New Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz said he polled his leadership group about the direction the team would head this season. Overwhelmingly, he said, the players preferred to go with the youth that began to prove its mettle during the second half of last season with an improbable playoff push that fell just short.

Trotz signed some veteran free agents and proven winners — see Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Schenn — to complement Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons. Together, they will mentor the younger players in an effort to land the proper blend of experience and talent.

That said, here are four young Predators to watch this season, some of whom will start the season in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals:

Luke Evangelista

Age: 21

Position: Forward

Last season: The 2020 second-round pick (No. 42 overall) had seven goals and eight assists in 24 games. Provided some much-needed moxie when he memorably laid out Evgeni Malkin in his first game. Scored 15 points in 16 playoff games for Milwaukee after the Predators' season ended.

Outlook: Don't be surprised if Evangelista sees top-line minutes and hits the 50-point mark in his first full NHL season.

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Cody Glass

Age: 24

Position: Forward

Last season: The sixth overall pick in 2017 had 14 goals, 21 assists in 72 games.

Outlook: He's entering his fifth NHL season, but he proved a lot last year during his first full season with the Predators. Twenty goals and 30 assists seem like reachable marks.

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Yaroslav Askarov

Age: 21

Position: Goalie

Last season: Played one NHL game. For Milwaukee Admirals, went 26-16-5, 2.69 goals-against average, .911 save percentage.

Outlook: Barring an injury to Juuse Saros or Kevin Lankinen, Askarov likely won't spend much time in the NHL. That doesn't mean the franchise's top-ranked prospect isn't worth keeping an eye on.

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Joakim Kemell

Age: 19

Position: Forward

Last season: Had six goals, seven assists in 14 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Outlook: The first-round pick in 2022 showed big during training camp with the big club. He'll see his fair share of time in Milwaukee but could be in Nashville before you know it.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Luke Evangelista among 4 young Nashville Predators to track in 2023-24