Gold team defenseman Tanner Molendyk (50) looks to shoot past Blue team defenseman Luke Shipley (57) during the Future Stars Game at the Ford Ice Center Bellevue in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, July 5, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tanner Molendyk is arguably the top prospect in the Preds system
Next season looks like a likely NHL debut for Tanner Molendyk. However, he has witnessed the growing pains of playing in the AHL. Even a player as raw talented as him is having a hard time keeping up the same point pace he once had at the junior level.
Molendyk was a point-per-game defenseman in his last two seasons in the Western Hockey League, but has regressed in point production in his first season with the Milwaukee Admirals with 11 points in 37 games.
There’s no reason to be alarmed by the dip in point production, but it does show that starting him off their is a wise decision and he does have more development ahead of him as he just turned 21-years-old and was drafted by the Predators in Round 1 of the 2023 draft.
Molendyk is known for his smooth skating, his transition game and his ability to create offense. I’ve always called him Roman Josi’s eventual replacement way down the line because he plays a similar style of game.
Nick Blankenburg is the only defenseman that is a UFA in the upcoming offseason, and if he’s traded then that could pave the way for Molendyk next season or to even get called up later this season for a quick taste of the NHL.
Nick Perbix has also been mentioned in trade discussions and plays on the right side as well, and then you have the uncertain future of Justin Barron. That’s three right shot defensemen with uncertain futures, and that’s where Molendyk will eventually slot into the mix.