Another Predators Prospect Involved in Massive Junior Hockey Trade

On Tuesday, the Kingston Frontenacs announced that they had acquired Nashville Predators prospect Joey Willis from the Saginaw Spirit in exchange for forward Ethan Weir, a 2026 second-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2025 third-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, a 2028 fourth-round pick, a 2027 fifth-round pick, and a 2028 seventh-round pick.

Willis, 19, recently won a Gold Medal with fellow Predators prospect Teddy Stiga and Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championships, recording two assists in two games across 9:45 of total ice time.

The Elmhurst, Ill., native ends his Spirit career with a total of 46 goals, 82 assists, and 128 points in 160 regular season games, including a five-goal performance against the Flint Firebirds on Nov. 13.

Willis now joins a Frontenacs team loaded with NHL talent, including himself, Tampa Bay's Ethan Hay, Columbus's Nolan Lalonde, St. Louis's Quinton Burns, Pittsburgh's Emil Pieniniemi, Buffalo's Ethan Miedema, Vegas's Tuomas Uronen, and Calgary's Jacob Battaglia.

At the time of this writing, Willis's new club is second in the OHL East Division, behind none other than the Oshawa Generals, who recently traded for fellow Predators prospect Andrew Gibson.

By trading Willis, Saginaw, second in the West Division with a 19-17-1 record, appears to be waving the white flag on the 2024-25 season.

To win the J. Ross Robertson Cup and beyond, Willis and Gibson will have to go through one another.

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