Predators Reassign Brady Martin, Two Others

The Predators announced that top center prospect Brady Martin won’t be on the opening night roster, getting reassigned to AHL Milwaukee today. Joining him on the chopping block are Hunter Skinner, who’s being reassigned after clearing waivers yesterday, and goaltender Ethan Haider, who has been assigned to ECHL Atlanta after attending camp on a professional tryout.

Martin had cracked Nashville’s opening night roster last year as an 18-year-old, months after being selected fifth overall in the 2025 draft. That decision was made in part because the AHL wasn’t an option for him at the time, but a rule change this season now allows NHL clubs to reassign 19-year-olds from the Canadian Hockey League junior system to the minors if they were drafted in the first round.

Still, there was hope – as there is with any high pick – that Martin would be ready to make an earnest NHL impact out of the gate. The heavy-hitting center had a difficult post-draft season, though, with a right shoulder injury limiting him to 24 regular-season games with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. Even when dressed, his offensive production was diminished to a point-per-game rate after tossing up a 33-39–72 scoring line in 57 games in his draft year.

Martin didn’t have an overwhelmingly strong preseason showing, either. He dressed in three of Nashville’s four games and managed one goal with a -2 rating. And with the Preds opting to shift another recent first-rounder, Matthew Wood, to the middle, plus their acquisition of promising center Mavrik Bourque from the Stars over the summer, their group down the middle is set with vets Ryan O’Reilly and Jack Drury in the fold too.

The Preds still have another three cuts to make before Monday night’s roster submission deadline. At least two of those will be defensemen; they still have 10 on the roster. The decision of whether to carry 13 or 14 forwards to start the year likely hinges on whether they plan on signing Tyson Jost, who’s been in camp on a professional tryout, to a contract. There’s also the matter of Vitali Pinchuk, the top international free agent from this summer’s cycle, who would likely exercise an out clause and return to Russia if he doesn’t crack the NHL roster out of camp. Pinchuk’s more pressing inclusion also likely has some influence on Martin getting the axe, at least for now.