Last summer Nashville Predators legend Pekka Rinne stood at the podium in front of Bridgestone Arena alongside Roman Josi to announce the 24th pick in the 2023 draft.
Rinne said Tanner but paused for two seconds trying to pronounce Molendyk. In the moment the young defenseman felt he knew it was inevitable & was stoked to know he was joining the Predators once Rinne finished the announcement.
“I didn’t know, I didn’t come in thinking I’d go in the first or second round,” Molendyk said after being picked in an interview with Max Herz. “I came in & knew when I got picked that I would go & give them my best.”
General manager Barry Trotz felt taking forward Matthew Wood & Molendyk in the first round addressed Nashville’s needs, but more importantly, pointed to picking up elite prospects.
“The top players are elite at something. They’re either elite skaters, thinkers, playmakers or scorers,” Trotz said.
Molendyk was exactly that this season back in the Western Hockey League with the Saskatoon Blades putting up 56 points in 50 games. He was also part of the leadership group being an assistant captain.
“It’s one of the tightest groups I’ve ever seen. It made us want to play for each other more,” Molendyk said. “We did a lot of activities away from the rink as well.”
Despite breaking his left wrist the defenseman felt he had a good season, coming back from injury midseason wasn’t easy as he relied on his confidence to carry him back to feeling 100%.
As a member of the leadership group, Molendyk was part of how the team schedule was laid out & what preparation looked like on gameday to a certain extent.
He praised how much the Blades coaching staff meant to him as he’s developed into the player he is today.
“They’re really honest, they kind of let you know how to work on some things and how you can do it,” Molendyk said.
One thing the two-way defender has offered during his time in the WHL is the ability to be an elusive skater with impeccable speed.
The goal starts AND ends with Tanner Molendyk!@PredsNHL pic.twitter.com/6MLFCkaKfr
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) April 28, 2024
“It was taught to me by my family. Being at the rink twice a day because it was a small town where not a lot of people played hockey,” Molendyk said. “It was usually me and my dad buzzing around the rink all the time, that was what helped.”
Once Molendyk reached the Bantam level, he started to find his feet & up-ice play.
“You see all those new guys moving the pucks up fast & you see them fly up the ice past everyone,” Molendyk said. “I think that’s my game, I think I fit right in there.”
Before the 19-year-old returns to Nashville for rookie & training camp he hopes to add some size. As a 6-foot-tall defenseman, he tends to be the affected skater in various physical situations, now he wants to flip the script.
“Being able to push guys around and not get pushed around as much,” Molendyk said.
Molendyk watched the Predators play in the first round of the playoffs & noticed the skills of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. At the next level, Molendyk hopes to add his twist to a style of play similar to Hughes.
“I feel like the way he moves and moves the puck is next-level, he’s evasive and gets out of the way of hits,” Molendyk said.
Mental preparation is another major thing Molendyk emphasizes as hockey continues to evolve at all levels. He’s noticed dips in his game when he doesn’t feel confident and has his way of getting back to what he expects of himself.
“People are realizing if you don’t have the confidence then you aren’t half the player,” Molendyk said. “For me, it’s about going back to see clips where I did things well. I built off breaking my left wrist & went from there.”
Molendyk has carried this demeanor through all levels of play. It’s something he was able to utilize at his first training camp last summer in Nashville. He was sent back to the Blades four days into camp but walked away feeling good about the impression he made on the coaching staff.
“I didn’t expect to make Nashville as an 18-year-old but I wanted to go in and make a real impression & I thought I did a good job of that,” Molendyk said. “I thought my pro game was good, it was mature and I came in with an open mind. I spent a lot of time with Josi, McDonagh, Lauzon & Carrier. It was an eye-opener to see how they work.”
Moving forward he’s excited about what the Predators have in store for the future.
Molendyk understands he’s part of the plan, Nashville signed him before the Future Stars scrimmage last July.
“I’m pretty proud, I put in a lot of work & I want to be that guy that can be trusted in the next few years–whether it’s two or one–I want to be a guy that can not turn it around but really help out,” Molendyk said.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Top photo courtesy of Nashville Predators
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