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Roman Josi Out Week-To-Week

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The Predators will be without their captain and top defenseman for a little while.  Team reporter Brooks Bratten relays (Twitter link) that Roman Josi is listed as out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.  He further clarified that this is not related to his diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome earlier this year.

The 35-year-old was off to a solid start to his season before the injury.  Josi has played in eight games so far, picking up a goal and four assists while averaging over 24 minutes a night.  As usual, he has played a big role on both special teams units while posting the best possession numbers of any regular Predators blueliner.  He was injured in their last game on Thursday and while he returned to the game after missing part of the second period, clearly, the injury was more significant than originally thought.

Nashville has gotten off to an okay start to their season, picking up eight points in as many games as they look to rebound from a disastrous showing in 2024-25 when expectations were high following a summer spending spree.  However, staying afloat in the tough Central Division will get a lot tougher without their top rearguard in the lineup.

However, it’s not all bad news on the back end for the Preds.  Team broadcaster Max Herz notes (Twitter link) that defenseman Nicolas Hague appears to be set to be activated off injured reserve and make his team debut.  Nashville acquired the blueliner from Vegas this summer, quickly signing him to a four-year, $22MM contract after that.  He’s projected to play alongside Adam Wilsby on Nashville’s top pairing, subbing in where Josi typically lines up.

Predators Recall Matthew Wood

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The Predators announced that winger Matthew Wood has been recalled from AHL Milwaukee. With two open roster spots, no corresponding transaction is required.

Wood, 20, lands an early-season call-up after an injury cost him his chance at making the opening night roster. Nashville’s fifth-ranked prospect and 2023 No. 15 overall pick dealt with a lower-body injury late in camp and was activated from season-opening injured reserve and reassigned to Milwaukee just under two weeks ago. The 6’4″ winger snagged one goal and a minus-one rating in the first two AHL appearances of his career in the meantime.

The Alberta native signed his entry-level deal at the tail end of last season after spending three years in the NCAA, transferring from UConn to Minnesota between his sophomore and junior seasons. He was a star on the Golden Gophers last year, tied for second on the team in scoring with a 17-22–39 line in 39 appearances, pairing well with a +19 rating. He helped guide the school to a Big 10 regular-season title and was part of the honorable mention conference All-Star Team.

After inking his ELC in late March, Wood reported to Nashville and debuted down the stretch. In six games for the Preds, he registered an assist and had eight shots on goal while averaging 11:35 of ice time per game. He’ll now get his second taste of NHL hockey as the Preds cycle their youth early in the year. Gone are other recent first-rounders, Joakim Kemell and Brady Martin, who started the season on the opening night roster. Kemell was sent down to Milwaukee last week while Martin, the reigning fifth overall pick, was returned to juniors yesterday.

The Preds are now back to rostering 13 forwards after spending most of the last 24 hours without carrying an extra one. Wood will draw into the lineup for tonight’s game against the Canucks, head coach Andrew Brunette said (via Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean). Jonathan Marchessault remains on the active roster but will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury, according to the club’s Brooks Bratten.

Predators Assign Brady Martin To OHL

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The Predators announced Wednesday that they’ve assigned center Brady Martin to the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. They now have two open roster spots, although roster considerations aren’t playing a factor in this move.

Martin, 18, has seen his stock rise more than most prospects over the past year. Viewed as a late first-round selection early in 2024-25, he rocketed his way up draft boards enough to earn the call at fifth overall from Nashville. That was fueled by an offensive explosion in juniors from the physical pivot, who produced 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games for the Greyhounds after recording just 10 goals and 28 points in 52 games the year prior.

That carried over into the preseason, where Martin converted a two-goal, one-assist performance in four games into a spot on Nashville’s opening roster submission. Initially, it looked like he would get quite a long leash. Martin started the opener on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly, but only factoring in at even strength meant he only averaged 12:42 of ice time through a pair of games, recording an assist and an even rating, before the Predators scratched him in what they referred to as a preset development plan. Martin ended up sitting in the press box for four straight before re-entering the lineup for last night’s loss to the Ducks. He only skated 10:51 but managed his first two career shots on goal, along with one block and going 2-for-6 on faceoffs.

