The 2025-26 season is over for the Milwaukee Admirals after they lost their best-of-three first-round AHL playoff series against the Manitoba Moose.
So it’s on to next season.
Here’s a look at what we know and what we don’t know about what could happen before the puck drops again in October.
Key veterans will be back
Defenseman Kevin Gravel signed a two-year AHL contract late in the season, meaning the Admirals captain is in position to be back for his fifth and sixth seasons. Forward Kyle Marino did as well. So there’s a welcome shot of heart, toughness and leadership.
Leading scorer Jake Lucchini signed a one-year, two-way extension, so we know he’ll at least be back within the Nashville Predators organization in 2026-27, wherever that is or however his time may be split.
Forward Daniel Carr has another year on his contract. He started strong, went cold mid-January and then saw his season end early due to injury after 49 games but still finished fifth on the team in scoring with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists.
The goaltending arrangement changes
No. 1 goaltender Matt Murray has one year left on his contract. He had a .904 save percentage and 2.83 goals-against average in the regular season, both worse than the previous season when he led the league in save percentage (.932) and was fourth in GAA (2.07) on a team that just missed reaching the finals.
The Admirals will be in need of a backup, with Magnus Chrona, who played in 25 games, having signed a contract to play in Sweden.
Assuming the competition stays in house, that leaves Ethan Haider and T.J. Semptimphelter, who have split time with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. Haider played one game when called up by the Admirals and allowed one goal in a victory; Semptimphelter gave up six in two starts.
It’ll be a big year for sophomores
The Admirals played with as many as 10 rookies on the roster at times in 2025-26, so one key to success will be for those young players to take a step forward and avoid sophomore slumps.
Right wing Cole O’Hara, who joined the Admirals late in ’24-25 when he finished at UMass, had an impressive first year as a pro with 44 points on 19 goals and 25 assists and also got a one-game taste of the NHL.
Feisty center Oasiz Weisblatt emerged as a fan favorite. One of his roommates, touted defenseman Tanner Molendyk, was impressive in Predators training camp and showed flashes in the AHL but understands he’s a work in progress.
Additionally, it’ll be interesting to see how Joey Willis, Kalan Lind, David Edstrom, Austin Roest, Andrew Gibson and Dalton Bancroft put to use what they learned the first go-round.
Change is coming up top
The Predators have yet to hire a general manager to replace retiring Barry Trotz. A decision could have implications down on the farm.
Does the new guy retain Scott Nichol, who has been Nashville’s assistant GM and the Admirals GM? Does he have different ideas that could change the roster significantly or change the coaching staff?
Draft and free agency may change everything
One certainty in the AHL is that overall there is no certainty.
Free agency could play a huge role in shaping the roster, and with the league’s emphasis on development players – a team must dress 12 skaters with no more than 260 pro games and another with no more than 320 – means frequent shuffling of the deck with veterans.
The most prominent free agent on the Admirals roster in 2025-26 is defenseman Jordan Oesterle, who carried Milwaukee into the playoffs and finished second on the team in scoring (14 goals, 32 assists, 46 points) behind Lucchini.
As for the draft, don’t count on too much too soon.
Rookies such as Molendyk, Lind, Willis and Roest all were picked in 2023.
That said, Brady Martin, the No. 5 pick last June, played two games for the Predators before being sent back to his junior team because he was too young for the AHL. Martin, now 19, joined the Admirals once his season was complete. So the question becomes whether he or a ’26 pick might be able to stick in Nashville when camp breaks in the fall.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Early look at the 2026-27 Milwaukee Admirals after AHL playoff exit
Reporting by Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
