Not many prospects would say development camp feels like a vacation. However, the Nashville Predators' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators]2025 fifth overall pick, Brady Martin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/predators-select-center-brady-martin-with-5th-overall-pick-in-nhl-draft], says otherwise. If he wasn't skating in Nashville this week, he'd be doing work on his family's farm in Elmira, Ontario. "This weekend is a bit of a vacation for me," Martin said following Monday's development camp. "Going back home keeps me humble, too. Being back on the farm with my brothers and sister, they don't pump me up too much. It keeps you humble and grounded." While prospects from across the world flocked to Los Angeles for the 2025 NHL Draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/here-are-3-takeaways-from-nashville-predators-2025-nhl-draft] last weekend, Martin was back at home watching the draft with friends and family. A TV being held up by a tractor [https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/1938750404487192942]informed Martin that he had been selected by the Predators. However, a life growing up on a farm in a small, close-knit community has helped Martin excel on the ice as a competitor. "Just having responsibilities and discipline that really drives me," Martin said. "It's [growing up on a farm] the best thing for me. I wouldn't have it any other way." The 6-foot, 178-pound prospect was a force with the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 72 points in 57 games and logging 68 penalty minutes. He's a big, physical center who embodies just what General Manager Barry Trotz is looking for. Martin mentioned [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/here-are-3-takeaways-from-nashville-predators-2025-nhl-draft]after he got drafted that he wanted to crack the Predators roster in his first season, but also isn't trying to do too much to stray away from the game that got him here. He said he's focused on getting to know the other players at development camp while refining the details of his game and continuing to play a physical style. "I'm just working on attacking defenders in ways where they can't defend," Martin said. "It's little details like that that go a long way at the next level." Martin was greeted by a familiar face when he arrived at the development camp: former Greyhounds teammate Andrew Gibson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts/podcast-gibson-shines-surin-charms-at-predators-development-camp]. It's been a busy year for Gibson as he was traded to Nashville nearly a year ago from Detroit, the team that had drafted him in 2023. After spending three and a half seasons with the Greyhounds, Gibson was traded to the Oshawa Generals this year. He had spent two seasons with Martin, and the pair made it clear just how close they are to each other. "He's splashing me a little bit in the back here. If I wasn't sweating, I'd be mad, but it's cooling me down," Gibson said as Martin tossed water on him. "It's good to have a familiar face. For him [Martin] especially, to have me here, I feel like I'm going to help him a lot." While the Predators are months out from the start of training camp, and even further from the first face-off of the 2025-26 season, Martin is driven by his competitive mindset and believes that it can take him further. "I think I'm just competing hard and playing hard every shift," Martin said. "My compete level and my work ethic are what drives me. If I compete, my skill will come out after that." He's also aware that once the week is over, it's back to pulling his weight on the farm alongside his father, two brothers and sister. "The next day I'm home, I'll be back in the barn," Martin said. "I don't get any rest days. My brothers, sister and father are hard on me. They make me get back in there pretty quick."
