The future has been on the minds of Nashville Predators fans for two years.
After the flop that was the 2024-25 season, in which the Predators won just 30 games, the fansbase shifted toward what's next and how prospects can bring a Stanley Cup to Nashville.
General Manager Barry Trotz has built a rich prospect pool of college and junior stars, AHL standouts, and young guns already proving themselves in the NHL.
This year has been a massive example of what could be in store for the future, as seven prospects played in the IIHF World Junior Championship, another earned All-Star honors at the Spengler Cup and another is an AHL defenseman point leader.
In Nashville, a 24-year-old Luke Evangelista has a career-high 42 points (8G, 34A) in 56 games, and three players have scored their first career goals this season.
However, taking a closer look at how these prospects have been handled calls into question whether the Predators have been doing enough for their future.
Reassigning Fedor Svechkov too late
Fedor Svechkov, a 22-year-old center who was drafted 19th overall in 2021, is a player the Predators mishandled this season.
Splitting time between Milwaukee and Nashville during the 2024-25 campaign, recording 17 points in 52 games, the Predators tasked Svechkov with the bold task of jump-starting Steven Stamkos.
After the blockbuster signing in the 2024 offseason, Stamkos generated just 53 points in 82 games, not bad at all, but well below what he as averaging.
Svechkov struggled centering Stamkos in the first month of the season, as he had a point in 15 games played. Meanwhile, Stamkos had two points in the first 12 contests of the year.
While a move back to the center on the first and second lines benefited Stamkos, Svechkov continued to struggle in various combinations.
After recording nine points in 49 games and getting scratched twice, the Predators finally made the decision to send Svechkov down to Milwaukee before the Olympic break.
The decision felt like it was a month too late, as Svechkov was scoreless throughout January and was essentially benched in his final game before being assigned to Milwaukee, recording 3:05 minutes of ice time in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 27.
Scratch, play or reassign?
The Predators haven't frayed away from scratching their young players, as Brady Martin, Matthew Wood and others have all had to sit at some point this season.
Head coach Andrew Brunette has spoken on this before, saying that it's a way for younger players to sit and learn the game.
However, some of the scratches have been questionable. Martin, the Predators' 2025 fifth overall pick, played just three games before being sent to the Soo Greyhounds (OHL).
He was in Nashville for the season-opening game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 and their road matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 21.
That was a seven-game stretch, and Martin was scratched in five of those contests, including a "homecoming" game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
The move was questionable enough that Trotz commented on it, saying he would've liked to see Martin play more.
On Jan. 3 and 6, Wood was scratched in back-to-back contests before returning to the lineup. He'd return to the lineup, but struggle throughout the month before the Predators decided to reassign him to Milwaukee ahead of the Olympic break.
However, after three games with the Admirals during the pause, the Predators called Wood back up, casting doubt on the move and possibly being too early.
Joakim Kemell is another player who has sat more than he's played in Nashville. He's played in two games but has been scratched from six.
Making the right call-ups
Trotz has notably "stuck his neck out" for a handful of players, moving them onto the roster ahead of other stat leaders down in Milwaukee.
Reid Schaefer, who has logged just six points in 27 games, has made multiple stops in Nashville this season. He earned a call-up before seven other Admirals who are ahead of him in point totals.
Zach L'Heureux recently earned a call-up after averaging a point per game in 28 straight contests with the Admirals. He even said that he expected to be called up sooner.
Justin Barron, whom Trotz traded Alexandre Carrier for in 2024, has not moved from the Predators roster despite scoring 32 points and recording just five points.
Meanwhile, Ryan Ufko, who is second in AHL defenseman points with 42 in 47 games, has yet to be called up to Nashville this season.
Another piece was trading Spencer Stastney, a 26-year-old defenseman who had nine points in 30 games before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 third-round pick.
Trotz said the move was made to bring younger players up into the Nashville lineup, but movement has been minimal, specifically on the blue line.
The only defenseman the Predators have recalled for Milwaukee this year is Andreas Englund, a 30-year-old who was claimed off waivers by Nashville last season.
He's played in only three games and has been scratched in a handful of contests.
Too much or not enough?
While there is likely a reason behind the decisions to sit these younger players or have them wait a bit longer for their opportunity, the trends show that Nashville is struggling to put its younger players in the right situations.
Svechkov's elongated stay in Nashville may have hurt his game more than benefited it, as he could've spent a month or two down in Milwaukee instead of struggling with the Predators.
Down in Milwaukee, guys like Ufko and Jake Lucchini (38 PTS in 49 GMS) can only do so much to prove they deserve a shot with the Predators.
It's fair to say this could be part of "the process" of having younger players earn their time and place, but with the Predators being so gung-ho about their future, they're teetering on the line between development and wasting prospects' time.
