Nashville Predators at Carolina Hurricanes Prospect Game: Game Central, Live Updates and Analysis

Everything you want to know about the Predators and the Hurricanes, from the line combinations to injury updates and all the goals at Invisalign Arena.

Gold team forward Brady Martin (44) skates with the puck during the Future Stars Game at the Ford Ice Center Bellevue in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, July 5, 2025. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Nashville Predators prospects hit the ice on Sunday to kick off the 2026-27 season. The Prospect Showcase in North Carolina is the first chance to see the Predators' young players since this summer's development camp and serves as a precursor to next week's start of training camp.

Fans will see prospects like Brady Martin, Cole O'Hara and Vitali Pinchuk play against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning prospects over the course of two days. Martin and O'Hara were specifically mentioned by general manager Chris MacFarland after last week's Luke Evangelista trade as prospects the organization likes, while Pinchuk comes to the franchise as a coveted free agent from the KHL.

This story will be updated throughout the game with big plays, scores, and analysis.

Shootout

• Nashville's 10th skater, Joey Willis, finally puts a puck past Ruslan Khazheyev and Nashville wins the shootout 1-0.

• The pair continues, saving penalty after penalty as each has held nine skaters scoreless.

• Ben Hrebick and Ruslan Khazheyev matched one another save for save as each goal tender saved five penalty shots.

• The teams agreed to hold a shootout despite the result.

Third Period

Final score: Nashville 4, Carolina 1

• :16: GOAL for Nashville. Ben Hrebik finds Vitali Pinchuk after Carolina pulled Ruslan Khazheyev. Pinchuk's empty-net goal gives the Predators a 4-1 lead.

• 1:14: GOAL for Nashville. Aiden Fink picked up the puck after the penalty was cleared; he skated into Carolina's zone and fired the puck off the blocker side and into the net, giving Nashville a 3-1 lead.

• 3:23: Oasiz Wiesblatt draws a penalty for Nashville with great hustle. He beat the Hurricane defender to the puck and work himeself in a one-on-one situation with the goaltender. The Hurricane defender rode Wiesblatt, and now Nashville is up a man. Nashville is 1-for-3 on the power play today.

• 4:30: The last few minutes have been a chaotic back and forth with the puck as neither team can get settled in the other offensive zone before losing possession.

• 6:30: Ben Hrebik makes a save to close the power play sequence and Nashville has turned the Hurricanes away for the third time. Nashville is still clinging to a 2-1 lead.

• 8:31: Nashville puts Carolina on a power play after a slashing penalty on Oasiz Wiesblatt. The momentum is on Carolina's side and this could be the moment they capitalize. Carolina is currently 0-for-2 with a man advantage.

• 9:49: Carolina is frustrating the Nashville power play, generating shorthanded shots of their own while the Predaotrs have a man advantage. The Hurricanes have all the momentum as they look for the equalizer.

• 11:22: Nashville is back on the power play after a holding penalty. The Predators are 1-for-2 with a man advantage today and could use an insurance goal to stay in front of the Hurricanes.

• 12:52: Zachary Lansard scores for the Hurricanes off a turnover in the Predators' end. Lansard catches Hrebik a bit out of position and scores off the cross bar. 2-1 Nashville.

• 13:08 - David Edstrom deflects a Carolina shot out of bounds. The Hurricanes have kept the pressure on the Predators since the power play as the home side still looks for their first goal.

• 14:40: Nashville survived Carolina's power play as the Hurricanes got several shots on net, but Ben Hrebik turned each away as the Predators held onto a 2-0 lead.

• 16:47: The Predators put the Hurricanes on a power play as Michel Myloserdnyy draws an interference penalty. Nashville stopped the Carolina power play in the first period and is shorthanded again in the third.

• 19:43: Ben Hrebik opens the period with a diving save to preserve Nasvhille's two-goal lead. Hrebik ended up on his back and the Predators players all cheer from the sidelines.

Second Period

• Nashville takes a 2-0 lead into the last period break. The Predators scored twice as they found more possession in the Hurricanes end.

• Nashville is closing the second period well, controlling the puck and keeping it in the Carolina zone as the Predators look for a third goal.

• 3:34: GOAL for Nashville. Cole O'Hara scores a power play goal for the Predators. O'Hara found some space and fired the puck past Ruslan Khazheyev's left shoulder. Nashville leads 2-0.

• 6:33: Vitali Pinchuk worked himself into a one-on-one breakaway and deked Ruslan Khazheyev, but can't shoot the puck past the Carolina goaltender. Pinchuk has had a few scoring chances in the game thus far as he looks to make an impression in his first action in a Nashville uniform.

• 7:03: Carolina has turned up the pressure a bit after falling into a 1-0 deficit. The Hurricanes have spent the last few minutes in the Predators' zone, leading to a Nashville defender sending the puck down the ice for an icing for relief.

• T.J. Semptimphelter is subbed out after making a great glove save on a Carolina Hurricanes breakaway. He leaves the game in favor of Ben Hrebik for the Predators. Hrebik picks up where Semptimphelter left off, making a big save to keep the Hurricanes off the scoreboard.

