Top 10 Nashville Predators Prospects: 2026-27 Preseason Edition

The Nashville Predators are stuck in the middle of a loaded Central Division, and they’ve had just two top-ten pick since 2013. However, they’ve built a pretty deep prospect pool through solid scouting and prospect development.

The Predators added to it in the 2026 NHL draft, selecting legacy winger Wyatt Cullen 10th overall and trading up to draft defenseman Tommy Bleyl 31st overall. Now, they have six prospects that made The Hockey Writers’ top 100 prospects. Bleyl is an honorable mention. Here is my top 10, which is a little different from the Hockey Writers’ rankings on the Predators’ prospects.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Ufko, Reid Schaefer, Joakim Kemell, David Edstrom, Jacob Rombach, Teddy Stiga, Alex Huang, Kalan Lind, Viggo Gustafsson

Graduated: Matthew Wood, Ozzy Wiesblatt

10. Jack Ivankovic, G, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 58th overall in 2nd Round of 2025 NHL Draft

Ivankovic has been underrated by the media for his size. At 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he’s smaller than your typical goaltender, but he’s doing so much more to get past that size.

He’s been a high-pedigree prospect for a while, and Team Canada views him very highly. He was their starter in the World Junior Classic, leading all goaltenders in the tournament with a .918 SV% and 2.33 GAA. He helped Team Canada win a bronze medal.

Ivankovic was great at Michigan as well. He earned a .921 save percentage (SV%) and 2.15 goals-against average (GAA) through 35 games on the way to a 25-8-1 record. He helped lead the Wolverines to a Frozen Four appearance, where they lost to the eventual champion, Denver University, in overtime. It’ll be a while before he becomes an NHL-caliber goaltender, but even at his short frame, he’s making all the progressions necessary.

9. Tommy Bleyl, D, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Acquired: Drafted 31st overall in 1st Round of 2026 NHL Draft

Welcome to the club, Tommy! I was a big fan of Tommy’s game, and he was exactly what the Nashville Predators needed: a speedy defenseman with some more offensive pop.

The Schenectady, New York native had an awesome first season in the Quebec-Maritime Junior Hockey League, with 13 goals and a league-leading 68 assists through 63 games. He helped lead the Wildcats to the championship, where they lost to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He developed great chemistry with Caleb Desnoyers and Gabe Smith, too.

Bleyl should only get better when he sizes up, as he’s currently measured at 6 feet, 165 pounds. He plays a lot like Samuel Girard, and I’m excited to see what he does at Michigan State after another season of QMJHL play.

No. 8: Aiden Fink, RW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 218th overall in 7th Round of 2023 NHL Draft

Fink is a story I’m rooting for, as the last pick in David Poile’s legendary tenure. I’ve already called him the team’s most underrated prospect because he continues to outperform his draft stock. A lot of scouts overlooked him because of his frame and the weak competition he played against (he played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League during his draft year), and he’s done well to prove people wrong.

To make it to the NHL at his size (5-foot-10, 160 pounds), you need to show a lot of offensive upside, and Fink has definitely shown that. In 2025-26, he scored 38 points in 34 games for the Penn State Nittany Lions. That was a step back from his 2024-25 season, where he put up 53 points in 40 games, but with Gavin McKenna joining the team, he showed great chemistry with him.

His NCAA prowess earned him an entry-level contract and a spot on the Milwaukee Admirals, where he had 10 points in six games. It’s a small sample size, but it’s very promising. There’s a chance he tops out as an AHL stat-sheet stuffer, which is why I ranked him lower than my pre-draft ranking (No. 5), but I believe he definitely has the offensive prowess to get a shot in the NHL someday.

No. 7: Tanner Molendyk, D, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 23rd overall in 1st Round of 2023 NHL Draft

Molendyk has had an interesting development journey. After coming off a near point-per-game campaign in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was promoted for his first season of AHL play. It was a tad underwhelming, with 23 points in 60 games, but his ice time increased as the season went on.

Like Bleyl, he’s very confident in moving the puck and is very mobile. He’s more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type of defenseman. His game isn’t flashy, but there aren’t many flaws in it, and that’s valuable.

No. 6: Cameron Reid, D, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 21st overall in 1st Round of 2025 NHL Draft

Reid is a solid two-way defenseman in the making. He was more of a shutdown defenseman around his draft season, but he’s improved his offensive game a ton since then.

This past season, he had 15 goals and 41 assists in 57 games for the Ontario Hockey League champion Kitchener Rangers. He even came through with 14 points in the 18 games he played in the playoffs. He was a tad underwhelming in juniors, with just a point in seven games, but his production in the OHL is very promising.

