NASHVILLE - The 2026-27 NHL hockey season gets underway this weekend as the Nashville Predators take their young players to North Carolina for the 2026 Prospect Showcase. The Predators prospect roster includes players at every stage of the developmental pipeline, from a former fifth-overall pick who's made his NHL debut to a seventh-round rookie who hasn't worn the Gold and Navy Blue Nashville colors.
The prospects are set to play exhibition games against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and Sunday, so before the group hits the ice in Morrisville lets take a look at five players worth keeping an eye on at Predators Prospect Camp.
Martin is the marquee name on the showcase roster, and it isn't close. Nashville's fifth-overall pick in 2025 made the Predators' Opening Night roster as an 18-year-old, picking up an assist in his three games played before Nashville sent him back to the OHL.
Martin returned to the Soo Greyhounds and captained them, scoring eight goals and 16 assists for a point per game and leading the organization to the OHL conference semifinals. He continued with a strong showing at the World Juniors with Team Canada, scoring four goals and four assists in six games. He finished the season with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL playoffs, scoring a goal in three games.
The sky is the limit for the 19-year-old center, but the position is crowded on the Predators roster. Ryan O'Reilly, Mavrik Bourque
and Jack Drury
have the first three lines locked down, while David Edstrom
, Felix Nilsson
and Vitali Pinchuk are all fighting for a spot on the fourth line. If Martin stands out against Carolina and Tampa Bay
, expect him to work into the conversation for the fourth-line spot,
If Martin is the most marquee name on the showcase roster, Molendyk might be the most important. The Predators selected Molendyk 24th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he is considered the top defensive prospect in the Nashville organization. Molendyk has been floated as a potential successor to Predators captain Roman Josi , but his rookie AHL season wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. His point-per-game pace in the WHL slowed, and he suffered an injury in January, costing him 10 games. Moldendyk isn't the biggest player, but his hockey IQ and feel for the game put him in strong positions to make plays. This showcase and the upcoming season are about proving the 21-year-old is still on the defensive diamond in the Predators' farm system.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights
drafted Edstrom 32nd overall in 2023, then traded his rights to San Jose to acquire Tomas Herti. The Predators landed him in the Yaroslav Askarov
trade, and he's since become one of Nashville's top prospects.
The 6-foot-3 Swedish center is a strong two-way player and a strong passer, capable of supporting teammates in transition. Edstrom played in the preseason for the Predators last season, but played his first professional season in the AHL with Milwaukee. He scored eight goals with 14 assists in 53 games, but will compete for an NHL roster spot with a strong camp this year.
The San Jose Sharks
selected Wiesblatt with the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and Nashville traded for him in June of 2024 in exchange for Egor Afanasyev
. He doesn't have the cachet of Brady Martin, but he is on this list after captaining the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 103-point, career-best WHL season in 2024-25. He signed with the Admirals and centered a top-six line as a rookie, scoring 13 goals and adding 18 assists in 67 games.
He's small and scrappy, and plays a competitive style that helps him against bigger competition. Milwaukee is expected to play a younger lineup this season, and Wiesblatt looks like a candidate to take on a bigger role. He also has family ties in the organization, as his older brother Ozzy played 40 games for the Predators last season.
Puglisi makes the list as the Predators' seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He's the newest name on the roster and the one with the smallest rsum to stand on. Puglisi is set to play this season for the Kitchener Rangers after playing the last two seasons at the prep level for The Winchendon School. This weekend will be the first chance to see Puglisi in Predators' colors, giving fans a glimpse of the prospect's game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/predators/onsi as 5 Most Intriguing Players at Predators Prospect Showcase .
