Defenseman Tanner Molendyk was among the favorites to make the Nashville Predators’ opening night roster before training camp opened in early September.
Then, during the first practice of rookie camp on Sept. 11, he suffered a lower body injury that kept him out for two weeks. He returned to practice Sept. 24, having already missed three preseason games. Missing that much practice and valuable ice time did not bode well for his roster spot chances.
But now Molendyk is back in action. He played in both of Nashville’s preseason games on Sept. 27 against Tampa Bay and Sept. 28 against Carolina, suggesting he is fully recovered from the injury.
With defense somewhat crowded, he is making up for lost time and pushing for a spot on the Predators‘ roster.
Predators’ Tanner Molendyk back in swing of things
Against the Lightning, Molendyk skated 12:51 and registered one blocked shot in the Predators’ 4-1 loss. He was used primarily on the bottom pairing and did not play on special teams. Afterward, he admitted it took him a while to get going, given he hadn’t played competitive hockey since the spring.
“It took a few shifts to finally feel like I was up to the pace, it was quick out there,” Molendyk said. “Not playing for five months, it was a big step up for sure.”
Against the Hurricanes, Molendyk’s role increased. With Nashville sitting most of its starters, he played 19:24 in a 4-2 loss. He had two shots on goal, one blocked shot and two penalty minutes. This time, he was one of the team’s top four defensemen and played on special teams.
In both games, Molendyk looked like what the Predators wanted when they drafted him No. 24 overall in 2023. He skated well, made quick decisions in the defensive zone and showed off his passing skills on the attack. More than once he thwarted forwards from the danger zone, frequently winning the puck back and starting a counterattack.
I don’t usually clip in the preseason, but this takeaway by Tanner Molendyk on Jordan Staal was so smooth.
With the Hague injury, there’s a real shot for Molendyk to make the opening night roster despite missing 2 full weeks of camp. pic.twitter.com/w4bn6cHCOX
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) September 28, 2025
Though Molendyk still needs a good finish in camp, he might have a better chance because Nic Hague, the Predators’ biggest offseason acquisition, is out 4-6 weeks with an upper body injury.
The Predators appear they will give Hague’s spot to rookie Adam Wilsby for now, but that opens up things. If Andreas Englund steps into Wilsby’s spot on the bottom pair, that leaves Molendyk to compete with veterans Nick Blankenburg and Jordan Oesterle for the seventh spot.
As a 20-year-old, Molendyk is eligible to play in the American Hockey League for Milwaukee. He is also exempt from waivers. Blankenburg and Oesterle are not exempt — they would have to clear waivers in order to be sent from Nashville to Milwaukee.
With Molendyk’s roster flexibility, it wouldn’t be surprising for Nashville to start him in Milwaukee, given that more injuries are bound to happen. But the more ice time he gets, the more he can showcase his skills and earn a spot on the 23-man roster.
The Predators finish their preseason schedule with a home game (3 p.m. CT) against Carolina on Oct. 4.
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.