Brady Martin already has a homework assignment after his NHL debut at Bridgestone Arena.
“Everyone’s a lot stronger than me, I think I’ve got to hit the gym,” Martin said after the Nashville Predators’ 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season opener on Oct. 9.
The second youngest player ever to play for the Predators, the 18-year-old Martin skated 12:44 minutes and registered one blocked shot and two giveaways. Though he was occasionally involved in physical play in front of the Columbus net, he struggled to connect with linemates Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly consistently
Though it was O’Reilly’s goal 2:41 into the third period that eventually secured the victory for Nashville (1-0-0, 2 points), the score came on the power play with Martin on the bench. The Predators‘ other goal came from Michael Bunting in the first period.
“It’s tough coming in to your first game with so much emotion and everything like that,” O’Reilly said about Martin. “But he’s a worker and a competitor. He plays a big game, it was fun to watch.”
Andrew Brunette on Brady Martin’s first game
Early in the first period, Martin had a turnover in the defensive zone, giving the puck away to Adam Fantili that led to a Columbus shot on goal. The same thing happened in the second period, again turning the puck over the Fantili, again leading to a Columbus shot. On the face-off dot, he went 3-for-7 (43%), subpar for NHL centers.
Also, his puck possession numbers were not pretty. According to Natural Stat Trick, with Martin on the ice at 5-on-5, the Predators managed just seven shot attempts compared to 16 for the Blue Jackets.
But Martin showed some moxie and held his own at times. He planted himself in front of the Columbus net, providing a nice target for Forsberg and O’Reilly on long range shots. He won a few pucks along the boards, provided quick outlet passes, and skated up and down the ice well.
In a tight game, Martin saw his shift count decrease as the game went on − he skated only three shifts in the third period, compared to seven in the first period. Coach Andrew Brunette opted to put Steven Stamkos, Erik Haula, and Jonathan Marchessault on the ice with the Predators clinging to a 2-1 lead.
“(Martin) hung in there, like he has all camp,” Brunette said. “He found a way to get through it, found a way to make a few plays. It was a great learning experience, I’m sure. The pace of the play has moved up probably about 20% since exhibition for him, so I think his eyes were opened a little bit.”
Martin will get another chance to show his worth on Oct. 11 (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network) against visiting Utah. It will be crucial for Martin to show improvement from his debut. After his first nine games, the Predators must decide to either keep him in Nashville for the year or send him back to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL.
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.