The Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets will both begin their 2025-26 seasons with a Thursday night matchup in Nashville that will also mark the National Hockey League debut of Predators first-round draft pick Brady Martin.

There will be no baby steps for the 18-year-old center, whom the Predators selected with the fifth pick in the June draft. In Wednesday's practice, he was the first-line center playing with Filip Forsberg, who led the team with 31 goals and 45 assists last season, and Ryan O'Reilly, whose 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) last season were tied for third.

Martin told reporters on Monday it's a "pretty special" opportunity to play alongside two Predators veterans.

"I'm just taking tips and tricks from them and, yeah, just learning a lot from them," he explaine

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