The Hockey News' Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discuss what went wrong for Team Canada after a second consecutive loss to Czechia in the quarterfinal round of the IIHF World Junior Championship. Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk is on the move ahead of the Jan. 9 WHL trade deadline. The Saskatoon Blades traded Molendyk and forward Misha Volotovskii to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for a seven-piece package that includes forward Hayden Harsanyi, defenseman Jack Kachkowski and five picks in the WHL prospects draft. Molendyk, the No. 5 overall pick by Saskatoon in the 2020 WHL prospects draft and the No. 24 overall pick by the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft, has four goals and 21 points through 21 games for Saskatoon this season. In 210 career WHL games, all with the Blades, the 19-year-old defenseman has 26 goals and 134 points. In Medicine Hat, Molendyk will reunite with Tigers forward Gavin McKenna, his teammate representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. He will also play alongside Oasiz Wiesblatt, younger brother of Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. The Predators signed Molendyk to a three-year, entry-level contract a week after they drafted him in 2023, and they gave him an extended look at training camp in 2024 before assigning him to Saskatoon in the final round of roster cuts. Molendyk will turn 20 in February, at which point he will be eligible to play in the AHL. He is expected to be assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals once the WHL season concludes and he could make his NHL debut as early as next season. Visit The Hockey News Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news], game day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players], podcasts [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts] and more. RECENT PREDATORS NEWS
