<p>One of the young stars in the Music City is going to miss some time.</p>



<p>According to multiple reports, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/nashville-predators/line-combinations">Nashville Predators</a> forward Matthew Wood is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Preds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Preds</a> forward Matthew Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. <br><br>Michael McCarron was also absent from practice as he and his wife await the birth of their second child!</p>— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooksbratten/status/1973436455528894687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>It hasn’t been announced when Wood was hurt or where he is ailing. He has yet to participate in any practices <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2025/10/01/matthew-wood-injury-update-nashville-predators/86365165007/">since the Gold Star Showcase</a>, the Predators’ intrasquad scrimmage, on Sept. 26. It’s not yet known whether Wood will be in the roster on opening night.</p>



<p>Wood signed a <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/nashville-predators-sign-matthew-wood-entry-level-contract">three-year, entry-level contract</a> with Nashville last March, not long after he and the Minnesota Golden Gophers were shockingly eliminated in the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-ncaa-mens-hockey-tournament-new-york-islanders-cole-eiserman-calgary-flames-aydar-suniev-highlight-standouts">opening round of the NCAA Tournament</a>. He ended up playing six games for the Preds to round out the 2024-25 season, posting his first NHL point, an assist, against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/utah-mammoth/line-combinations">Utah Mammoth </a>on April 14.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="166"></div>



<p>Wood is a highly touted prospect for Smashville. The team took him in the first round, 15th overall, of the 2023 NHL Draft. It came after a strong freshman season at the University of Connecticut, where he scored 34 points, earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. After two years with the Huskies, the Lethbridge, Alb. The native took his talents to the Twin Cities, joining an already stacked Golden Gophers team. He went on to set career highs in goals (17), assists (22) and points (39), helping Minnesota earn a share of the Big Ten Regular Season championship.</p>



<p>Along with his impressive college career, Wood has had some considerable experience on the international stage. He played for Canada at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, winning bronze in the latter year. He also represented his country at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="149"></div>
