McKeen’s Hockey: Dynasty Stock Watch

Nashville Predators Edition

Team Outlook

The Nashville Predators remain in a complicated transition phase, attempting to balance short-term competitiveness with the need for meaningful internal growth. The summer of 2024 signings of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault were meant to accelerate a winning culture and stabilize the roster but instead preceded one of the worst seasons in franchise history, surpassed only by their inaugural campaign. Despite those struggles, Nashville has not fully pivoted toward a rebuild. Their roster still skews toward the middle of the league in average age, 15th overall, and the organization continues to signal a desire to compete rather than reset. That approach puts added pressure on their prospect pipeline to deliver impact contributors sooner rather than later.

There are still legitimate pillars in place. Luke Evangelista has taken another step forward and looks like a clear bright spot in the forward group, while Roman Josi’s health issues have fortunately not limited his overall effectiveness this season. Juuse Saros has also rediscovered his form, stabilizing the crease after some uncertainty. For dynasty managers, this is a critical evaluation window, identifying which young players are positioned to graduate into real roles, and which may struggle to find long-term fantasy relevance in a franchise still searching for its next true competitive identity.

Buy Candidates

Matthew Wood (RW, 20)

Why Buy?
Wood’s blend of size, skill, and shooting ability continues to make him one of the most intriguing assets in Nashville’s pipeline. At 6-foot-4, he protects the puck well, finishes from dangerous areas, and owns a heavy, accurate release that already looks like an NHL weapon. He has earned opportunities at the NHL level this season and has shown flashes as a legitimate scoring threat, particularly with his shot. While his overall impact has been uneven, his vision and playmaking remain underrated, and his game still projects best as a power forward who can create offense both off the rush and from set plays.

From a fantasy perspective, this is a classic buy window. According to Hockey Viz, Wood has not yet made Nashville’s offense more dangerous at either even strength or on the power play, which may cause some managers to cool on him prematurely. That data can be used as leverage in trade talks, even though it also shows that his shot is already well above league average in danger. Nashville lacks long-term top six wingers with size and finishing ability, and Wood has a clear path to filling that role once the coaching staff learns how to properly integrate him, particularly on the power play. With patience and the right deployment, he still carries legitimate 30-goal and top power play upside, making now an ideal time to acquire him before the results catch up to the tools.

Yegor Surin (C, 19)

Why Buy?
Surin is a strong example of a player whose box score alone undersells his overall impact. He plays with relentless energy, attacks the middle of the ice, and has the hands and creativity to make plays in traffic. His compete level is consistently high, and he has shown the ability to produce against older competition in the KHL. Surin can play both center and wing, contributes on the penalty kill, and generates offense through pace, pressure, and effort rather than relying on open ice. After flashing promise during his draft season, he has taken a meaningful step forward this year, raising his production to 27 points in 39 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a notable jump given his role and usage in a strong KHL lineup.

From a fantasy perspective, Surin remains undervalued because he is not yet a household name and has not posted eye-catching totals, but the projection is compelling. Hockey Prospecting continues to peg him at a 45% chance of becoming a star, reflecting a profile that blends offensive upside with strong peripheral contributions in shots and hits. He looks like the type of player whose value could spike quickly once he transitions to North America and adjusts to the smaller ice surface. For dynasty managers, this is exactly the kind of player to acquire before the broader market catches up to the underlying indicators.

Ryker Lee (LW, 19)

Why Buy?
Lee is an emerging prospect on the rise. Despite being younger and less proven than other names on this list, his combination of processing speed, offensive awareness, and two-way responsibility makes him a fascinating long-term target. He has shown advanced play-driving ability for his age, with refined decision-making and improving skating that consistently puts him in the right areas to generate offense. Lee has been fantastic at Michigan State this season, posting thirteen points in sixteen games and establishing himself as a dynamic offensive presence capable of attacking off the rush and creating in tight spaces while remaining defensively reliable.

