Reid Schaefer will be another important young piece to the Nashville Predators in 2026-27
It's been a productive season so far for the Predators front office to see what they have for the future in some of their young talent, and that includes Reid Schaefer.
Schaefer made his NHL debut earlier this season and has stuck around for 27 games while tallying four goals and two assists. On top of that, with the Admirals in the AHL he has 18 points in 21 games.
The early results from Schaefer is really encouraging considering he still has one more yera of two-way eligibility in 2026-27, so I'm sure the Predators are thrilled to see such quick progress.
Here's a stat from Schaefer that really jumps off the page; in 27 games and while only averaging 10:13 of ice time, he has piled up an incredible 68 hits and 20 blocked shots. Just a wrecking ball out there while also protecting his goalie. He's made for the NHL and it will be fun to see his ice time grow later in the season after the trade deadline.
Now looking into 2026-27, and even short-term after the trade deadline, we should see Schaefer a lot more in the Predators lineup when roster space is freed up after some of these trades.
Schaefer's size and physicality translates so well to the NHL. He doesn't get bullied around and has that swagger to his game. He has probably been my most encouraging riser in the Predators prospect ranks all season, even more so than Matthew Wood.