), and newly acquired Jeremy Hanzel are also set to step into full-time roles with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Further from home, the Predators continue to develop a few intriguing names. Matthew Wood, playing at the University of Connecticut, Tanner Molendyk (107th), dominating at the WHL level, and recently drafted first-rounder Yegor Surin (133rd), who tore up the MHL last year and is now set to graduate to the KHL for the 2024-25 season, all represent exciting future pieces.
With recent gradations to Philip Tomasino, Juuso Parssinen, and Luke Evangelista, the process of retooling a team which has made the postseason nine out of the last 10 years is in full effect.
Nashville Predators Top-15 Prospects
1. Joakim Kemell
It’s becoming more and more common to see U20 players in the AHL these days, and it’s also becoming even more commonplace to see them performing well. Kemell left Finland to join Milwaukee two years ago and was an immediate impact player for the Admirals during their playoff run (with 8 goals in 14 playoff games). In his first full year in North America last year, Kemell was very solid, right there with the likes of Shane Wright and Jiri Kulich among the top U20 scorers in the AHL. In December, the Predators took a lot of heat for not allowing Kemell to go to the WJC’s to play for Finland, but perhaps it was best to allow him to have an uninterrupted first full year. The results spoke for themselves. Kemell’s best two attributes would be his shot and his quickness. He is absolutely dynamic in transition and he is right at home on the flank on the powerplay where he can hammer pucks with his lethal one timer. The focus moving forward remains strength on the puck so that Kemell can be more inside driven. The gains that he can make in the strength department likely dictate whether he is a full time Predator next season or not.
2. Matthew Wood
Wood, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, shocked the hockey world when he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal this offseason, following a rather lateral development year with UConn as a sophomore. Now headed to the University of Minnesota, Wood will try to get things back on track with the Golden Gophers. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound forward is an absolute load to handle for defenders when he’s attacking in transition because his top speed has improved and because he protects the puck so well. Wood also dominates near the crease because of his quick hands and quick release. Moving forward, the focus will continue to be on his quickness in order to be more explosive to gaps and coming off the wall. Additionally, there’s still a lot of room for Wood to improve as a two-way player. The Predators will be looking for his physical intensity level to become more consistent and that would take his game to another level. One would expect that Wood will turn pro following his junior season at Minnesota and depending on how next year goes, he could make an immediate impact in Nashville.
3. Zachary L'Heureux
Coming into the year, if someone had told you that L’Heureux would be second in the AHL in penalty minutes in his first pro season, would you have been surprised? We certainly wouldn’t have. However, it should also be noted that he finished first in the AHL playoffs in goal scoring, an extremely impressive accolade. L’Heureux is at his best when he’s playing on the edge…or even crossing it, and it’s the combination of his pest-like qualities with his skill and offensive zone awareness that makes him a bit of a unicorn these days. L’Heureux is very much on track to be a quality middle six player for Nashville and that could happen as early as next season if he can continue to learn to rein things in a bit to stay out of the box. The former Halifax Mooseheads standout and 27th overall pick is right on track developmentally and Nashville has to be happy with his performance as a first-year pro.
4. Tanner Molendyk
Molendyk’s draft plus one year went extremely well as he has emerged as one of the WHL’s top two-way defenders. He was one of six defenders to average over one point per game and his Saskatoon Blades finished the regular season with the most wins in the league. Just as was the case when he was drafted, Molendyk’s best asset is his mobility. A phenomenal and effortless four-way skater, Molendyk’s skating ability makes up the foundation of his game. He’s aggressive in attacking the offensive zone and leading the charge in transition. He quarterbacks the powerplay well by consistently beating the initial layer of pressure. His rush defense is excellent because of his terrific gap control and ability to keep the action ahead of him. Would it be shocking at all to see Molendyk copy Kevin Korchinski’s development path by making the NHL next season? Stranger things have happened, especially after Tyson Barrie was allowed to walk. However, Ryan Ufko would probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.
5. David Edstrom
There probably isn't a hockey coach in the world who wouldn't fall in love with Edstrom almost immediately. He is about as consistent, versatile, and low-maintenance as hockey players come, and there is a ton of plug-and-play value to him, especially as a center. He can play the game any way you like and fit anywhere in a team's lineup. He’s already so wise and mature as a hockey player, and as a teenager this season in the SHL he looked like someone who could have already been in the league for 10 years. He's reminiscent of another former Frolunda center in Lars Eller, in the sense that he'll likely never be a superstar, but it's easy to foresee him as someone who plays 1,000 games in the NHL and is always great to have on your roster come playoff time.
6. Yegor Surin
Can you imagine Zachary L'Heureux and Yegor Surin on the same line? The Predators sure could. Absolute chaos. That’s why the Predators used the 22nd overall pick on him this year. Surin plays the game on (or even over) the edge consistently. It’s even fair to say that his physicality knows no bounds. He is a Tasmanian devil on the ice. However, like L'Heureux, Surin is also a skilled player who can make plays with the puck and who is capable of playing alongside other skilled players in an offensive role. That’s what makes him unique. We saw how valuable he can be in this past season’s MHL playoffs, where Surin was one of the top performers. The only real question is, how well does he process the game? That’s yet to be determined. The answer will dictate his future place in an NHL lineup. For now, he’ll return to Russia and look to earn more time in the KHL this season with Lokomotiv.
