Wood scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes.
Wood has two goals over his last five games. He saw a move into the top six in November, but he's back in a smaller role now, which will limit his effectiveness. For the season, the 20-year-old winger has eight goals, 12 points, 41 shots on net, 15 hits and a minus-4 rating over 21 outings.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Lights lamp in win
Rotowire
Wood scored a goal and blocked two shots in Friday's 4-3 win over the Blackhawks.
Wood tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period. The 20-year-old entered the contest on a five-game point drought after his Nov. 10 hat trick versus the Rangers. He was on the second line Friday but still saw just 12:00 of ice time, so he may remain prone to shaky scoring at times. On the year, the rookie winger has seven goals, four helpers, 34 shots on net and a minus-3 rating through 17 appearances.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Hat trick goes to waste Monday
Rotowire
Wood scored three goals, two on the power play, in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Rangers.
The hat trick was the first of Wood's career in his 17th game, and the power-play tallies were also his first in the NHL. The 15th overall pick in the 2023 Draft is on fire right now for a Predators team that needs all the help it can get, piling up six goals and nine points over the last seven games. Wood's 17:09 of ice time Monday was a career high, as he begins to entrench himself in a key role up front.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Tallies first NHL goal
Rotowire
Wood scored a goal on four shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Flyers.
Wood has collected two points over five appearances since his Oct. 23 recall from AHL Milwaukee. His goal Thursday was the first of his NHL career. The 20-year-old winger was limited by a lower-body injury late in training camp, but he's looking like he belongs in the NHL now, at least as a bottom-six forward. He may not generate a ton of offense, as the Predators have had trouble scoring. In addition to his two points, Wood has 11 shots on net, five hits and a plus-1 rating so far.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Recalled by Nashville
Rotowire
Wood was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Thursday.
Wood dealt with a lower-body injury during training camp and was sent to the minors once he returned to full health. He made two appearances with the Admirals after being sent down, recording a goal and a minus-1 rating. He'll provide additional depth for the Predators while Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) manages an injury, but it's not yet clear whether Wood will suit up Thursday against the Canucks.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: On injured reserve
Rotowire
Wood (lower body) was put on injured reserve Saturday, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Wood is considered week-to-week, and he might be on the shelf for a while. When he is healthy, Wood could be a candidate to go to AHL Milwaukee. He had 17 goals and 39 points in 39 appearances with the University of Minnesota last campaign before earning an assist in six regular-season outings with Nashville in 2024-25.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Is week-to-week
Rotowire
Wood (lower body) is regarded as week-to-week, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports Wednesday.
Wood would have probably started the season with AHL Milwaukee, but he might instead begin on the non-roster injured list. The 20-year-old had 17 goals and 39 points across 39 outings with the University of Minnesota as well as an assist in six appearances with Nashville in 2024-25.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Not in lineup Saturday
Rotowire
Wood (undisclosed) will not play Saturday versus Tampa Bay in preseason action, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
Wood is still being evaluated after getting hurt in Thursday's scrimmage and was unable to practice Friday. He likely won't play in Sunday's preseason contest against Carolina, either, per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The highly-regarded prospect was selected 15th overall in 2023 and made his NHL debut last campaign at the tender age of 19, and he picked up one assist in six regular-season games.
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Predators' Matthew Wood: Getting it done offensively
Rotowire
Wood has 10 goals and 29 points in 29 NCAA appearances this season, making him one of the University of Minnesota's top scorers.
The only teammates ahead of Wood in points are Connor Kurth (31) and Jimmy Snuggerud (41). It's a different situation for Wood, who led the offense with the University of Connecticut in 2022-23 (34 points in 35 appearances) and 2023-24 (28 in 35) before joining Minnesota for his junior season. However, unlike Kurth and Snuggerud, Wood also has a size advantage at 6-foot-4. Nashville selected Wood with the No. 15 overall pick, and the 20-year-old might develop into a valuable middle-six forward for the Predators.
