Following Martin's Assignment, Trotz Talks Development, Future of Top Preds Prospect

Brady Martin never even expected to make Nashville’s Opening Night roster, but he did exactly that.

Two weeks later, his first taste of life in the NHL has come to an end with the Predators - but only for the time being - and that’s for certain.

The Preds returned the 18-year-old Martin to his junior team, the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL, on Wednesday morning following Nashville’s loss to Anaheim on Tuesday night. In total, Nashville’s first pick (fifth overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft appeared in three games with the Preds to start the season, a mark that was below the nine-game threshold that would have required the first year of entry-level contract to be utilized.

Instead, the young centerman still has a three-year deal to his name with the Preds, an agreement that will begin one day when Martin is completely ready to turn pro.

As NHL rules currently state, Martin was not able to be assigned to Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. Either he would spend the entire season with the Preds, or he would go back to the Greyhounds, hone his craft and become an even better player than he already is.

The latter option is the path the Elmira, Ont., native is now taking, and as Predators General Manager Barry Trotz explained Wednesday morning in Nashville, that decision is best for all involved.

“More than anything, he's done an excellent job,” Trotz said of Martin. “I mean, he's an 18-year-old, got on our starting roster and showed really, really well. I think when you look at the long term for him, he needs to play a lot more minutes. He needs to have the puck a little bit more. He needs to be a dominant player at his level. He’s got a great opportunity, hopefully, with being in the mix with Team Canada for the World Juniors [this winter]… So, everything was positive… He's really positive. As he would say, ‘I never expected to be on the opening day roster,’ and he made it. That's really positive for him as a young player, for us as a franchise.”

Martin, who recorded one assist and averaged 11:25 of ice time over those three games with the Preds, including his NHL debut on Opening Night, gained a wealth of knowledge having started the season alongside veterans Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. He also got a taste of life on the road in the NHL as he traveled with the team to Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg last week through his home country.

Those experiences as an 18-year-old are invaluable at this stage of his career, but Martin was also honest about his situation.

“The game takes a lot out of you, and he said that even one of the biggest things is how hard you have to play, that you cannot take a breath,” Trotz said of his conversations with Martin. “In junior, once in a while he can take a breath, and he says you can't take a breath here, because [the opposition will] make you pay. [The NHL is] a very unforgiving League, and so the experience of that, and him even saying that, and adjusting his game - like, you didn't see him running through guys that were 45 pounds heavier than him or anything like that. He adjusted his game to control guys positionally, all that. So, he's got a good stick. There's lots of good things with him.”

Trotz now expects Martin to return to the OHL and show exactly why the Preds elected him fifth overall last June to begin with. Martin’s ability with the puck, combined with his physicality and decision making away from the play give him an advantage not many others his age possess.

Combine that with the chance to be a leader - and perhaps the captain - of the Greyhounds this season, and the opportunity for Martin is plentiful. Now, he’s just got to take advantage with the Preds assisting his development from afar.

“He’s sort of the whole package,” Trotz said. “This is a player that is not afraid of the moment. He’s not afraid of going up against top guys. Some guys are, but just like Brady, you want players to thrive and not just survive… He’s going to have to get bigger and stronger and all those things, but the mind of the game, how he thinks the game, all that is in a really good place. So, we're really excited. I'm excited for him. He’s going to be a core player for us for a long time, and he's got the right DNA. He's got a great work ethic, as we all know. I think he's a very humble kid and a realistic kid.”

Martin’s first few weeks in the NHL was just a taste of what’s to come. And when the day does arrive for him to be in Nashville on a full-time basis? Well, that’s when the real fun will start.

“Sometimes young players see themselves in different ways, but he’s very grounded and understands what he needs to do and where he wants to go,” Trotz said. “He's got an inner confidence and a fire that is undeniable.”