OHL In The System: Nashville Predators
The latest instalment of OHL In The System takes a closer look at the Nashville Predators.
This 32-part series spotlights OHL players who are either signed to an NHL or AHL contract or are recently drafted, and are 25 years old or younger with 50 or fewer NHL games played.
Join us for OHL In The System!
Andrew Gibson (D) – Soo Greyhounds (2021-24)
Acquired: June 25, 2024
OHL Career Stats: 119 Games Played | 19 Goals | 46 Assists | 65 Points
Age: 19
Originally selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Andrew Gibson was acquired by the Nashville Predators on June 25, 2024.The 19-year-old blueliner established OHL career highs in games played (68), goals (12), assists (32) and points (44) with the Soo Greyhounds in 2023-24, helping his team reach the second round of the postseason. Gibson led the Greyhounds and was seventh among all OHL defensemen in plus-minus (+36); he also was second among team blueliners in goals and assists and was third in points. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound native of Windsor, Ont., added two assists in 11 playoff games and recorded nine multi-point contests during the regular season. Gibson has recorded 65 points in 119 career OHL games since debuting in 2021-22. Internationally, the defenseman earned a bronze medal with Canada at the 2023 U-18 World Championship, where he posted three assists in seven appearances.
Joey Willis (C) – Saginaw Spirit (2022-24)
Selected: 111th overall, 2023 NHL Draft
OHL Career Stats: 134 Games Played | 29 Goals | 65 Assists | 94 Points
Age: 19
Selected in the fourth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection by the Saginaw Spirit, Joey Willis played two seasons with the club, tallying 94 points over 134 regular season games played. The Elmhurst, IL. native added 17 points in 28 post-season contests. The 19-year-old forward hoisted the Memorial Cup as a CHL champion with the Spirit this past season. Willis was selected in the fourth round, 111th overall by the Nashville Predators at the 2023 NHL Draft.
Nolan Burke (C) – Sarnia Sting (2018-23)
Signed: November 14, 2022
OHL Career Stats: 177 Games Played | 90 Goals | 64 Assists | 154 Points
Age: 21
After going undrafted, Nashville signed Nolan Burke to a three-year entry-level contract on November 14, 2022. Selected by the Sarnia Sting in the fourth round of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Burke played four seasons in the OHL, tallying 154 points over 177 games played. The Peterborough, Ont. native helped Sarnia reach the Western Conference Finals in 2023, where he recorded 16 points in 15 playoff contests. The 21-year-old forward spent the 2023-24 season with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators where he registered 15 points in 47 games played. Burke appeared in one AHL game with the Admirals.
Navrin Mutter (LW) – Hamilton Bulldogs (2017-22), Kitchener Rangers (2021-22)
Signed: March 9, 2022
OHL Career Stats: 119 Games Played | 27 Goals | 31 Assists | 58 Points
Age: 23
Navrin Mutter signed a three-year entry-level contract with Nashville as a free-agent on March 9, 2022 after a successful four-year OHL tenure. Selected by the Hamilton Bulldogs in the fifth round of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, the 23-year-old forward tallied 58 points in 119 regular season games played between the Bulldogs and the Kitchener Rangers, along with three points in 14 playoff matchups. Mutter hoisted the J. Ross Robertson Cup as an OHL champion with the Bulldogs during the 22017-18 season. The Lucan, Ont. native has appeared in 79 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals over the past two seasons, recording 14 points. He spent majority of the 2023-24 season with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, registering 11 points in 33 games.
Jack Matier (D) – Ottawa 67’s (2019-23)
Signed: October 11, 2021
OHL Career Stats: 180 Games Played | 22 Goals | 65 Assists | 87 Points
Age: 21
Chosen by the Predators in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Jack Matier signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club on October 11, 2021. He spent the majority of the 2023-24 season with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, tallying 17 points in 52 games played. The 21-year-old blueliner appeared in 16 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, registering two assists. Selected by the Ottawa 67’s in the first round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Matier played three seasons with the club, recording 87 points over 180 regular season contests. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2021 U18 IIHF World Junior Championships along with another gold at the 2023 U20 tournament.
Tuesday’s edition of In The System, features the Toronto Maple Leafs organization!