Andrew Gibson had just gotten home from a training session in Detroit last month when he got a call from Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. Detroit – the team that selected Gibson in the second round of the previous year's NHL Draft and was just a 30-minute drive from his hometown of Windsor, Ontario – had traded him to the Nashville Predators for forward prospect Jesse Kiiskinen and a second-round pick in the 2024 Draft. "I couldn't believe it," Gibson said. "I've been with Detroit so far for the past year, and the thought of being traded this young kind of shocked me a little bit. There was a lot of mixed emotions. Being in my backyard so close to home, it was really nice and really convenient for me. But Nashville is a great city, great organization; I've heard a lot of great things, and I'm very excited to get things started here. I'm just very happy to be here." General manager Barry Trotz had his eye on Gibson in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, but the Red Wings snatched him up before the Predators had the chance. Still, the Predators kept tabs on the 19-year-old blueliner, who scored a career-high 12 goals and 32 assists in 68 games for the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2023-24. He signed his entry-level contract with the Red Wings earlier this year and remains under contract until 2026-27. "To see what [Trotz] gave up for me, I take it as a compliment," Gibson said. "I can't thank him enough for believing in me and believing in my talent and my work ethic and all that. I'm just going to work as hard as I can and try and prove myself and prove that I was worth that much to him and just try and make it to that next level." Nashville Predators prospect Andrew Gibson speaks to the media following the Future Stars Game at 2024 Development Camp. In a way, it's poetic that Gibson would end up with the Predators, the team that selected his childhood idol Ryan Ellis at No. 11 overall in 2009. "He was my favorite player," Gibson said. "He's the reason why I wear number six to this day. Watching him play for the Windsor Spitfires growing up, I was awestruck by him." Gibson draws inspiration from Ellis, among other right-shot defensemen currently playing at the NHL level, when developing his game. "I want to be like a Chris Tanev," Gibson said. "I want to be a big, reliable right-handed defenseman that can go kill penalties, shut down guys and go block block a lot of shots and also play the offensive side and put up a couple points." During the 2023-24 campaign, Gibson led the Greyhounds and was seventh among all OHL defensemen in plus-minus (+36); he also was second among team blueliners in goals and assists and was third in points. "I think I took a huge step in my game on the defensive side this year," Gibson said. "I was relied on heavily for killing penalties, and I think I took my shot blocking ability to another level. I pride myself in my ability to do that as well as putting up points, so I think I'm a two-way defenseman." At 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds, Gibson will go a long way in helping the Predators address their organizational need for size on the back end. "I like to use my size to my advantage," Gibson said. "I like to play physical, but I can also play with the puck; I can play on both sides. But I love killing penalties and blocking shots. That's a weird thing about me – I genuinely like blocking shots, hearing the crowd going, getting the guys going and making the most out of it." Gibson showed at his first Predators development camp this week why Nashville had coveted him for so long. He impressed at the Future Stars game on Saturday, putting in most of his early work alongside fellow defensive prospect Tanner Molendyk and scoring the tying goal for his team off a slapshot from the point. Gibson will join the Predators at training camp in September before returning to the Greyhounds for his final year of junior hockey. "I think I've grown my game a lot in the last couple years," Gibson said. "To see where I've come so far, I'm very proud and humbled to be able to experience this. It's every kid's dream, and to be living that right now, it's an unreal feeling."
