Predators Sign Top Draft Pick to Entry-Level Contract

Martin, selected fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, is Nashville's highest-drafted forward since David Legwand, who was the second overall pick in 1998. The Elmira, Ontario native, brings an impressive mix of scoring ability, physicality, and nastiness to his game. 

Martin is coming off a 72-point season (33 goals, 39 assists) with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he served as his team's alternate captain. Internationally, he's helped Team Canada bring home some hardware, earning gold medals at both the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2025 U18 World Championship, where he was named to the tournament's all-star team, according to EliteProspects.com.

Off the ice, Martin's humility and grounded character have been widely publicized. He famously didn't attend the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles to remain on his family's farm, before finding out he had been selected as a top-five pick. 

While Martin's journey to the NHL has started fast, his immediate future remains flexible. If the Predators believe they don't see Martin as an immediate fit for their roster, they could send him back to the Soo to further his development. 

It shouldn't come as a massive surprise that the Predators have decided to sign a player like Martin, who has drawn comparisons to Florida's Sam Bennett, as he has the ability to inject some real energy and skill into one of the more underwhelming teams in the NHL last season. The question is, can his game translate? Nashville certainly thinks so.