The Nashville Predators have a promising defenseman in the making in Tanner Molendyk. The 20-year-old left-handed D-man was drafted 24th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Two years after entering the Predators system, he's done everything but disappoint. With Molendyk putting up impressive numbers in the playoffs with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, he's building up his resume and setting himself up for AHL minutes this fall.
Preds fans should be excited for what's to come in the future with Molendyk's development. I'm going to take a quick dive into his stats pre- and post-draft stats while also checking out his chances of making the NHL next season.
Blue Line Offense is Molendyk's Forte
By just taking a look at his stats, it's clear that Molendyk definitely knows a lot about offense. In his draft year with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, he recorded 37 points—9 goals and 28 assists—in 67 games, along with an additional eight points in the postseason. He was labelled as a skilled puck mover by EliteProspects in their 2023 NHL Draft guide. Just check out what they had to say about him, nothing but positive words.
"There are smooth skaters, there are explosive skaters, and there's Tanner Molendyk. A quick series of crossovers launch Molendyk past multiple opponents; it doesn't matter if he's moving forwards, backwards, or laterally. At full speed, he changes directions with sudden outside edge cuts, heel-to-heel skating, and tight turns. Even speedier, skilled opponents struggle as he instantly claims the middle."EliteProspects
He played at an even higher level the following season. Tanner put up a 1.12 P/G season, consisting of 10 goals and 46 points, along with an impressive +40 +/-. Despite missing 18 games on the season, he still managed to be the highest scoring defenseman and the fourth highest on the roster. In the playoffs, helped his team reach game seven of the conference finals with his 10 points and +11 +/-.
Before being traded to the Tigers this season, Molendyk played 21 games and had exactly a point-per-game, 4 goals and 17 assists. With Medicine Hat, he finished the year with an additional 26 points in 28 games. Currently in the WHL finals, he has 15 points in 14 games. The Tigers swept their last two opponents and are looking to finish it off in the finals with Mols and 2026 top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna.
Trotz Believes Molendyk is Capable of Earning NHL Time Early as Beginning of Season
He's definitely improved a lot since his draft selection. At a press conference, Predators General Manager Barry Trotz explained that he sees Molendyk as a potential opening night starter.
#Preds GM Barry Trotz says he expects Matthew Wood and Tanner Molendyk to at least compete for spots on the roster next season.
— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) May 5, 2025
Personally, I am a big fan of Molendyk and everything that he is capable of. However, I do believe that giving him at least half of a season in the AHL would work best for him. He's played junior hockey for his entire career and putting him straight in the toughest hockey league isn't the smartest thing to do. If I were Trotz, I'd give Mols a month or two of top ice time in Milwaukee before giving him that chance. We would want to at least prepare him for that drastic shift to professional hockey.
When Molendyk does make his Nashville Predators debut, he'll have a lot of people to look up to. For starters, Roman Josi is an obvious pick. The 14-year NHL veteran is expected to make a return to the ice after a season-ending injury late this season. Josi's known for harvesting the most energy out of the young defenseman. He was often paired alongside Alexandre Carrier and Dante Fabbro, and we all saw how they turned out on their new squads. Imagine what Josi could do to someone like Molendyk.
To close out my rant, I'd like you to take a quick glimpse at what Molendyk could potentially bring to the aging Predators roster. We need speed and skill, and he checks boxes.