7. Fyodor Svechkov
After a few tumultuous post draft years in Russia, the Predators have to be very happy with the development of Svechkov this past season in Milwaukee. Not only did he continue to be a strong defensive presence, which was part of his allure as a draft eligible player in 2021, but his offensive game translated nicely too. He was right in the mix with the other top young forwards on Milwaukee’s roster and his attention to detail and versatility are sure to make him a coaches’ favourite during his likely long NHL career. He looks like a safe bet to at least become a very good third line forward for the Predators in the near future, although at this point, he would appear to be behind Kemell and L’Heureux in the pecking order. Returning to Milwaukee next year as an AHL sophomore would actually be best for his development, especially considering the likelihood that one of those other top young forwards gets promoted, which would open up even more ice time and responsibility for him.
8. Reid Schaefer
One of the prize pieces of the Mattias Ekholm trade with Edmonton, Schaefer is a former first round selection by the Oilers, and he just completed his first pro season with AHL Milwaukee. Given the depth of Nashville’s talent pool at the pro level, Schaefer played more of a bottom six role for the Admirals. Considering his play style as a two-way, power winger, that’s been a great fit for him, easing him into the increased pace of the pro game. He wasn’t able to find his way to the net to create scoring chances with the same sort of consistency as he did in the WHL, but he proved to be sound away from the puck and brought it physically despite being a younger player. He definitely did not look overwhelmed at the AHL level. Schaefer is likely to receive more playing time and responsibility this season and that will give us a better indication of his offensive upside as an NHL player. As is, he looks like a future NHL’er in some capacity, but he’s just further behind in his development compared to the other young star forwards in the system.
9. Ryan Ufko
The captain of UMass last season, Ufko signed at the end of the college season and immediately became an impact player at the AHL level for Milwaukee. He was an integral part of their playoff run and that has Nashville fans excited about his prospects for the future. Ufko’s biggest knock has always been his size, but he’s worked hard to improve his overall skating profile and his strength away from the puck. He’s more than just a powerplay quarterback, as he is a strong, heady, two-way defender. He has proven that he could be a potential top four fixture for Nashville in the future. What’s in store for him this year? Likely a full year in Milwaukee, so that he can continue to gain confidence. However, as mentioned with Tanner Molendyk, there’s a strong chance that Ufko could see NHL time this year based on how he looked to close out the last AHL season.
10. Teddy Stiga
Based on his rapid improvement over the course of his draft season, Stiga entered the draft as one of our favourite targets in the late first round, early second round range. Needless to say, we feel that Nashville made a great selection at 55th overall. Stiga is one of those players who is designed to be a tremendous complement to other skilled players. He proved that this past year playing with potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens. He’s tenacious. He’s intelligent. He’s skilled. His skating has already improved a lot and should continue to do so. Sure, he’s not huge, but neither is a guy like Jake Guentzel, and he just earned himself a lot of money this offseason for being the perfect complementary piece. Stiga will attend Boston College this coming season as a freshman, and we expect his production to be immediately solid. Look for him to slot in alongside Hagens in BC’s top six.
11. Semyon Chistyakov
The Nashville Predators have been patient with their 2019 draft pick and that patience will need to continue given that his KHL contract runs another two years. But good things come to those that wait. Chistyakov is already one of the top young defenders in the KHL and he should most definitely be NHL ready by that time. A mobile, puck mover, Chistyakov projects as a solid second or third pairing two-way defender who can help manage the puck and even quarterback the secondary powerplay unit.
12. Andrew Gibson
Acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason, Gibson is a competitive, defensively oriented defender from the OHL. The big right shot blueliner is physically assertive and he makes opposing forwards earn their touches when he’s on the ice. Gibson blocks shots, clears the crease, and is generally just a solid defensive presence. This past year, his offensive game took a nice jump with Sault Ste. Marie, but his calling card will likely be in the defensive end at the next level.
13. Felix Nilsson
Nilsson was very much a draft favourite of many members of the McKeen’s Hockey scouting staff for last year’s NHL Draft, however his post draft year wasn’t a tremendous step forward. When he plays at the J20 level, he’s a key offensive contributor. When he plays at the SHL level, like he did most of the season with Rogle, he is a non-factor due to limited ice time as well as strength deficits. Nilsson is tenacious and a strong playmaker, but there’s a need to get quicker and stronger to perform well against men.
14. Adam Ingram
Ingram will be returning to St. Cloud State for his junior season and the expectation is that he continues to improve. He’s shown growth through both of his first two NCAA years, improving his skating and strength on and off the puck. The well-rounded pivot projects as a versatile pro as long as Nashville continues to be patient with him.
15. Kalan Lind
For the second straight year, Lind battled injuries with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as he dipped below the point per game mark. The physical winger plays an aggressive North/South game and projects as a quality bottom six player. The coming season will be a big one for him as he tries to play a full year and aims to take his goal scoring to the next level.