The next player on Predlines player previews for the 2025-26 season is Fedor Svechkov. The young rookie is looking to prove more in his second season in the NHL.
Fedor Svechkov's Stats Last Season
Nashville Predators: 52 games, 8 goals, 9 assists
Milwaukee Admirals: 13 games, 5 goals, 7 assists
AHL Playoffs: 10 games, 4 goals, 4 assists
Svechkov is Looking to Unlock His True Potential with Nashville This Season
The Nashville Predators did not have much to be proud of last season. However, one thing to reflect on is this enormous development and spirit that came from the rookies. The rookie who in my opinion shined the most was centerman Fedor Svechkov.
Svechkov joined Nashville in late November of last year. He was called up after a short, but successful 13-game stint with the Milwaukee Admirals where he put up 12 points. The 2021 19th overall pick was a highly anticipated prospect due to his two-way playstyle, something you don't see often in youngsters like him.
Despite showing off a lot of skill in his first 52 games, Svech rarely found himself anywhere in the top six thanks to the big guys like Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos all tenured up at center. Preds General Manager Barry Trotz has told the media that he eventually wants Svechkov as the team's 2C.
If he wants to even come close to achieving that goal, he must see a lot of growth from the youngster. At the faceoff dot, Svechkov wasn't too impressive, only winning 37% of them. As a centerman, you're reponsible for kickstarting the offense for your team. If you don't win the draw, your chances of scoring a goal are little to none in that play.
One thing we should be impressed about on Svech's resume is his strong wrist shot. Nashville saw multiple instances where he led the charge with his strong forehand closer to the net. Remember that overtime game winner against the New York Islanders, that's what I'm talking about. Per Moneypuck, he has a high shot frequency around the net in between the two faceoff circles.
He averaged a shooting percentage of 12.5% last season. As a youngster, that is something to be impressed of. When compared to an elite wrist shot scorer like Connor Bedard (10.7%), Svechkov's shooting percentage clears waters. Either I am making too many assumptions, or we are witnessing Nashville's next star.
That's the thing I like the most about Svechkov. He's extremely unpredictable and not in the bad sense. He alternates from playing the role of a sniper to a playmaker. His vision and stickhandling are one of the best on the team. Just check out the highlights for yourself.
As I mentioned earlier, Svech is known for his performances on both ends of the ice. He recorded 24 blocked shots—above average for his position and age. He's only 22 so that means that he's got a decade worth of improvements ahead of him. He's a star at a young age and he'll only be getting better as the day passes.