Yet Martin, still a raw prospect, needs playing time more than anything else. He’ll get that now in spades in Sault Ste. Marie, where he’ll be their top skater and should aim to be among the OHL’s leading scorers at season’s end, at least in terms of points per game. The demotion to the Greyhounds is permanent for the remainder of 2025-26, save for an extremely rare emergency exception in a catastrophic injury situation or until the Soo’s season comes to an end.

Martin still checks in as the Preds’ No. 1 prospect and is the highest-ceiling middle-man they’ve developed in-house in years. After another close-to-full season of development in juniors, he’ll be given plenty of leeway to secure a more permanent slot in Nashville’s forward group to begin the 2026-27 campaign.

Since Martin played fewer than 10 games before being sent back to juniors, his entry-level contract will not take effect this season and will not count toward Nashville’s 50-contract limit. He is now on track to reach restricted free agency in 2029 with an additional four years of team control after that. He still earns his $97,500 signing bonus for 2025-26, bringing his cap hit down from $975,000 to $942,500 for next year.

A corresponding recall in the coming days should still be expected. With Martin no longer in the picture, the Predators aren’t carrying any extra forwards with them. As things stand, they’ll need to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Canucks tomorrow if Jonathan Marchessault, who’s missed the last two games with a lower-body issue, can’t play.

Marchessault Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury

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  • Prior to tonight’s game against Anaheim, the Predators announced (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Marchessault is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as out day-to-day. The 34-year-old is off to a solid start to his campaign, collecting two goals and two assists in the first five games, good for a share of the team lead in points heading into tonight’s action.  Brady Martin suited up in his third game of the season in Marchessault’s absence; he can play in nine NHL games total before officially activating the first season of his entry-level contract.

Latest On Nicolas Hague

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The Nashville Predators were dealt a blow in the preseason when defenseman Nicolas Hague suffered an upper-body injury, but the team has adapted well to his absence. The club is off to a solid 2-2-2 start, a notable improvement from where they began last year, and now they’re set to get Hague back from his injury. The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty noted today that it’s been four weeks since Hague was originally ruled out and prescribed a four-to-six week recovery timeline, and he added that one shouldn’t be surprised if Hague returns to the lineup at some point this week. Later in the day, Daugherty reported that Hague was on the ice for the Predators’ practice, further underscoring the likelihood that his return is coming sooner rather than later.

Evening Notes: Dubois, Marchessault, Lowry

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Washington Capitals centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois donned a non-contact jersey for a second-straight practice on Friday. He won’t be ready for Washington’s Sunday matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, but could return on Tuesday, head coach Spencer Carbery told Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson. Dubois has been day-to-day with a lower-body injury for much of the last week.

Dubois appeared in three games before sustaining his injury. His only notable stat changes came in the form of five shots on net, two hits, and a plus-one. He continued to serve as a top-six center for the Capitals, centering Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson. Washington has turned towards Connor McMichael to fill that role in Dubois’ absence. McMichael has one point – his first of the year – and a plus-one in the relief role. That scoring surely won’t be enough to command Dubois’ spot once he’s back to full health. Dubois should be expected to return in the coming week, and continue his hunt for his first score of the year.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Winger Jonathan Marchessault sat out of the Nashville Predators’ Saturday matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. He is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement. Nashville opted to ice seven defensemen in the matchup – pulling defender Nick Blackenburg into the lineup. They went on to lose by a score of 1-4. Marchessault is tied for the Predators’ lead in scoring with four points through five games this season. He finished second on the team in scoring last season, with 56 points in 78 game placing him behind only Filip Forsberg, who scored 76 points in 82 games. That standing will make Marchessault’s absence quickly felt, even if he’s only out for the short term.
  • On the other side of that matchup, Winnipeg received a bit of positive injury news when captain Adam Lowry returned to practice in a no-contact jersey on Saturday, per NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton. Lowry has been recovering from hip surgery he underwent in late May. He is still working back to full health this season, but did manage 13 appearances and scored four goals in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He also scored 34 points in 73 regular season games. Lowry is a core piece of Winnipeg’s lineup when healthy, offering stout two-way play from a middle-six center role. He will be slotted back into a busy role as soon as he’s ready to make his season debut.

