Assigning Brady Martin back to OHL early is smart move by Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators 5th-overall draft pick Brady Martin is leaving the NHL stage for the time being. The Predators posted on X that Martin will return to his junior team, the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League.

In Martin's three appearances with the Predators, he tallied a lone assist on Filip Forsberg's goal against the Utah Mammoth last week.

As a result of the move, Martin will not lose a contract year of his entry-level deal with Nashville. If a rookie plays at least nine games in a single season, a year is voided off their deal.

A new rule in the NHL says that starting in the 2026-27 season, every team can have a maximum of one 19-year-old CHL player assigned to their AHL team. The rule for this season and years previous is that the minimum age is 20. This is why we won't be seeing Martin lace up in the Milwaukee blue this season.

In hindsight, this is the best move General Manager Barry Trotz could make with his youngest addition to the roster. Martin is one of five players that joined their NHL team straight out of the draft, with the most notable New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer and San Jose Sharks forward Michael Misa. In comparison, Martin is quite the underdog and might need some more time to grow into his skates.

Giving Brady Martin NHL Time Right Off the Bat Isn't Smart...

Martin was an interesting pick to say the least. The Predators selected the Ontario native when players like James Hagens, Porter Martone, and Roger McQueen were still on the board. Taking a further look, he is the ideal selection for the organization. He's built like a freight train and scores like it's the only thing he knows.

We saw a couple of highlight reel performances from Martin during the preseason. He scored two beautiful one-timers and racked up an assist on a sweet play. He provided some physicality in the defensive and neutral zone and kicked start the offense on the other end of the ice. He truly looked like he was ready the big leagues.

Fast forward to today and things look a lot different. For starters, Martin didn't really demonstrate the same amount of physicality on the ice as he did just a couple weeks prior. The regular season is much faster than the preseason since now you got NHL starters all over you. He did the best he could but he fell behind in places he wasn't as experienced in.

Martin's offense still looked good. He had some good chances, and they were either gloved by a great save or shoved away from a defender's stick. On the play where he made it count was when he took the puck away from a Utah defender in order to dish it over to Forsberg to shot it into the back of the net.

Other than that, there's been some miscommunication issues, resulting in some turnovers. However, every rookie is going to experience this. It's a faster league and you got to check your instincts, memorize your team strategies, and uncover new call signs by your linemates.

...But It Does Set Him and His Team Up Better

Giving Martin just a few games at the NHL level gives him what he needs to know to succeed in the future. Sending him back to the OHL, he'll be able to fine-tune his skills and push them to NHL-worthy talent. He knows what he needs to improve on and he knows the shift from juniors to majors. It's all about how him and the organization train to make that shift happen.

For Nashville, departing from Martin for now is smart. We often see top-end rookies make their NHL squads when they aren't doing the best. Take Connor Bedard for example. A bit of a stretch, I know, but hear me out. When he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks a few years ago and instantly got the call-up, his team was in the trenches. There was no talent to feed him the puck and successfully prepare him for bigger things.

In Martin's case, there's talent but not enough to be sufficient in development. You don't want to stunt a player's growth because you can't properly develop a team in time for their arrive. This is why sending Martin down is crucial to his future.

Martin got what he needed to learn and now all we have to do is wait for him to grow and return back next season as a more polished prospect that is more NHL-ready.