Reid’s skating and high-pressure puck handling is intriguing, and he’s been sturdy in his own zone. Now, he’ll join fellow Predators prospect Jack Ivankovic at Michigan as they chase a national championship.

No. 5: Felix Nilsson, C, Rogle BK Angelholm (SweHL)

Acquired: Drafted 43rd overall in 2nd Round of 2023 NHL Draft

Nilsson had a fantastic season in the Swedish Hockey League last season. He had 14 goals and 40 points in 52 regular-season games and six points in 14 playoff games in the playoffs. He was the best producer for any skater 20 or under in the SweHL.

He’s a crafty offensive player with great hockey IQ and a horizontal game, using the middle and perimeter of the ice to dish out some great passes. He might have the highest floor on this list. I think he has a little bit to go in improving his shot, and if he makes that development, he could be a top-six forward for Nashville someday.

No. 4: Brady Martin, C, Nashville Predators

Acquired: Drafted 5th overall in 1st Round of 2025 NHL Draft

Martin goes lower on my prospect board than most prospect boards I’ve seen. That’s not to say I think he’s not valuable to Nashville and can’t, in fact, be a full-time NHLer because of what he brings.

He had a disappointing season with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), earning just 24 points in 24 games, but the Soo Greyhounds were rough offensively, with Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Marco Mignosa and Seattle Kraken prospect Chase Reid the only two skaters with +45 games and more than a point per game.

Plus, he looked great in the World Junior Classics, with eight points in six games before suffering a long-term shoulder injury that took him out for the rest of the tournament and some OHL action too.

The key to his game is his physicality. You won’t see many prospects with grit and drive like his. He has solid playmaking upside to make him interesting this season, and at worst, his physicality should make him an ideal bottom-sixer. I just like the upside of these other NHL skaters a little more, even if he’s probably more NHL-ready than these three.

No. 3: Ryker Lee, LW, Michigan State University (NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 26th overall in 1st Round of 2025 NHL Draft

Lee has turned from one of the major draft risers to a prospect with legitimate offensive upside. After a 68-point campaign in the USHL during his draft year, he showed out in his first season at Michigan State University. He had 15 goals and 15 assists in 34 games.

His scoring dried up a bit in the World Junior Classics, but his playmaking was on display during the tournament, and I think he was unlucky. Still, he’s a little raw right now, but he clearly has high-scoring upside. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets promoted to the show in 2027-28, but it will take time.

No. 2: Yegor Surin, C, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv (KHL)

Acquired: Drafted 22nd overall in 1st Round of 2024 NHL Draft

The KHL is so tough for prospect skaters due to its physical nature. A guy like Yegor Surin, who’s just 20 years old, had to play against grown men and former NHLers.

However, Surin wasn’t fazed. With Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the Kontinental Hockey League, He had 37 points in 53 games and eight points in 22 playoff games. He helped them win back-to-back Gargarin Cups in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

I love his game, too. He hits like a freight train, but he also has such deft movement with the puck, great playmaking intelligence, and a great shot. He’s been able to balance his offensive skill and physicality, and I can’t wait until he becomes a problem in the NHL.

No. 1: Wyatt Cullen, LW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 10th overall in 1st Round of 2026 NHL Draft

Cullen has everything going for him as a draft prospect. As the son of Matt Cullen, he has a ton to thank his father for in his game. He was the best player on the USNTDP when he was playing, and his puck-handling, as a shooter and playmaker, are incredible.

He’s a constant scoring threat wherever he is on the ice because his playmaking intelligence allows him to scan passing lanes and find open men easily. He makes everyone he plays with better due to his intelligence, and his ceiling is very high. I can’t wait to see how he performs at the University of Minnesota.

Overall Strengths/Weaknesses

Overall, I love what they’ve done down the middle. Cullen, Brady Martin, Yegor Surin, and Felix Nilsson are all able to play center, and if David Edstrom and Teddy Stiga develop, that’s even more prospects who could become centers for Nashville.

I think they could’ve addressed the right wing a little bit more in this past draft. Matthew Wood graduated to NHL status, and we’ll have to wait and see if one of Aidan Fink, Joakim Kemell, or Ryker Lee has what it takes to become an NHL-caliber player.

With Nashville entering a transition period, it’ll be interesting to see if they add to or subtract from this big prospect pool. They seemed more positioned for a rebuild than true contention, considering the lack of high-end talent on the top six and first two pairings on defense, and their solid prospect pool. The organization has been shrewd in finding talent, and it’ll be interesting how many of them become future Nashville Predators.