Preds Rookie Camp 2026: Five Players to Watch

Hockey is back - and the prospects are up first. 

Rookie Camp is underway for the Nashville Predators, and with that, some of the top youngsters in the system have arrived in Tennessee to begin what each of them hopes is a journey to one day achieving full-time NHL status. 

Of course, there is plenty of work to do in the meantime, and that includes a pair of games in North Carolina against rookies from the Hurricanes and Lightning in the coming days. 

The Preds hopefuls will certainly get their chance to shine in those outings, and while all of the participants are worth watching, there are a few who could see time in Nashville at some point this season. 

So, who will make the best impressions over the next four days? 

Here are five players to watch as Preds Rookie Camp takes place:

Brady Martin

He’s perhaps the most obvious choice on the list, but there’s a reason to have an eye on the fifth overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Martin made Nashville’s Opening Night roster last October, and although he only appeared in three NHL games before returning to his junior club in the OHL, the 19-year-old forward is primed to take the next step. 

After recording an assist in his second NHL game last fall, Martin was a point-per-game player in 24 outings with Sault Ste. Marie in a season that saw the Kitchener, Ontario, native deal with an injury sustained during the World Junior Championship with Canada. 

But Martin got another taste of pro hockey when he suited up in AHL Milwaukee’s three postseason games last spring and tallied his first professional goal. 

Now, after another solid showing at Preds Development Camp last July, Martin is a strong candidate to lead Nashville’s rookie squad this weekend before Training Camp begins Wednesday. 

“It was a huge help,” Martin said in July on starting last season with the Preds. “The guys that I was playing with and that I had surrounding me [were] a big help, and just to push me and know what to expect when I come back. Hopefully, I have a better chance at cracking (the NHL roster) this year.”

Vitali Pinchuk

Arguably the most intriguing prospect at this year’s camp, the 24-year-old Pinchuk is set to get his first taste of North American pro hockey in the weeks ahead. 

The Predators inked the 6-foot-3 centerman - who produced at a point-per-game clip in the KHL last season - to a one-year, entry-level contract last April with the hopes he can make an NHL impact this season. 

A native of Belarus, Pinchuk is coming off of a season where he recorded 31 goals and 66 points in 65 games with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL. That goal total ranked third in the League, and he was just one of 10 KHL skaters to record at least a point-per-game in 2025-26. 

Now, he’ll get a chance to match up against other top prospects from Carolina and Tampa Bay with his eyes set on cracking Nashville’s Opening Night roster. 

“He was the most sought after free agent in Europe, certainly - and in terms of the college and European free agent market, he was probably the most coveted guy that was out there,” now-former Predators Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jeff Kealty said at the time of Pinchuk’s signing. “So, when you consider the profile of the player in terms of a 6-foot-3 centerman that makes plays and scores goals and produces points, we're certainly really excited about landing him.”

Cole O’Hara

Following his first pro season in Milwaukee during the 2025-26 campaign, O’Hara made his NHL debut in Nashville’s final regular-season game last spring - and recorded an assist for his first point. 

O’Hara proved he could produce at the AHL level with 19 goals and 44 points to his name across 67 contests with the Admirals. Now, the 2022 fourth-round selection figures to be in the conversation as someone who could once again play NHL games in 2026-27. 

“Honestly, really special,” O’Hara said of his NHL debut. “Playing with [Ryan O’Reilly] and [Steven] Stamkos, that’s a really cool experience and something I'll remember for a long time. That was nice.”

Aiden Fink

Also recalled to Nashville at the end of last season, Fink is still waiting to make his NHL debut - but that could come sooner than later. 

Owning the distinction of being former Preds General Manager David Poile’s last-ever Draft pick (seventh round in 2023), Fink recorded three goals and 10 points in just six games with Milwaukee last spring.

He joined the Admirals at the conclusion of his collegiate career at Penn State - a stint that saw him become the fastest player in program history to reach 100 points. 

“I'm just trying to do what I can to make my game better,” Fink said at Development Camp in July. “I'm trying to make the team, but if I don't, I can go down to Milwaukee and develop there. They’ve got a really good program… [I] played six games there [last season], and it was awesome. I developed a lot. I learned from the guys that have been there for a while… [I’m] aiming to make the [Predators roster], but if I don't, I'm excited to get down to Milwaukee.”

David Edstrom

Acquired via trade from San Jose in 2024, the Predators remain high on the potential of the 21-year-old Edstrom. 

Standing 6-foot-4, the 2023 first-round pick spent last season with Milwaukee for his first professional North American campaign. The Swede recorded 22 points in 53 games with the Admirals in 2025-26, and Preds brass will be eager to see how he shows in the weeks ahead. 

And that goes for everyone else in Rookie Camp, too.

“What I get excited about, and I think our staff is, we're going to be looking forward to watching these guys play, whether it's in Milwaukee or college or wherever it may be, and really doing that exercise of seeing are they ready to turn pro,” Preds President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland said in July. “That's the first step, and then the next step in the likely path to Nashville is through Milwaukee, and then how they do there. And sometimes it's a little quicker than others, and sometimes it takes a few years, and that's OK. That's part of the journey and part of the process.

“But the talent level in the system here is something to be very, very excited about. I think we're just on the cusp of some of those players turning pro, and there's a lot more that are going to be coming over the next few years. So, that's something that hopefully every Nashville Predator fan can be excited about, and not only be here at Bridgestone [Arena] supporting the Preds, but following the guys in Milwaukee, and following these prospects wherever they may be, because at some point here they're going to be ripping through here wearing our colors, and that's super exciting for us.”

After practicing on Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. CT at Centennial Ice Rink in Nashville, the Preds prospects will head to Morrisville, North Carolina, for the 2026 Prospect Showcase.

The Predators will face off against prospects from the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning in the showcase, playing each team once during the two-day event held at Invisalign Arena. Nashville will play Carolina on Sept. 13 at 1:35 p.m. CT and Tampa Bay on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. CT.

The 2026 Prospect Showcase precedes the opening of Nashville’s Training Camp, which begins Sept. 16 with physicals and team meetings.

Click here for the full Rookie Camp roster, which is subject to change. Both of the Predators’ 2026 Prospect Showcase games will be streamed live on NashvillePredators.com.