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Nashville Predators should explore trying out Matthew Wood at center position

The Predators don't have many options at the center position, leaving Matthew Wood as a possibility to try out.
ByChad Minton|
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Jan 11, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) takes a shot on goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) takes a shot on goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

It's been made pretty obvious over the years that the Nashville Predators are one of the weakest teams in the NHL at center, and combine that with the upcoming trade deadline, they're in a predicament with what to do next.

With this in mind, Matthew Wood is a player I really wonder about moving to center over the offseason, or maybe even try it out after the trade deadline if Erik Haula and Michael McCarron are both traded.

Wood has played only on the wing for the Predators, and was drafted more as a winger out of college. However, he was listed as both a winger and a center coming into his draft year. He has a big frame at 6'4" and a really good hockey IQ, while also possessing an oustanding shot. A lot of traits you want to see for a center.

For Wood, it's all about the development and game reps, but the pontential is there for him to take a similar path that Luke Evangelista has taken. These things don't happen instantly.

Trying out Matthew Wood at the center position is a long-shot solution, but worth exploring if roster space is cleared up

Now obviously this comes with some risk and quite frankly I wouldn't even be bringing up this possibility if the Predators actually knew how to develop centers over the past decade. But here we are, nonetheless.

The Predators really have no NHL-ready prospects at the center position, with the exception of Fedor Svechkov. But even Svechkov had to be sent back to Milwaukee for lack of production and clearly needing more reps in the AHL.

Brady Martin is vital to the future of this organization and a possible top line center, but that is way down the road. David Edstrom is a prospect that isn't producing much and hasn't even made his NHL debut yet.

The Predators have very few options at center if they decide to trade a combination of Haula and/or McCarron. Much less their top trade prize, Ryan O'Reilly.

So this brings me back to Wood. If you're really going to trade Haula and McCarron at this year's trade deadline, then Wood makes sense to try it out to close out the season. At that point you're giving up on the playoffs anyway, so you might as well see if you have something to build on with Wood trying the center position out.

I just don't see Haula or McCarron bringing you back a center in return who is going to be NHL-ready to play center for the Predators. You're more than likely going to have a huge hole to fill after this trade deadline at the center position.

Wood went through a cold stretch in the middle of this season, but the raw skills are clearly there. Experimenting with him at the center position is a long shot, but who knows, you might strike gold and solve a huge dilemma you have going into the offseason. If he shows some promise to build on, then you go into the offseason with something to work with.

Ultimately the Predators are going to have to explore free agency for centers this offseason, and try to get a center prospect in return for any trades. However, in the meantime, I don't see any harm at seeing how Wood responds at the center position after the trade deadline.

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