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Nashville Predators prospects win two of three at 2024 Rookie Showcase

As an appetizer to the 2024-25 regular season, the Preds prospects captured two wins in three games.

By Chad Minton

Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators draft pick Tanner Molendyk puts on a hat after being selected with the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators draft pick Tanner Molendyk puts on a hat after being selected with the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
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The prospect pool for the Nashville Predators has gradually gotten more and more respect around the league from scouts and analysts, and at the 2024 Rookie Showcase we saw why.

The Predators competed in their annual tournament against the prospects of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers. While the Predators dropped their opening game to the Panthers, they rallied to win their other two games against the Lightning and the Hurricanes.

Monday finished things off before the opening of Predators training camp with a fast-pace 5-4 win over the Hurricaes prospects. Two goals, both in the final period, from undrafted right winger Easton Armstrong highlighted the day.

Armstrong caps off successful rookie showcase for Preds

Armstrong is attending Predators training camp on a professional tryout agreement after spending his last five seasons playing in the WHL for four different teams. He's coming off his best season with 36 goals in 62 games.

Tanner Molendyk really stood out as well at the Rookie Showcase. His dynamic skating and ability to move the puck in transition was on full display. He saw time on the top power play unit along with other high profile prospects such as Joakim Kemell and Fedor Svechkov.

Speaking of Kemell, he had multiple chances to score a goal on one of his patented lasers of a shot while on the power play against the Hurricanes, but just missed.

Another lesser-known prospect who had a strong showing at the Rookie Showcase was 2024 third-round pick by the Predators, right winger Hiroki Gojsic. A big-bodied, physical forward at 6'3", Gojsic tallied the tying goal in the win over the Lightning prospects.

Gojsic scored two goals over the three showcase games showing really promising signs from such a young player at age 18, and just recently turning 18 over the summer for that matter.

Joey Willis also scored two goals in the showcase. A center prospect drafted in 2023 in the fourth round. Originally scouted as a high IQ player that has multiple facets of his game being very strong, Willis has a decent chance of eventually making it to the AHL, but for now at age 19 he is slotted for another season in the OHL after attending Predators training camp.

As for prospects expected to play for the Milwaukee Admirals in 2024-25, we already mentioned Svechkov who only played in one of the three games at the showcase. The Predators know he is a key piece to the future pipeline, and for the most part he looked confident and like an on-ice leader in his one game agianst the Hurricanes.

It was a really impressive showcase for Ozzy Wiesblatt. To refresh your trade memory, Wiesblatt was acquired in a trade with the Sharks for Egor Afanasyev back in June. He was taken as the 31st overall pick by the Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Wiesblatt is an aggressive style player and fits perfectly into that sytem of all gas, no brakes. He scored a goal in the 5-4 win in the finale against the Hurricanes and should play a prominent role for the Admirals this upcoming season.

I'm actually particularly excited to see how Wiesblatt competes against the veterans at Predators training camp.

Then to switch to the goalies, Magnus Chrona started two of the three games. He faced some tough shots against both Florida and Carolina and has some work to do to earn the main starting role for the Admirals over Matthew Murray.

Ethan Haider also saw some action in the second game, a win over the Lightning prospects. Haider got a better defensive performance in front of him and only surrendered two goals.

Overall the rookie showcase is just a measuring stick to see how the prospects perform against their peers, as Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor described it to the Predators official website.

The Predators will now get ready for preseason action beginning this upcoming weekend, first in doubleheader action against the Florida Panthers. Expect several of these prospects to get plenty of playing time in the preseason.

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