Predators Reassign Joakim Kemell

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The Predators announced that they’ve assigned winger Joakim Kemell to AHL Milwaukee. They now carry an open roster spot into tonight’s game against the Canadiens, although it doesn’t appear they plan on filling it for now.

It’s a prudent move to get their 2022 first-round choice some playing time. Kemell cracked Nashville’s opening night roster for the first time this year but has been in and out of the lineup, sitting as a healthy scratch twice through their first four games. He didn’t record a point in either of his outings and averaged 11:04 of ice time per game, but did manage five shot attempts and four hits. Nashville did lose the possession battle with Kemell on the ice at even strength, logging a 45.5 CF%, but that’s not bad considering it’s better than how the team fared without him and he started two-thirds of his shifts in the defensive end.

If they weren’t going to be consistently using him, though, it does very little for his development to sit in the Preds’ press box. The 17th overall pick three years ago is kicking off the second year of his entry-level contract and has done well in AHL minutes so far, although the Preds would like to see him flirt more with the point-per-game threshold in the minors. He has a 41-53–94 scoring line in 146 appearances for Milwaukee since arriving there late in the 2022-23 campaign from his native Finland.

While the Preds leaned into a youth movement with their initial roster submission, they haven’t embraced it in their lineup construction so far. This year’s No. 5 overall pick, Brady Martin, got a brief look on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly but, like Kemell, has averaged under 12 minutes per game and has been a healthy scratch twice. 23-year-old Ozzy Wiesblatt was a healthy scratch for three straight to begin the year but had two assists in 9:30 of ice time in his season debut against Toronto earlier this week. Even 22-year-old Fedor Svechkov, technically the Preds’ second-line center, has had his minutes relatively limited for his role at 13:02 per game.

That doesn’t necessarily bode well for Kemell’s chances for a recall later in the season, but he’ll look to force their hand anyway with a strong minor-league performance. His power-play performance in the AHL could be something to watch. The Preds are just 1-for-17 to begin the season with the man advantage.

Predators Confident Amidst Improved Start

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Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News wrote earlier today on how Nashville has turned the page, and there is a feeling of fresh air in the organization. Although they lost to Toronto last night, in a small sample size, there are signs the group has rounded a corner, and that Head Coach Andrew Brunette’s adjustments could prove effective. At this point he, along with members of the team, are tired of talking about last season’s failure and are looking ahead. 

When GM Barry Trotz took over for icon David Poile, it appeared that the organization was finally set to do a full rebuild. Trotz picked up an assortment of veterans headlined by Ryan O’Reilly, who were mainly expected to lead through the team’s dog days. Brunette, Trotz’s former player, who scored the team’s first goal in franchise history, was brought in as head coach. 

Instead, in 2023-24 Nashville surprised everybody, and although they were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by Vancouver, it appeared the core may not be done. Likely motivated to give stalwarts such as Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg one more shot, Trotz stunned the hockey world, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei in free agency. 

As glamorous as the signings were, Trotz lost key role players in Kiefer Sherwood and Jason Zucker, both who have proven their value with their new clubs. And as we all know, the big signings did not translate. Nashville got off to a brutal start to 2024-25 and never clawed their way out of the hole. Trotz made questionable moves such as waiving defenseman Dante Fabbro, who immediately revitalized his career in Columbus. It was a brutal season all around. 

The struggles rewarded the Preds with the #5 pick in the draft, which was sorely needed, considering that the last time the team had picked in the top 10 was Seth Jones in 2013. While the streak is impressive, it’s equally incriminating, showing the organization’s long time stuck in the middle. Trotz fell for the well-rounded game of Brady Martin, passing on potentially higher offensive upside players. So far Martin has made a great impression; however he is expected to return to the OHL soon, as the team looks to properly develop the young center. 