• Aiden Fink's speed is noticeable for Nashville as he's carried the puck into the Hurricanes' zone a few times to get the Predators' offense going in the second period

• 13:12: GOAL for Nashville. David Edstrom fires a shot that rebounds off the bar to Michel Myloserdnyy who puts it past Ruslan Khazheyev to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. The Predators have had the better opportunities in the second period and draws first blood.

• 16:11: The Predators have gotten into the Hurricanes' offensive zone a few times this period, but Carolina's defense has been stingy, knocking the puck out of the zone quickly each time, preventing Nashville from generating offense.

• Ruslan Khazheyev and T.J. Semptimphelter were the stars of the first period as the goaltenders turned away several shots. Khazheyev opened the second period with another big save for the Hurricanes as the propects look for the first goal of the game.

First Period

• The period ends 0-0 with both sides generating a few nice chances. Carolina generated more offensive possession with a bit more control, but Brady Martin and Vitali Pinchuk made exciting plays of their own. It'll be a 15-minute intermission before the start of the second period.

• :10: Vitali Pinchuk, coming down the wing with speed, carried the puck into Carolina's zone and pulled off a dangerous pass into the middle for a great Predators' chance. The Hurricanes' goaltender denies the shot.

• 2:00: The Hurricanes frustrate Nashville's power play unit, forcing the puck out of the zone over and over and the Predators struggle to generate a good look with the man advantage.

• Nashville's power play unit is Brady Martin, Vitali Pinchuk, Cole O'Hara, Tanner Molendyk and Felix Nilsson.

• 3:33: The Hurricanes get called for a holding penalty, putting Nashville on their first power play of the game. The Predators killed off a power play earlier and now have a chance of their own.

• 4:05: Aiden Fink and Brady Martin combine in the Hurricanes' zone with a nice play. Fink dropped the puck off to Martin, who took a dangerous shot, but is denied as both sides look for the first goal of the game.

• 6:08 - Vitali Pinchuk just made a nice one-on-one move at the blue line to get into shooting position. He shot near-side, but it was saved and the game remains scoreless. Still a nice moment from Pinchuk.

• The Carolina broadcasters announced that no matter the result of the game, the two sides will have a shootout at the end of the game.

• 10:09: Ben Strinden got out on a shorthanded breakaway, but couldn't finish the play as the score remains 0-0.

• 11:19: We have a fight between Kalen Lind and Charles Alexis Legault. The pair square up and face off. Lind got a few nice shots in before both guys went to the ice. The Hurricanes come up with a power play after Lind and Legault are sent to the box for fighting.

• 12:22: T.J. Semptimphelter stops a point blank shot and draws a faceoff. The Hurrivanes have established themselves in the Predators' zone.

• 14:00: The Hurricanes have retaken some control and have spent the last few minutes in the Nashville end, but T.J. Semptimphelter keeps things scoreless with another save.

• 16:45: The Hurricanes got an early chance, but T.J. Semptimphelter deflects the shot. Nashville has settled in and starting to maintain possession.

• 19:30: Felix Nilsson takes a big hit at the offensive blue line as the Hurricanes are physical early

• Fans looking to watch the prospects can do so by using this link.

Pregame Updates

• The Predators and Hurricanes are on the ice and about to get underway

• Cole O'Hara, Oasiz Wiesblatt, and Andrew Gibson are sporting A's on their uniforms, serving as the Predators' alternate captains

Line Combinations

Forwards

• Willis-Pinchuk-O'Hara
• Lind-Martin-Fink
• Wiesblatt-Nilsson-Gojsic
• Roest-Edstrom-Puglisi/Strinden

Defensemen

• Molendyk-Gibson
• Gustafsson - Cossette-Ayotte
• Nieminen-Murray
• Myloserdnyy

Goaltenders

• Semptimphelter
• Posch
• Hrebik

This Week's Biggest Predators Headlines...

• Which players should you keep your eyes on? Here are the 5 Most Intriguing Players at Predators Prospect Showcase

• Today's game is the first chance to see Vitali Pinchuk in a game-like setting for the Nashville Predators.

• The prospects were on the ice for a short workout on Saturday before traveling to North Carolina.

Nashville Predators 2026 Prospect Showcase Roster

Forwards

• 11, Aiden Fink
• 19, Cole O'Hara
• 44, Brady Martin
• 45, Kalen Lind
• 51, Vitali Pinchuk
• 53, Hiroki Gojsic
• 60, David Edstrom
• 61, Joey Willis
• 62, Felix Nilsson
• 66, Ben Strinden
• 83, Charlie Puglisi
• 93, Austin Roest
• 97, Oasiz Wiesblatt
  

Defensemen

• 40, Viggo Gustafsson
• 50, Tanner Molendyk
• 54, Daniel Nieminen
• 65, Owen Murray
• 80, Michel Myloserdnyy
• 82, Benjamin Cossette Ayotte
• 92, Andrew Gibson

Goalies

• 30, Isak Posch
• 31, T.J. Semptimphelter
• 39, Ben Hrebik

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