At a disappointing Under 20 World Junior Championship (U20WJC) for the Americans, Lee was a bright spot in spurts, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a depth role. His pNHLe in the NHL Rank King application is a bit down this season, but that should not be discouraging, as his usage and age context matter more than raw translation numbers at this stage. In dynasty formats, this is an ideal speculative buy. A slightly subdued U20WJC showing could allow savvy managers to acquire him at a discount, and Nashville’s patient approach with high-IQ prospects gives Lee a clear path to meaningful opportunity. Getting in early could yield significant return on investment as he continues to climb toward legitimate top six upside.

Sell Candidates

Zachary L’Heureux (LW, 22)

Why Sell?
L’Heureux plays a high-energy, physical style that makes him a fan favorite. He hits, agitates, and can score in tight areas, which has fueled the perception of him as a future impact winger. However, his offensive game has not progressed at the pace Nashville likely hoped. He relies more on effort than creativity, and discipline remains an ongoing concern. While his penalty minutes and physical edge can be attractive in certain fantasy formats, undisciplined play often limits ice time and trust at the NHL level.

From an analytics standpoint, his 2024–25 Evolving Hockey player card paints a clear picture: strong defensive impact but limited offensive contribution. He averages over three hits per game in just over twelve minutes of ice time, providing excellent peripheral coverage, but his playmaking, skating, and offensive processing do not project to consistent top six usage. With Nashville continuing to add more skilled forwards, L’Heureux increasingly looks like a bottom-six energy winger rather than a Tom Wilson–type difference maker. There is still value here, so do not sell him for nothing, but the odds of a true breakout are slim. With his name value remaining relatively high, this is an ideal window to move him before his role fully solidifies and his fantasy ceiling becomes clearer.

Brady Martin (C, 18)

Why Sell?
Martin’s draft stock rose on the back of his physical maturity and flashes of offensive upside. Making the Predators out of camp was certainly a feather in his cap. That said, his early NHL opportunity appears to be driven more by his strong defensive game than by high-end offensive acumen. While he plays a mature, responsible game, he has not consistently shown the pace or creativity typically associated with impact fantasy scorers.

From a fantasy perspective, the projection remains cloudy. His pNHLe via the NHL Rank King application has dipped this season, which more accurately reflects his likely points ceiling rather than his overall usefulness as a player. Martin profiles as someone who could provide solid peripherals (currently only 50th percentile for blocks, shots, and hits in the OHL) and reliable middle-six minutes, but not necessarily the type of scorer who moves the needle in dynasty formats. This sell recommendation is not an indictment of his NHL future, he looks like a safe bet to play meaningful games, but rather a recognition that his upside may be capped. With optimism still high around a recent draftee who cracked an NHL roster early, now is a good window to move him before the perception of breakout potential gives way to a clearer, more modest fantasy role.

Aiden Fink (RW, 21)

Why Sell?
Fink has one of the more entertaining offensive skill sets in the Predators’ system, built around quick edges, deceptive puck handling, and strong playmaking instincts. After dominating the AJHL, he transitioned smoothly to the NCAA and showed that his creativity and vision translate against higher-end competition. He reads defenders well, attacks off movement, and is effective facilitating offense rather than driving it alone. While he missed a significant portion of this season with a broken thumb, he is expected back soon, and a potential pairing with Gavin McKenna could boost his production and visibility down the stretch.

From a fantasy perspective, Fink profiles more as a high-end complementary piece than a true offensive driver at the NHL level. His pNHLe via the NHL Rank King application currently projects to be under 60 points, which suggests meaningful secondary offense rather than star-level production. Because he was not a high draft pick and has developed largely outside the spotlight, his dynasty cost remains affordable, but expectations should be managed. He may need time and the right deployment to carve out a role, likely as a top-six supporting winger with power-play utility. For deeper leagues, he remains a reasonable stash, especially if his production rebounds quickly upon return, but he is better viewed as a value add than a future centerpiece.

Summary

Player	Role	Key Insight
Matthew Wood	Buy	Power winger with size, scoring touch, and top six upside
Yegor Surin	Buy	High-motor, skilled forward with multi-cat potential
Ryker Lee	Buy	Smart, rising prospect with long-term top six potential
Aiden Fink	Sell	Intelligent winger that profiles more as a complementary piece
Zachary L’Heureux	Sell	Physical winger with limited offensive ceiling
Brady Martin	Sell	Safe projection but lacks high-end fantasy upside