Wood, Martin Impressing Preds Coaches, Teammates During Preseason Opportunities 

Yes, this is only the preseason.

Correct, Opening Night is still two weeks away.

Indeed, there is still plenty of work to do before any final decisions are made with the roster.

But a pair of goals from 18-year-old Brady Martin on Tuesday night - and five points (1g-4a) through two preseason games for 20-year-old Matthew Wood - are stats that are getting tough to ignore.

No one knows exactly how the next two weeks will shake out - and what roles young players like Martin, Wood, Joakim Kemell and others may play - but at the very least, there’s reason for optimism in the future, and the Predators are witnessing that potential play out right in front of their eyes.

“That's what you want - we wanted our young guys to push, and they're all showing well for the most part,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following Tuesday’s shootout loss to Tampa Bay. “I thought [Kemell] was really good [Tuesday], too… I thought he played a really good game. And obviously, you know, [defensemen Adam] Wilsby and [Spencer Stastney], I thought they played really well at the back end. Everybody's pushing, and it’ll be a really good, interesting last couple of weeks here.”

Perhaps the most intriguing forward line over the past few days has been the trio of Martin centering Wood and Filip Forsberg. The combination of a pair of rookies with an established veteran has not only found chemistry, but they’re putting the puck in the net.

That was evidenced on Tuesday when Martin took a feed from Wood for his first of the night, and although Martin’s second tally came on the power play just minutes later, it was Wood again who picked up another assist.

“Both those guys have been really good in camp,” Preds forward Michael Bunting, who assisted on Martin’s second goal on Tuesday, said of Martin and Wood. “Obviously, they're pushing for a spot here, and they're playing great. That's really nice for Brady - even though it is preseason, it's pretty cool - to score. I remember when I was young and I got my first preseason goal. I thought it was cool. It was awesome. We're all really happy for him and we thought he played really well. He’s just got to keep building off of that.”

“He looked great,” Forsberg said after playing with Martin on Sunday. “I mean, he's 18 years old. Doesn't look that one bit, I think he plays the game the right way… I thought he looked great.”

For Martin, Nashville’s first pick (fifth overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, the experience of not only playing at Bridgestone Arena, but scoring a couple of goals, proved memorable, even if the preseason doesn’t count for anything official on the stat sheet.

Impressions are what matter at this stage, and Nashville’s highest draft pick in over a decade is making the most of his chances thus far.

“It's the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of, so it's pretty cool to score in front of a crowd like that and to hear them go wild,” Martin said of potting a pair at Bridgestone Arena. “I think we've been a great line together, me, Fil and Woody. Woody has been really good, so I think kudos to them for my goals, and Bunting on the power play there. It’s fun playing with them.”

While Martin has yet to make his regular-season debut, Wood got a taste of that life last season when he appeared in Nashville’s final six outings of the campaign. That’s not a bad way to receive a confidence boost, and Wood has only carried that into training camp this time around.

The 6-foot-5 winger displayed his skill on Sunday as darted through defenders on his way to the net before finding Steven Stamkos with a beautiful cross-crease feed for a power-play goal. Later, Wood added a tally of his own after coming close on multiple occasions at the end of last season. Couple that showing with a pair of helpers on Tuesday, and there’s no denying Wood is feeling it.

“I definitely have a lot more confidence than I had at the end of last season - kind of getting my feet wet - and that’s kind of been a pattern of my career,” Wood said following his three-point outing on Sunday against Florida. “Getting a little confidence is really big for me. The mental side of the game, it’s something that I've really worked on, and I'm going to try to continue to work on it.”

And that mental aspect of the job? It’s more important than ever.

“You have to believe in yourself at the end of the day,” Wood said. “It's a business, and your team has to do what they have to do to win. If you don't believe in yourself, then you can't expect anyone else to. So, just having confidence to believe in yourself - even if you're the last guy in the room that believes in you. It's a hard thing to do, and it's hard for young guys coming up to learn, and I've dealt with lots of different mental blocks in my game; I'm still trying to work on them and that's part of the journey of playing, and it's lots of fun.”

Wood is clearly enjoying his time thus far - five points in two games will certainly help - and his teammates are noticing, too.

“I thought he looked really confident when he came up, even last year,” Forsberg said of Wood. “I thought he looked great…in the games he played, obviously contributed a lot. Those games… they didn't mean, obviously that much for us. But I thought he looked great. I think he's looking really good so far in training camp as well, and I'm really excited to see what comes from it.”

“He sees the ice really well,” Martin said of Wood. “He’s got unbelievable hands, and he's a good playmaker. He’s pretty easy to play with. You just kind of get open. He'll see us. It’s been pretty fun, and Fil’s been kind of leading you along, helping you along as well there.”

Forsberg is embracing his role as a veteran leader, too. Not only has he stayed on the ice following practice to shoot pucks with the young hopefuls, but he also opened his home to Martin for a few days when the prospect needed a place to stay after arriving in Nashville early to get settled before camp.

And the guidance hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Just playing with the veterans here - they're leading me along the way,” Martin said. “I think just playing with them has helped me a lot. Just learning little tips and tricks and details from them is it's going to help me and hopefully get better in the future… Fil is, I mean, everyone knows he's one of the best in the League. Playing with him is pretty cool, and he's so good, you just kind of have to get open for him, too.”

The Predators planned on giving their youngsters opportunities to impress, especially in the early going. Suffice to say, they’re not wasting those chances.

So, sure, it’s probably too early to start using ink on any lineups just yet, but the kids are all right - and the Predators are liking what they’ve seen.

“I think he's been really good all camp,” Brunette said of Wood. “[He] made an unbelievable play on Stammer’s goal… When he's moving his feet, he's kind of getting to those areas and his offensive instincts, hockey sense and poise really take over, and you saw it. It was pretty crystal clear tonight.

“[And Brady Martin], he’s putting his best foot forward, making hard decisions for everybody. So, hopefully it keeps trending that way.”