With wins in two of three games, the Nashville Predators had a solid showing at a four-team rookie tournament in Tampa, Florida.
The Predators beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Sept. 12 and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Sept. 13 before falling 6-1 to the Florida Panthers on Sept. 15.
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With the conclusion of the tournament, Nashville’s rookies will return home to prepare for main training camp, which opens on Sept. 18 at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.
Individual performances matter more than game results in these tournaments. With that in mind, here’s four rookies whose stock rose after the weekend.
Cole O’Hara
Cole O’Hara’s stock has been rising for a while now. After two quiet years at UMass, O’Hara broke out with a 22-goal, 29-assist season last year before turning pro in the spring.
The forward was an offensive wizard for most of the first two games, eventually scoring on a tipped shot from the blue line in the second period against Carolina. He was rewarded with a promotion to the top line against Florida and scored Nashville’s only goal in the game.
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Joakim Kemell
Winger Joakim Kemell scored a power play goal against Tampa, ripping a one-timer from the right circle to tie the game 1-1 in the first period. He also recorded an assist on Reid Schaefer’s go-ahead goal against Carolina, evading attackers at the blue line and finding Ryan Ufko with a pinpoint cross-ice pass before the final play to the net.
The Predators’ first round pick in 2022 (No. 17 overall) seems ready for an NHL role after spending three seasons in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Brady Martin
Martin started hot in this tournament, scoring a goal and an assist against Tampa. Though he didn’t score after the first game, he was a constant presence in both ends for Nashville. The forward won face-offs, made crisp passes, fought for loose pucks in the corner — everything the Predators expected from their No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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He has an outside chance to make Nashville’s roster, but will need a very strong showing in training camp to do so.
Reid Schaefer
Reid Schaefer, a left winger, missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, delaying his development with the Admirals. But he’s expected to be a big part of Milwaukee’s attack this season.
Schaefer’s skill set is limited, but he brought size and physicality to the top of the line up for Nashville. He was rewarded with a late go-ahead goal against Carolina, using his body to shield off defenders as he deflected Ufko’s pass into the net.
Schaefer, who was acquired by Nashville in the trade that sent defenseman Mattias Ekholm to the Edmonton Oilers in 2023, will be one of many prospects vying for a roster spot in Nashville in training camp.
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CAMP INFO: Nashville Predators release 2025-26 training camp roster, schedule, location
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators rookies whose stock rose at Tampa tournament