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It seems like the Nashville Predators can't decide whether they want to blow it up and rebuild or try to compete for a postseason spot in the Central Division next season. They haven't won a playoff round since 2018, the year after they made a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
But new GM Barry Trotz is clearly a man on a mission. He bought out Matt Duchene, traded Ryan Johansen, and signed Luke Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist in NHL Free Agency. Beyond those significant moves, Trotz is still armed with 11 picks from the 2023 NHL Draft, and it's clear that the Stanley Cup champion is looking towards the future with his new club.
And there are some great prospects who are likely to be Predators within the next two-to-three seasons. Nashville boasts an excellent prospect pool, one that could probably be categorized in the top-10 of the NHL. That is led by future star goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and stud forward Luke Evangelista, who was excellent last year and will be looked to to take another step forward in 2023-24.
The Preds have also rounded out their pipeline with a few other intriguing names, including an impact winger in Joakim Kemell and top 2023 pick in center Matthew Wood. Nashville has always been renowned for its defensive prowess, and exceptional goaltending from Juuse Saros (and Peka Rinne). However, their prospect pipeline is filled with decent forwards who could make an NHL impact. There really is talent at every position, and the future is bright in Smashville.
4) Joakim Kemell, RW
A former first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Joakim Kemell had an excellent season with JYP in Liiga, the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. He scored 12 goals and 15 points in 43 games playing with men, and also made an impact at the World Junior Hockey Championship, scoring an exceptional four goals and 12 points in seven games at the tournament.
Kemell joined the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals following his time in Finland, the Predators' farm team, and immediately proved that he can hang in the pro leagues. He stepped into a scoring role right away, amassing 13 points in 14 regular season games and following it up with eight goals and 10 points in 14 postseason contests. The 19-year-old could push for a spot in Tennessee on opening night, but he'll most likely begin the 2023-24 season in Milwaukee. That being said, expect him to don a Preds jersey at some point during the season.
3) Matthew Wood, C/LW
The Predators first selection in the 2023 NHL Draft was Matthew Wood, a towering 6-foot-4 center who can also play left wing. Selected at No. 15 overall, the 18-year-old just scored at a point-per-game clip in his rookie season at the University of Connecticut, and figures to drastically improve on those totals in 2023-24.
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Despite his size, Wood is a skill first player with great hands; he led Connecticut in shots, averaging nearly three a game. The kid loves to shoot the puck, and he's got an accurate and powerful snap shot. Wood was excellent in the Under-18s, scoring seven goals and 13 points in just seven contests for Team Canada. It's going to take a few years, but Matthew Wood projects to be an impact NHL player.
2) Luke Evangelista, LW
The Predators prospect pool is headlined by two future NHL stars, and one of them has already got reps in with the team. Luke Evangelista broke onto the scene in Nashville in 2022-23, being called up from Milwaukee and proceeding to put up 15 points in 24 games with the big club. That was after a spectacular 41 point showing in 49 games with the Admirals. Evangelista has fit in beautifully to the team's top-six, which was much-needed after Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene all missed time with injury last year.
Evangelista was the No. 42 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he's already projected to be a steal at that position. Daily Faceoff projects the 21-year-old on the second line of the Preds next year, and also on the first powerplay unit, a place he really shined last season. There is no doubt that Evangelista will be a Nashville Predator on opening night, the question is how close the young star can be to a point-per-game in his official rookie campaign in 2023-24.
1) Yaroslav Askarov, G
Yaroslav Askarov was the highest selected goaltender in an NHL Draft since Jack Campbell in 2010 when the Predators selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in 2020. An extremely highly-touted goaltending prospect, the young Russian made an immediate impact in his first year in North America, putting up some of the best numbers in the AHL with Milwaukee. He also had a cup of coffee in the NHL, although it was only one start.
The only problem for Askarov in Nashville is Juuse Saros, who is still just 28 and should be one of the league's best goalies for the next few years at least. It's not a question of if, or even when Askarov makes it to the show. The question is whether he will be dangled as trade bait to a team desperate for goaltending help before he can earn the starting job in the Music City.
