As we approach the holidays, several Preds prospects are turning heads in their respective leagues. Here’s the latest on the Nashville pipeline.
Andrew Gibson
Acquired this summer for forward Jesse Kiiskinen, Andrew Gibson returned to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for his third full season with the Soo Greyhounds. Wearing an A on his jersey, Gibson has been a key cog on the Greyhounds’ blue line as they’ve sputtered through the opening third of the year.
Sitting sixth in the OHL’s Western Conference, the Greyhounds have 12 wins and 12 losses. Gibson’s offensive production has dipped as he’s added just three goals and three assists in 22 games, but his defensive tenacity in all situations has remained an important factor for Soo. Depending on how the next few weeks go, expect Gibson to be flipped to a Memorial Cup contender closer to the OHL trade deadline on January 10th.
Joey Willis
Across the OHL, there’s an argument to be made that Joey Willis has been the league’s best player for the last month. The 2023 fourth-round pick has always been an important two-way forward for Saginaw, helping lead the Spirit to a Memorial Cup championship last year. This season, however, Willis’ scoring touch is blossoming.
Through 20 games, Willis has scored 16 goals and 30 points, including 15 primary points at even strength. Over the past ten contests, Willis has notched 13 goals and 20 points, including a five-goal night against Flint on November 13th. The 5’11” center is scoring all different types of ways too: on the power play, off the rush, crashing the net, picking up deflections, and more.
Nashville has until June 1, 2025, to sign Willis to an entry-level contract.
Hiroki Gojsic
Hiroki Gojsic was drafted 94th overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by Nashville and stuck around in training camp a bit longer than some expected, earning himself an entry-level contract. The 6’3″ forward is now back with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Kelowna Rockets for his sophomore season at the junior level.
Gojsic is off to a bit of a slow start, sitting just ninth on the Rockets in scoring with five goals and 10 points in 15 games; the British Columbia native, however, has picked up his scoring pace recently, notching eight points in his last ten games. Translating his size and strength into more dominant puck possession plus improved skating skills will be key to Gojsic’s success at the next level.
Matthew Wood
Transferring from the University of Connecticut to the University of Minnesota has done wonders for Matthew Wood. Playing with top NHL-drafted talent, the first-round pick is flourishing with the Golden Gophers; through 14 games, Wood has scored four goals and 18 points, including nine primary points at even strength. Wood totaled 0.97 and 0.80 points per game in his first two collegiate seasons.
The 6’4″ forward has primarily moved to the wing and is a main feature of Minnesota’s lethal power play. Wood is also tied for fourth in the nation in scoring. He’s continuing to show improvement in his puck control and playmaking ability against top competition and should play an important role in what the Golden Gophers hope to be a deep run this season.
David Edstrom
Acquired in exchange for Yaroslav Askarov, forward David Edstrom is the latest first-round pick to join the Nashville organization. The Swedish prospect is currently playing for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), averaging middle-six ice time (15 minutes per night).
Through 17 games, Edstrom has scored three goals and 12 points. He’s fourth on the team in scoring and second among U20 players across the SHL. Expect the center to play a big role in Sweden’s World Junior Championship squad next month, and he should join Nashville once his European season is over in the spring.
Aiden Fink
If there was any concern that Aiden Fink’s impressive freshman season would slide into a sophomore slump, it’s been quashed. The Penn State forward has doubled down on his collegiate dominance, opening the season with seven goals and 18 points in 11 games—tying him with Matthew Wood for fourth in the country in scoring. Ten of those 18 points are primary ones scored at even strength.
Fink has been the driving force for the Nittany Lions this year with a 45.92 percent relative goals-for rate. He looks faster, has better change-of-direction pace, is out-working bigger players to win puck battles, and looks unconcerned with worries about his diminutive stature.
I think he’ll still return for his junior season, but it’s clear Nashville has way more than your standard seventh-round pick on their hands.
Kalan Lind
Kalan Lind cannot catch a break. Last year, the 2023 second-round pick missed extensive time with injury and illness and failed to improve his offensive output from his sophomore season in the WHL. This year, Lind appeared in just three games before becoming the victim of a brutal knee-on-knee hit that’s kept him out for the past month and a half. In his first game back last weekend, Lind was ejected in the first ten minutes for a hit to the head.
Lind remains an interesting prospect, but the clock is ticking. Concerns over his size and ability to be a dominant offensive force at the junior level persist as he looks to show Nashville he can succeed at the pro level.
Miguel Marques
Across the WHL, Miguel Marques is shining. The 2024 third-round pick is playing in his third season for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and is on track to near the 100-point benchmark this year. In 20 games to date, the forward has scored ten goals and 29 points, including 15 primary points at even strength.
Cole O’Hara
Maybe the story of the season for Nashville’s pipeline has been Cole O’Hara. I also expected the 2022 fourth-round pick to take some time to blossom, but I didn’t quite anticipate this. In his first two seasons at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), O’Hara contributed 17 and 18 points, respectively. Through 14 games this season, the Ontario native has scored six goals and 20 points, ranking him third in the nation in scoring; nine of those 20 points are primary ones scored at even strength.
UMass’ defensive woes have dragged O’Hara’s overall game down a bit, but I can’t help but be impressed with the drive he’s shown with the puck. He’s become a game-breaker for the Minutemen and is showing plenty of transferrable skills in transition and during offensive possessions. O’Hara’s 20 points are the most through 13 games by a Minutemen since Greg Carvel took over as head coach in 2016 (h/t to Nathan Strauss).
I’m not certain O’Hara will finish the season competing for the NCAA scoring crown, but this hot start is enough of a reason to be excited.
