Although concerns over skating had Wood pegged for AHL minutes in 2025-26, he has only played in five games for the Admirals because he has been playing regularly for the Predators to the tune of 27 points in 63 NHL games. What is more remarkable than his ability to overcome his skating limitations is that Wood is tied for the fifth highest plus/minus on the Predators as of this writing. He is displaying that he can use his smarts and hands to keep up with NHL competition and looks primed to become a top six forward for Nashville in 2026-27.

September 2025 – Wood suited up for six games to end the season with Nashville. Playing fourth-line minutes gave him a chance to experience NHL pace and play firsthand. Wood is the crown jewel of a Nashville prospect system that is in an awkward spot. The Predators appear determined to compete, and although the disastrous 2024-25 season was worse than the team deserved, it is hard to envision them as anything more than a wildcard team; a change in attitude from the top brass seems unlikely. That puts Wood in a difficult position, as he likely will not get a favorable deployment in the NHL unless he proves he can handle it. Wood will likely spend time in the AHL and, depending on how the season unfolds, could get called up toward the end. He is a near-complete player with both skill and frame, but his Achilles heel remains his skating. If Wood can improve his skating to an NHL standard, he has the potential to become a dominant top-line player for the Predators for many years. –

The Nashville Predators signed Wood to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season.

GM Barry Trotz clearly communicated to his amateur scouting staff for the 2023 draft: swing for the fences. Indeed, they did with Matthew Wood. He is a highly skilled shooter and scorer with solid playmaking tendencies but flawed skating mechanics and questionable tenacity. He had made noticeable improvements to his skating by the U-18 tournament, so there is still hope he can become an NHL average skater to pair with his other high-end skills. This was backed up by 13 points in seven games at the U-18s, good for second on the team behind phenom Macklin Celebrini. Nashville will likely send him back to UConn for his second season, and they likely plan on giving him as much time as needed to develop. If all breaks right, we could see a point-per-game player with a spot on 1PP when Nashville is ready to contend.

Wood has been selected 15th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft.