2025 Draftees eager to begin work in Smashville, Nashville Should Be Excited as Well

The Nashville Predators 2025 Prospect Development Camp began today and with it saw the introduction of our newest members of the organization. Through interviews with the media, Nashville has gotten to know some of our young guys really well. Among them, social media has found a piqued interest in the 2025 draft class.

Despite not being raised in Smashville, a lot of these kids grew up like they were. From representing the mustard yellow in their towns to even idolizing some of the team's greatest, these young guns are going to have a lot of fun in the coming years. Players Brady Martin, Jacob Rombach and goaltender Jack Ivankovic have expressed a mutual excitement when it comes to representing the city of Nashville.

Martin Has Smashville Flowing Through His Veins

Martin is a country boy at his roots. Instead of attending the draft, he stayed at his family's Ontario ranch tending to livestock. If that doesn't give off Honky Tonk vibes, I don't know what will. Even though he's never in Nashville prior to camp, Martin has repeatedly expressed his interest in the city's environment. A big lover of country music and fishing, he'll have no problem adjusting to the change.

At 18, Martin has demonstrated a lot of responsibility—balancing both his hockey career and his farm chores. When he arrives to Nashville, his farm chores will be passed to his siblings but the ideas is still there. With the Predators getting younger, it is important to continue the action of being responsible for your actions and having passion in doing labor. This year's draft showed the shift to a more physical environment and players like Martin are the ideal fit for the change.

Sure, Martin isn't James Hagens or Porter Martone, but that's what makes him special. A common occurrence in the hockey community are players that aren't too entertained with the idea of a media market. In the NHL, it's important to balance both career progression and a media presence. In the case of Martin, he is very marketable due to his likeness and pumped up energy. Nashville snagged a good one in Martin and he'll take the most out of this opportunity, just watch.

Rombach and Ivankovic Represented Nashville Even Before Getting Drafted

The media has had some fun with these two guys lately. Defenseman Jacob Rombach and netminder Jack Ivankovic recently told their stories and their history when it comes to the Predators. When they were younger, both players used to idolize some of Nashville's greats like P.K. Subban and Pekka Rinne. For some Preds fans, that just makes them feel old, knowing that the new generation of Nashville used to act like some of the more recent Preds stars.

Rombach told reporters that when he heard that he was drafted by the Predators, he instantly ran up to his room and put on his Nashville Subban jersey and team hat to celebrate. Despite growing up in Minnesota, Rombach grew up a Subban fan from the start. The small offensive defenseman shined his brightest in the mustard yellow and Rombach took note of that. A 6'6", he looks to bring a more defensive mindset to the blueline.

In the case of Ivankovic, he actually cheered for Nashville throughout his childhood. As noted before, Ivankovic fell in love with Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne. The two were seen practicing together at training camp today which must've been a blast for the young netminder. There's a photo of young Ivankovic wearing a Rinne jersey whilst holding goalie gear. Years of passion of support will mean a lot for the Predators as they undergo a roster change in the next decade.

What this all means is that Nashville will benefit greatly from their young, passionate core. The main three being Martin, Rombach, and Ivankovic stand out the most as the 'Smashville-born' amongst their peers. It might take a few years before we see all of them on the ice together but when it does happen, great things will happen.