Training camp is upon us! It is that wonderful time of year when everyone's favorite players get back onto the ice, and they are surrounded by a lot of people that you don't recognize.
That'll be no different for the Nashville Predators this season. While watchful eyes will be cast in the direction of Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and others, watchful ones are going to be checking out the players more likely to end up in Milwaukee that they don't often see, or have their eyes opened by guys looking to make big statements. Here are some players to watch in camp.
Nashville Predators 2025 Training Camp Players to Watch
Oasiz Wiesblatt
The younger brother of Ozzy, he proves that the playing style seems to run in the family. He played a highly offensive, highly aggressive style through his junior career with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, this seaon's best WHL team and Memorial Cup finalists.
He was involved in the Washington Capitals training camp last season after his 91 points (26 goals, 65 assists) and 96 penalty minute season in 2023-2024. HIs 2024-2025 campaign yielded even high numbers, with 103 points (36 goals, 67 assists) and 148 penalty minutes. He also added another 29 points over their 18-game playoff run.
He can do all of the hockey things you'd expect, but has size that often causes the word "diminutive" to be tossed around. At 5'8" or 5'9", he has an uphill battle to prove his skills will translate to the pro game after going undrafted and finally landing with a pro organization.
Reid Schaefer
This selection is one that has been hinted at, but coming off of an injury Reid Schaefer finds himself in a situation where he would really benefit from an immediate impact at training camp.
His AHL season got off to a great start, with 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) in 19 games, but then the bug bit and he was done for the season. The opposite of our previous profile, Schaefer has size you can't deny at 6'4", 220 pounds, and was a former 1st round draft pick. That buys him so extra cache, and it'll be interesting to see how many preseason games he gets in.
If his offensive game continues to grow, he could shift his profile from an effective bottom-six forward to a versatile middle-six forward, and finally, the Predators would get some return from the Mattias Ekholm trade.
Alex Huang
One of this year's draft picks, Huang was a 4th round selection, and is at least two years away from turning pro, but he'll still be interesting to watch.
The defenseman has committed to one more year of hockey in the QMJHL with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens before he joins Harvard University in the 2026 season. It'll be interesting to watch a player's development and tasks change from playing major juniors to the NCAA, and we'll see how long he stays in that cycle. The defenseman is serving as one of Nashville's test cases on the matter.
That's not to say we aren't excited for his skill, either. He's solid in all three zones, intelligent, and has shown an impressive offensive acumen.
Jack Matier
Much has been said of the changing trends on defense in pro hockey. The days of defensemen the size of redwood trees are mostly over. However, Matier is one of the last holdouts, and might have a real shot at seeing some Predators minutes down the road.
The 6'5" specimen moves well and plays a defensive-based game. In 41 AHL games last year, he only added 7 points, but stayed out of the box, and on the plus side of the plus/minus equation. He's physical but rarely finds himself in trouble. He's exactly the type of player who you'd want as a third pair defender and penalty killer.
In this training camp, we might see if he really has the potential to make it to the show, or if he's better suited to be part of the Admiral's crew.
Goalies
Evaluating them is a crap shoot. Let's just hope for the best.