Trotz also went for a less-flashy offseason this time around, and so far, the team is off to a good start. Juuse Saros looks the part, while the team’s defense corps look improved, with Nick Perbix playing well, along with the emergence of a more under-the-radar prospect in Adam Wilsby. As Kennedy noted, the team has a more balanced scoring attack as well. Nashville is caught in a brutal division, but with the way the roster is constructed, a turnaround is in their best interest, even if modest. 

For as long as Saros, Josi, and Forsberg are on the team, perhaps Nashville has no choice but to push for contention. Three games in, there’s a long way to go, but the group looks rejuvenated and they hope to prove doubters wrong. 

Predators Activate, Reassign Matthew Wood

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The Predators have activated forward prospect Matthew Wood from season-opening injured reserve and loaned him to AHL Milwaukee, according to the AHL’s transactions log. He was in contention for a roster spot in camp, but his injury, combined with RFA Luke Evangelista signing a contract to return to the Preds, squeezed him out of a role. He sustained a lower-body injury early in the preseason and was listed as week-to-week, but has been skating for a couple of days, so he’s evidently cleared to return and will begin his season in the minors.

Wood is entering his first full professional season and the second year of his entry-level contract. Nashville selected him No. 15 overall in the 2023 draft out of UConn, but he transferred to Minnesota for his junior season and tallied 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games there last year before making the call to turn pro. He finished out the year on the Preds’ roster and made six appearances, recording an assist and eight shots on goal while averaging 11:35 per game.

Wood, who remains waiver-exempt through 2027-28 unless he hits 160 career NHL games first, will thus make his AHL debut in the coming days. Ranked as the No. 5 prospect in Nashville’s system by NHL.com, he should be ticketed for a heavy role for Milwaukee out of the gate. It would be surprising not to see him make a legitimate push for a call-up and add to his NHL games played total this season once he gets his feet under him again following his injury. The 6’4″ winger was on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team back in his draft year and ended his collegiate career at age 20 with three seasons already under his belt, scoring a 44-57–101 line in 109 career appearances for the Huskies and Golden Gophers.

Predators Likely To Activate Luke Evangelista

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The Predators are expected to activate winger Luke Evangelista from the non-roster list before tomorrow’s game against the Mammoth, according to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Nashville has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Evangelista was left off Nashville’s initial roster submission and was unavailable for last night’s season opener due to delays in receiving his work visa. While that wouldn’t usually be a hiccup for a returning player, Evangelista spent most of the summer as a restricted free agent and didn’t have a contract in place for this season until last Friday, inking a two-year, $6MM pact. The Ontario-born winger needed new U.S. documents as a result, which ate into his season.

He will take to the ice for the first time in 2025-26 as Nashville’s second-line right winger alongside Steven Stamkos and Fedor Svechkov, according to today’s practice lines (via Daugherty). There are no other apparent lineup changes, meaning it’ll be 2022 first-rounder Joakim Kemell heading to the press box after he skated in that slot last night. Kemell, 21, broke camp with the Preds for the first time after getting his first taste of NHL action in a two-game call-up last year. He skated 12:22 yesterday and, while he was held off the scoresheet, managed four shot attempts and three hits, although Nashville was outattempted 13-6 when he was on the ice at even strength.

If Evangelista sticks in the top six, it’ll represent an increase in his role compared to last year. He spent a good chunk of 2024-25 on Nashville’s third line with Mark Jankowski and Thomas Novak until both were traded to the Hurricanes and Penguins, respectively, near the trade deadline. He recorded a 10-22–32 scoring line in 68 appearances, bringing the 23-year-old’s career total to 33 goals and 86 points in 172 contests since making his NHL debut in the back half of the 2022-23 season.

In the event Kemell doesn’t get back into the lineup promptly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Preds reassign him to AHL Milwaukee in the coming days to get playing time. The 5’11” winger had 19 goals and 40 poitns in 65 AHL games last season.

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