Nashville's top prospect returns to junior hockey after a brief NHL stint, seeking to reignite his development and lead his team.
The Nashville Predators Brady Martin first-year experiment has come to an end.
The team announced on Wednesday that after three games played, they have assigned the 2025 fifth overall pick to the Soo (Sault St. Marie) Greyhounds, Martin's junior team in the Ontario Hockey League.
Tuesday, against the Anaheim Ducks, Martin played his first game since Oct. 11, as he's had been a healthy scratch for the Predators' four previous games. He centered the third line, Fedor Svechkov and Tyson Jost.
He had a rough night, winning only two face-offs and logging 10:51 and 13 shifts, which was the second-lowest ice time total behind Ozzy Weisblatt, who had 10:05 of ice time.
Martin caught attention across the league on opening night when it was announced he'd center the first line of Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. Martin's debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 made him the second-youngest player in Predators history at 18 years, 207 days.
That line stuck for the first two games, with Martin recording his first NHL point, assisting a Forsberg goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 11.
Following that game, Martin was absent from the lineup for the entirety of the Predators four-game road trip. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette clarified that scratching Martin was a part of his development and plan the Predators had for him.
Tuesday, Brunette announced that Martin would play against the Ducks.
Martin returns to the Greyhounds having playing just a third of his nine allotted games before his entry-level contract activated.
Last season, in Soo, Martin scored 72 points in 57 games and logged 68 penalty minutes. He also represented Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship, scoring 11 points in seven games and winning a gold medal.
Through 13 games, the Greyhounds are third in the OHL's Western Conference with a 8-5-0 record with 16 points. Martin returning could prime the Greyhounds to have a strong season and potentially push for a deep playoff run.
Martin is likely make Canada's IIHF World Junior Championship roster, which will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
The Nashville Predators host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena.