Yakov Trenin – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Washington powers on with Ovechkin, Chicago looks for change – Teams and players to target this week

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:07:18 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 30: Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) scores a goal during a NHL game between the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on November 30, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Washington had an incredible 13-4-1 record through Nov. 18 thanks in large part to its league-leading 4.33 goals per game. However, that offensive success was built around Alex Ovechkin, who had 15 goals and 25 points through 18 appearances, so when he suffered a fractured left fibula, it was reasonable to wonder how much his absence would impact the Capitals. Going into Friday’s action, Washington seemed to largely be managing the injury well, posting a 4-2-1 record in its first seven games without Ovechkin.

The Capitals offense has certainly taken a hit, but they’ve still managed an impressive 3.43 goals per game since Ovechkin was sidelined. Tom Wilson (three goals, six points), Dylan Strome (two goals, six points) and Connor McMichael (two goals, five points) have been of particular importance over that seven-game stretch.

However, none of those forwards are actually the Capitals’ scoring leader over the stretch without Ovechkin. That honor belongs to Jakob Chychrun, who has three goals and seven points across his past seven outings. Chychrun, who was acquired from Ottawa over the summer, has been a fantastic addition, collecting eight goals and 15 points through 20 appearances. Keep in mind, though, that his 19.0 shooting percentage is far ahead of his career average of 7.2, so we’ll probably eventually see a drop off.

Still, this stretch has shown that Washington is a team with some decent depth and might prove to be a serious contender come playoff time.

One team that almost certainly won’t be playing come the postseason is Chicago. There’s still plenty of hockey left, of course, but with an 8-16-2 record, the Blackhawks seem set to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

Connor Bedard has been fine with five goals and 19 points in 26 outings, but for a player who has as much promise as him, even more is hoped for. Still, it would help if he had more support. Ryan Donato is the only other Chicago player with at least 15 points (10 goals, five assists). To put that into context, 160 players at reached the 15-point mark through Thursday’s action, so an average team should have five players who have reached that milestone.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek has been alright, but he’s not getting much support on offense or defense, which has left him with a 7-11-1 record, 2.86 GAA and .905 save percentage across 19 outings. Chicago fired head coach Luke Richardson after Chicago suffered its fourth straight loss Wednesday and appointed Anders Sorensen as the interim bench boss. Richardson finished his Blackhawks tenure with a 57-118-15 record, so by that measure his departure isn’t surprising, but given that Chicago has been in the midst of a rebuild, it’s hard to be too critical of him.

Still, perhaps Sorensen, who spent the previous seven campaigns coaching for AHL Rockford, including three years as the head coach going into 2024-25, can help accelerate the rebuild somewhat by guiding the team’s young players. He already has familiarity with many of the club’s prospects thanks to his previous role. A fresh perspective might also be good for Bedard, who is naturally critical to Chicago’s long-term goals.

It will be a while before we know if the change to Sorensen was the right move, and success, at least in the short term, won’t necessarily be measured in wins and losses, but the Blackhawks will be an interesting team to monitor.

Buffalo Sabres (Mon vs DET, Wed vs NYR, Sat @ WAS, Sun @ TOR)

The Sabres have hit a rough patch, dropping their last five games to fall to 11-12-3 on the campaign. To be fair, most of those games were against tough opponents (Minnesota, Vancouver, Colorado and Winnipeg handed out four of the five defeats), but Buffalo has more difficult matchups on the horizon. The Sabres will host the Red Wings and the Rangers on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, before taking to the road to face Washington on Saturday and Toronto on Sunday.

Rasmus Dahlin left Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Colorado because of back spasms and missed Thursday’s 3-2 overtime defeat to the Jets because of the issue. Coach Lindy Ruff described the situation like this via Buffalo’s Twitter account, “It should be short-term, but you never know.” In other words, Dahlin might be fine to play in all four of next week’s games.

He’s a vital part of the Sabres’ blue line, so no one defenseman can fill in for him when he’s not available. That said, Henri Jokiharju should see an increase in even-strength ice time -- Jokiharju logged 20:23 of ice time Thursday, his most since Oct. 16 -- and Owen Power should serve on the first power play unit for however long Dahlin’s out.

Jokiharju doesn’t have much fantasy value regardless, but Power has three goals and 15 points in 26 appearances in 2024-25 despite recording no points with the man advantage, so if he’s given an opportunity to play on the top power-play unit for any extended stretch, that’d be rather interesting.

Regardless of which defensemen dress, Buffalo needs them to help make life easier on the goaltenders. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could certainly have done more recently -- he posted a record of 0-2-2 with a 3.20 GAA and an .895 save percentage across his past four starts -- but he also faced at least 30 shots in three of those four games, including 41 shots in Tuesday’s tilt.

James Reimer has been used sparingly, posting a 1-1-0 record, 2.05 GAA and .923 save percentage in two starts since being claimed by Buffalo off waivers Nov. 13, but the Sabres’ busy schedule means that he should play in at least one game next week.

Carolina Hurricanes ( Tue vs SJS, Fri vs OTT, Sun vs CBJ)

The Hurricanes are playing in just three games next week, but I still wanted to feature them because those matchups are favorable. All three of the matches will be in Carolina. The Hurricanes will host San Jose on Tuesday, Ottawa on Friday and Columbus on Sunday.

None of those opponents are good defensively -- Ottawa ranks 25th in goals allowed per game (3.20), which is the best of the three -- so this should be a good stretch for the Blue Jackets’ scorers. Perhaps Martin Necas can build some breathing room in the Art Ross Trophy fight. At the time of writing, he’s in first place with 41 points (14 goals), narrowly edging out Nathan MacKinnon (40 points), Kirill Kaprizov (39), Jack Eichel (38) and Sam Reinhart (37).

Necas was held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games from Nov. 29-30 for the first time this season, but he’s responded by scoring two goals and four points across his past two outings.

One lower profile Hurricanes who’s hot is Eric Robinson. The 29-year-old has never recorded more than 27 points in a single season, but he’s well on his way to shattering that record after recording eight goals and 17 points across 26 appearances. Exercise some caution here: His shooting percentage is an unreasonably high 25.0, and he’s still averaging just 12:15 of ice time with no power-play role, so it’s hard to imagine him keeping up this pace. Still, he’s hot at the moment with three goals and four points across his past five appearances, and when coupled with the Blue Jackets’ upcoming scheduled, there’s reason to hope that the good times aren’t over yet.

We should also see continued production out of defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. He’s fitting in nicely with Carolina, scoring five goals and 21 points in 26 outings, including a goal and seven points over his past six games. Gostisbehere’s success is largely tethered to the power play, which accounts for 15 of his points.

His presence has corresponded with Brent Burns shifting to the second power-play unit this year, which has led to Burns recording no points with the man advantage so far in 2024-25. Burns has a goal and seven points in 26 outings overall, which puts him on track to finish below the 40-point mark for just the second time in 12 seasons (the last time was the shortened 2020-21 campaign).

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs PHI, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs ANA, Sun @ CAR)

The Blue Jackets are 11-11-3, which isn’t great, but they have done better than many projected going into the campaign. Columbus will see if it can maintain that level next week when it hosts Philadelphia, Washington and Anaheim on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Blue Jackets will then travel to Carolina for a game Sunday.

Kirill Marchenko has played a big role in Columbus’ better than expected results. The 24-year-old has 10 goals and 24 points in 25 games this season, putting him well on his way to shattering his mark of 42 points in 2023-24. You’ll usually see him sharing the ice with Sean Monahan, who has fit in nicely with Columbus, providing eight goals and 22 points through 25 appearances.

For the last few weeks, Dmitri Voronkov has typically been the third member of that line. He missed the start of the campaign with an upper-body injury and registered just one point (a goal) across his first six games of 2024-25, but the 24-year-old sophomore has hit his stride, supplying five goals and 10 points over his past 10 outings. He’s still on just 17 percent of Yahoo rosters, so he might be a nice pickup if he’s still available in your league.

On the blue line, Zach Werenski has been a standout performer for the Blue Jackets with eight goals and 27 points through 25 appearances. He’s one of the hottest defensemen in the entire league, recording five goals and 17 points across his past 10 outings.

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs UTA, Thu vs EDM, Sat vs PHI, Sun vs VGK)

The Wild have won their past four games to improve to 17-4-4. Minnesota will try to keep the good times rolling next week, which will begin with a road game against Utah on Tuesday. After that match, Minnesota will spend the rest of the week at home, playing against Edmonton, Philadelphia and Vegas on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Joel Eriksson Ek sustained an injury Tuesday and is week-to-week, and there’s no indication that Mats Zuccarello is close to returning from the lower-body issue that’s kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 14.

If Zuccarello were healthy, he’d almost certainly be playing alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi. His absence led to the lines being shaken up, and Eriksson Ek did skate on the top line with Kaprizov on Tuesday before he got hurt. With Zuccarello and Eriksson Ek both out, Matt Boldy will likely play regularly alongside Kaprizov and Rossi. Boldy has 11 goals and 24 points in 25 appearances, so that’s a strong trio. The forward corps after that, though, looks thin due to the injuries.

Marcus Johansson, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno currently comprise the second line, but none of them have even reached double digits in points. The third unit is Devin Shore, Frederick Gaudreau and Yakov Trenin, which has a combined 15 points this season -- 14 of them from Gaudreau.

Fortunately for the Wild, Filip Gustavsson hasn’t needed much offensive help this year. He’s 12-4-3 with a 2.04 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 19 appearances.

New York Islanders (Tue vs LAK, Thu vs CHI, Sun @ CHI)

The Islanders have three games on the schedule, but two of them are against the lowly Blackhawks -- New York will host them Thursday and play in Chicago on Sunday -- so the Islanders are in a good position there. New York will also host the Kings on Tuesday.

We just discussed how Minnesota’s offense looks thin due to injuries, and the Islanders are in a similar boat without Anthony Duclair (lower body) and Mathew Barzal (upper body), who have logged just five and 10 games, respective. Due to their absences, the Islanders have just two players with at least 20 points, and even then, just barely -- Anders Lee has 21 while Kyle Palmieri has 20. The result is no Islanders player is within the top 50 of the Art Ross Trophy race.

Andrew Gross of Newsday reported Friday that Duclair and Barzal are skating on their own, which is better than not skating at all, but there are several steps between that and playing, so I wouldn’t count on them returning during the upcoming week.

Lee has been one of the few recent bright spots, providing four goals and eight points across his past six games. He’s on a four-game scoring streak through Thursday’s action. Simon Holmstrom appears to have cooled, though. He had back-to-back multi-goal games from Nov. 29-30, but he hasn’t found the back of the net since. Holmstrom has done fine with seven goals and 15 points in 27 outings, but he’s not worth employing in most fantasy leagues except when he’s hot.

New York Rangers (Mon vs CHI, Wed @ BUF, Sat vs LAK, Sun @ STL)

New York is set to host Chicago on Monday, play in Buffalo on Wednesday, have a home game against the Kings on Saturday and conclude the week by playing in St. Louis on Sunday. Let’s not dwell on the schedule, though, the Rangers had an eventful Friday, and I want to dive right into it.

New York traded Jacob Trouba to Anaheim in exchange for a fourth-round pick and Urho Vaakanainen. Importantly, the Rangers didn’t retain any salary, so Trouba’s $8 million cap hit through 2025-26 is now off their books. New York then signed Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million contract that will begin in 2025-26 after his current four-year, $22.67 million deal expires.

Let’s start with the defensive changes. Trouba had a fantastic eight goals and 50 points in 82 games with Winnipeg in 2018-19 and was then dealt to the Rangers in the summer of 2019 in exchange for a 2019 first-round selection (Ville Heinola) and Neal Pionk. The Rangers promptly signed Trouba to his current eight-year, $56 million contract.

Unfortunately for New York, the Rangers inked Trouba at the height of his offensive contributions. Over his five campaigns with the Rangers going into 2024-25, Trouba reached the 30-point mark twice, but never hit 40. To be fair, Trouba is a big body, plays a physical game and blocks a ton of shots, so he brings things to the table outside of offense. He also served as the team captain from 2022 until he was traded, highlighting his importance in the locker room. Still, his cap hit was too high for what he brought.

It's telling that the Rangers got very little in return for him, and even with that, some questioned if they won this trade simply by virtue of clearing that cap space. But what did they receive outside of that draft pick? Vaakanainen was taken with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, but he never developed as hoped. Instead, he should be regarded as a depth defenseman who will likely bounce between the third pairing and the press box. He is also on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury, so it might be a bit before he makes his Rangers debut.

Rather than Vaakanainen playing regularly, we might see the Rangers utilize Victor Mancini more with Trouba out. The 22-year-old Mancini has a goal, four points, seven hits and 12 blocks in 10 appearances with New York in 2024-25, and he’s also provided two goals and five points in six AHL outings. Don’t get too excited over Mancini’s offensive numbers, though. He wasn’t much of a producer in the NCAA, recording just four goals and 10 points across 40 outings with the University of Nebraska-Omaha as a Junior in 2023-24.

As for locking up Shesterkin, the cap hit is substantial, but not surprising. He’s proven himself to be a top-tier goaltender, and we’re in a period where the cap seems to be steadily climbing, so there’s logic behind the number. Shesterkin has struggled recently with a 2-7-0 record, 3.93 GAA and .882 save percentage across nine appearances, but he should rebound.

St. Louis Blues (Tue @ VAN, Thu vs SJS, Sat @ DAL, Sun vs NYR)

St. Louis has won four of its past five games, improving to 13-12-2 this season. That still puts the Blues outside of a playoff spot, but at least they’re trending in the right direction. The Blues will play in Vancouver on Tuesday, host the Sharks on Thursday, visit Dallas on Saturday and play at home Sunday versus the Rangers.

Dylan Holloway has been a major part of the Blues’ recent success, contributing four goals and eight points across his past five outings. That brings him up to eight goals and 16 points in 27 appearances this year, but he’s been inconsistent, so enjoy the good times while they last, but be prepared for the other shoe to eventually drop if you grab the 23-year-old during his hot streak.

Jordan Binnington is another extremely inconsistent play, but he has been more hit than miss lately, providing a 4-2-1 record, 2.10 GAA and .925 save percentage across his past seven appearances. He’s 8-9-2 with a 2.87 GAA and .900 save percentage in 20 outings overall and will probably average out as a low-to-mid tier starter this season.

Robert Thomas might still have a great campaign, though. He did miss 12 games from Oct. 24-Nov. 17 because of a fractured ankle, but with that injury now well behind him, Thomas seems to be heating up, providing three goals and six points across his past four games. This might just be the beginning of a longer hot streak for Thomas, who set a career high in 2023-24 with 86 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue @ NJD, Thu vs ANA, Sat @ DET, Sun vs BUF)

Toronto is having a fantastic campaign with a 16-7-2 record, and the Maple Leafs have won seven of their past eight games. They’ll look to maintain that momentum next week, starting with a road contest against New Jersey. The Maple Leafs will then host Anaheim on Thursday, play in Detroit on Saturday and return home to play against the Sabres on Sunday.

Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies returned from injury Nov. 30, adding to Toronto’s success. Matthews has been especially good since returning, supplying three goals and five points across three appearances, bringing him up to eight goals and 16 points through 16 outings. Matthews tends to score goals in bunches, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue to tickle the twine over the upcoming week.

Max Domi (lower body) and Max Pacioretty (lower body) have also been skating with the Maple Leafs recently, so they might be nearing a return too. Once they do, we might see Nicholas Robertson fall out of the lineup. Robertson has been the main disappointment in what has otherwise been a great campaign for Toronto. He has just two points (both goals) in 22 outings in 2024-25. Robertson did find the back of the net Nov. 30, but he was held off the scoresheet in two games since, so that marker didn’t seem to help spark him.

In net, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz will probably each start in two games next week. Stolarz is 8-4-2 with a 2.23 GAA and .924 save percentage in 14 outings, while Woll is 7-2-0 with a 2.11 GAA and a .922 save percentage in nine appearances, so the Maple Leafs can happily treat them as a 1A-1B tandem.

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 27 to December 3rd – Teams with favourable schedules and who to target

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:41:13 +0000

With a 4-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday, Minnesota has now lost its last seven straight contests to drop to 5-10-4. That puts them 30th in the NHL in terms of points, ahead of just Chicago and San Jose.

At the heart of Minnesota’s issues is its goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury has a 3-4-2 record, 3.46 GAA and .875 save percentage through nine outings while Filip Gustavsson is 2-6-2 with a 3.94 GAA and an .881 save percentage in 11 starts. Going into Sunday’s action, the Wild ranked eighth in expected goals against with 57.31, which suggests the defense has been solid, but the goalies have wasted the effort.

To be fair to Fleury and Gustavsson though, the Wild have also struggled to score and currently sit in a three-way tie for 20th offensively with 2.95 goals per game. Mats Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are a solid enough trio, supplying 21, 18 and 17 points respectively through 19 games, but after them, the Wild’s next best players are Ryan Hartman and Marco Rossi, who each have 11 points. In other words, they could use more secondary scoring.

These are issues that have been tough for Minnesota to address. Buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in July of 2021 might have helped the Wild out in the short term, but they’re paying for it now. The team has $14.7 million in dead space this year and they’ll have the same penalty next season as well. After that, the bulk of the cap burden will go away, but in the meantime, GM Bill Guerin is assembling this team with a hand behind his back. It’s unfortunate because it’s squandering the prime years of Kaprizov, who is also only under contract through 2026, but that’s the reality.

Maybe it’s too early to write Minnesota off, though. Fleury has defied expectations before, so maybe the 38-year-old has one more comeback in him. Maybe Gustavsson will bounce back too, given how much better he was than this in 2022-23. It’s a long shot given how deep the Wild’s hole is at this point, but it’s also their best hope.

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 11: Look on Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadiens game on November 11, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Boston Bruins

Boston is experiencing its first downswing of the season, though it’s only been a mild one. The Bruins have lost two straight contests and three of their last four games, bringing their record to 14-3-3.

Boston will attempt to end the slump during a busy week, featuring games in Columbus on Monday, against the Sharks on Thursday, in Toronto on Saturday and versus the Blue Jackets on Sunday. Two contests against the lowly Blue Jackets, not to mention the league-worst Sharks, make the upcoming stretch a great opportunity for the Bruins to enter a new winning streak.

Keep an eye on Charlie Coyle, particularly during this stretch. He’s riding a five-game scoring streak in which he’s collected four goals and seven points. With nine markers and 19 points in 20 outings this campaign, Coyle’s well on his way to shattering his career highs of 21 goals and 56 points. Take some caution with him though: His 23.1 shooting percentage is a big red flag. Given the nature of the upcoming competition, I don’t expect him to slow down yet, but if you have Coyle on your fantasy squad, you might want to think about attempting to sell high in a week or two.

If your team happens to include either Bruins goaltender -- Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman -- don't worry yet. Sure, Swayman has allowed nine goals on 75 shots (.880 save percentage) over his last two starts while Ullmark was on the wrong end of a 7-4 loss to the Rangers on Saturday, but those struggles are an anomaly is what has been a generally strong campaign for both of them. The Bruins were also facing some of the league’s top offenses recently, which won’t be the case in three of their four contests this week.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are another team that needs to rebound after a bit of a skid. They have a two-game losing streak heading into a road trip against Ottawa on Monday, Toronto on Tuesday and Montreal on Thursday. They’ll then return to Florida to host the Islanders on Saturday. Of those adversaries, Toronto is the only one in the upper half of the league in terms of points.

With that busy schedule against mostly middling teams ahead of Florida, you might be well served to grab defenseman Niko Mikkola in fantasy leagues for the short term if you have the opportunity. He’s not typically a significant offensive threat -- his career high in points is 13 -- but the Panthers have used him in a top-four role this season, which has led to his production ticking up to three goals and eight points in 20 contests. He’s been particularly effective recently with two goals and three points over his last three outings.

This week should also see the end of Matthew Tkachuk’s scoreless drought, which currently stands at five games. In particular, I’m looking for him to find the back of the net soon. He has just three tallies through 20 contests, leaving him with a 3.5 shooting percentage, which is far below his career average of 12.7. Tkachuk is not going to continue to be that unlucky with the puck, especially with him currently ranking in the 99th percentile in terms of high-danger shots on goal.

Nashville Predators

Nashville has clawed its way back to .500 by winning its last five contests, and the Predators have three home games ahead of them as they look to extend that run. They’ll host the Penguins on Tuesday, the Wild on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday before concluding the week with a road contest versus Buffalo on Sunday.

Filip Forsberg has been the chief architect of the Predators’ current winning streak, providing four goals and seven points over that five-game span. Through 20 outings this year, he’s up to 11 goals and 25 points. Forsberg was held back by injury troubles last year, but now that he’s healthy again, it’s entirely plausible for him to challenge his career highs of 42 goals and 84 points, which were set in 2021-22.

If you’re looking for a lower profile forward who might be had in standard fantasy leagues as a short-term pickup, then Yakov Trenin should fit the bill. After being held off the scoresheet over his first 14 contests this season, Trenin has contributed four goals and five points over his last five contests. He typically serves in a middle-six role but has logged over 17 minutes in each of Nashville’s last three contests, including a season-high 19:18 on Sunday.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have won three consecutive contests, bringing them up to 15-3-1, so they’re in a dominant position going into what will be a busy week. They’ll host the Sabres and Red Wings on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, before traveling to Nashville for a contest Saturday and returning home to play the Sharks. Of those teams, the 11-6-3 Red Wings are the fiercest competition, but the Rangers already earned a 5-3 victory over Detroit earlier this month.

Jimmy Vesey might be a decent short-term pickup this week. He’s primarily a fourth line forward, but recently he’s seen an uptick in ice time to an average of 13:34 over his last three outings and even has gotten a little use on the second power-play unit. Vesey also supplied a goal and an assist Saturday, bringing him up to four tallies and seven points in 17 outings this campaign. It’s all still not enough to make him fantasy-relevant in most leagues under normal circumstances, but New York’s busy schedule combined with his increased usage makes things interesting for now.

On the blue line, Erik Gustafsson is on fire with a goal and 10 points over his last nine appearances. It’s no coincidence that Gustafsson’s offensive climb coincides perfectly with Adam Fox’s (lower body) absence. Gustafsson is on the first power-play unit during Fox’s absence and three of Gustafsson’s last four helpers have been recorded with the man advantage.

Fox is eligible to be activated off LTIR on Nov. 29, so there’s a non-zero chance he’ll return this week. If that happens, Gustafsson’s production is likely to cool somewhat.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Speaking of returning stars, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made his season debut Friday, saving 22 of 24 shots in an 8-2 victory over Carolina. Now that their elite netminder has recovered from his back injury, Tampa Bay will look to go on a run this week with games in Colorado on Monday, Arizona on Tuesday and Dallas on Saturday. The Lightning also have a home contest Thursday versus the Penguins.

Vasilevskiy is extremely unlikely to play in both halves of the back-to-back, especially so soon after returning, so Jonas Johansson is likely to make at least one start this week. Beyond that though, Johansson should be used sparingly for the remainder of the campaign. He didn’t do enough to earn a bigger role in the long run with his 8-4-5 record, 3.41 GAA and .894 save percentage in 17 outings during Vasilevskiy’s absence.

Up front, this should be another big week for Nikita Kucherov, who is on fire with four goals and 11 points over his last four contests. It’s crazy to think that Kucherov comes with a sub-$10 million cap hit through 2026-27 ($9.5 million to be exact), especially with the cap expected to jump dramatically over the next couple of seasons.

He’s not the biggest bargain on the Lightning though: That’d be Brandon Hagel. He’s in the final campaign of a three-year, $4.5 million deal. Hagel set career highs in 2022-23 with 30 goals and 64 points in 81 contests and might do even better this season after providing 10 goals and 22 points through 21 outings. Even the eight-year, $52 million deal he signed in August might prove to be a steal when you consider that he’s just 25.

He also highlights the downside of the Blackhawks’ aggressive fire sale in the pre-Connor Bedard era. While it’s too early to truly judge the trade that sent Hagel to Tampa Bay in March 2022, and it’s possible Hagel’s breakout would have interfered with Chicago’s ability to tank for Bedard, it’s hard not to argue that Hagel wouldn’t be an ideal player for a rebuilding squad like the Blackhawks to have, if only they had held onto him.

Vegas Golden Knights

After getting off to an 11-0-1 start, Vegas has won just three of its last nine games. The Golden Knights will start the week against two struggling teams though, with contests in Calgary on Monday and Edmonton on Tuesday. Vegas will then wrap up the road trip with a contest in Vancouver on Thursday before hosting Washington on Saturday.

Vegas is missing key blueliner Shea Theodore (lower body) after he was put on the injured reserve list Sunday and defenseman Alec Martinez (lower body) has missed the Golden Knights’ last two contests and is regarded as day-to-day.

That’s created an opportunity for Ben Hutton, who logged a season-high 20:34 of ice time Saturday, including 2:49 with the man advantage. By contrast, he’s averaged 15:02 this season and 0:35 on the power play. Hutton has just two assists in 15 games this season, so don’t get too excited, but if he maintains the role he had Saturday for as long as Theodore and Martinez are out, then Hutton might still make some short-term offensive contributions.

Vegas has just scored two goals over its last three games, so naturally, the Golden Knights don’t have much in the way of hot forwards, but Jonathan Marchessault is the closest to an exception with three goals and five points over his last five outings. The 32-year-old is up to nine goals and 14 points through 21 contests overall and should surpass the 50-point milestone for the third straight campaign.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals suffered a 5-0 loss to Edmonton on Friday but won its previous five games. They’ll be on the road this week with contests in San Jose on Monday, LA on Wednesday, Anaheim on Thursday and Vegas on Saturday.

T.J. Oshie (upper body) suffered an injury Friday, so the Capitals might be without him this week in addition to forwards Nicklas Backstrom (hip) and Max Pacioretty (Achilles). With so many key scorers out, the Capitals’ top six is looking fairly thin.

Matthew Phillips has been a healthy scratch for the Capitals’ last three games, but he might draw back into the lineup Monday and even see time on one of the top two lines. The 25-year-old had 36 goals and 76 points in 66 AHL contests this year, so he’s always been worth keeping an eye on to see how the Capitals utilize him. So far in 2023-24, he has a goal and four points in 14 outings but has averaged just 10:40 of ice time.

Connor McMichael also has the potential to see his role increase somewhat. Through 17 outings this year, he has four goals and eight points while averaging 14:38 of ice time. It’s worth noting he’s been hot lately with two goals and five points over his last seven outings, making this an ideal time for the Capitals to utilize him more anyway.

One additional forward to monitor is Hendrix Lapierre. The 21-year-old has struggled to get a regular role this campaign, but the injuries might change that. Taken with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, he gave a taste of what he might be capable of last Saturday when he scored a goal and registered two assists in a 4-3 win over Columbus. Outside of that, though, Lapierre’s been quiet with Washington.

Winnipeg Jets

Despite a 3-2 loss to Nashville on Sunday, Winnipeg is one of the hottest teams in the league after claiming eight of its last 10 games. The Jets only have three games this week, but they’re all home contests, against Dallas on Tuesday, Edmonton on Thursday and Chicago on Saturday. Those final two games look particularly winnable given the state of the Oilers (7-12-1) and Blackhawks (6-13-0).

Connor Hellebuyck has been a huge part of the Jets’ recent success, posting a 6-1-0 record, 2.15 GAA and .926 save percentage over his last seven starts. That’s night and day compared to his first eight starts of the campaign -- a 4-3-1 record, 3.09 GAA and .891 save percentage. Hellebuyck has been an elite goaltender for years, so it’s not surprising to see the 30-year-old rebound from his shaky start. With this week’s contests spread out, there’s a good chance the Jets will deploy him in all their games.

Josh Morrissey is also on a strong run, providing three goals and five points over his last four outings. That brings him up to four goals and 19 points in 20 contests this year. Vladislav Namestnikov has been an underrated factor too, supplying a goal and six assists over the span of a six-game scoring streak from Nov. 11-24. That run ended Sunday, but it’s a little early to declare the hot streak completely dead. That said, he traditionally hasn’t been a significant offensive force -- he's exceeded the 40-point mark just once in his career -- so if you picked him up during his recent success, then you should be prepared to drop him if he has a couple more quiet contests in a row.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 19:58:08 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 19: Nashville Predators center Thomas Novak (82) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers, held on December 19, 2022, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Predators have rarely been listed among the main contenders for the Stanley Cup in any given year, but they have managed to stay consistently competitive, making the playoffs for eight straight campaigns from 2014-15 through 2021-22. They nearly reached nine consecutive seasons but came just short with their 42-32-8 record last year. Juuse Saros deserves most of the credit for keeping Nashville close. He’s one of the most reliable goaltenders in the world, and he stayed strong in 2022-23, posting a 33-23-7 record, 2.69 GAA and .919 save percentage in 64 contests. Consider that Nashville ranked 28th in 5-on-5 expected goals against (199.01), suggesting the Predators were among the league’s worst teams defensively and would have consequently been easy to score against if not for some stellar netminding. Saros’ role was even more important because Nashville didn’t do much offensively. None of the Predators reached the 60-point mark, though it didn’t help that Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and especially Roman Josi missed meaningful chunks of the season. The silver lining is Saros is just 28, and the Predators have two more seasons left at a team-friendly $5 million cap hit, so there’s still time to build around him.

What’s Changed? Deciding major turnover was necessary, Predators GM Barry Trotz bought out Matt Duchene’s contract and traded Ryan Johansen to Colorado. Nashville leveraged that freed cap space to ink top-six forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. They also added defensive defenseman Luke Schenn, which might make life a little easier on Saros.

What would success look like? The Predators could absolutely make it back into the playoffs, but their push needs to start with another great campaign from Saros. Assuming they have that, an injury-free year out of Josi would do a lot to make up the rest of the gap. Meanwhile, it will be the first full NHL campaign for forwards Thomas Novak, Luke Evangelista and Juuso Parssinen, who could combine to make Nashville a significantly better team offensively than they were in 2022-23.

What could go wrong? Whenever a team relies so much on a single player, as Nashville does with Saros, the nightmare scenario is always an injury to said player. Although Nashville does have a sufficient backup in Kevin Lankinen, but being forced to rely on him for an extended period would be far from ideal. It’s also not clear how much offensive help O’Reilly and Nyquist will be. Both had up-and-down campaigns last year, so if Nashville was hoping to swap Duchene and Johansen for safer bets, they may end up disappointed.

Top Breakout Candidate: After scoring 17 goals and 43 points in 51 games last season, Novak is perhaps too easy of a choice, so instead let’s focus on one of his projected linemates, Evangelista. The 21-year-old also had an encouraging, albeit much shorter, stint with Nashville in 2022-23, contributing seven goals and 15 points in 24 contests. Evangelista also excelled in the AHL with 41 points in 49 outings and turned pro with plenty of offensive upside. He’s a big part of why Nashville has reason for optimism about the long-term outlook of its forward core.

Forwards

Filip Forsberg - LW

Looking to follow up a fantastic 42-goal season, Forsberg started off a little slow with only two goals in the first month of the season. He hit his stride over the winter, scoring at a point-per-game pace in November and December before a concussion in early February sidelined him for the rest of the season. Streaky scoring isn’t out of the ordinary for Forsberg, as he is the type of player who will run hot, and he was on-pace to match his typical season totals before getting hurt. Talent eventually shows through with most players, and he is the type you can always count on to go on a scoring tear at some point. Terrific at generating offense on his own, Forsberg is one of the most creative shooters in the league. He can test goalies despite being covered or tricking defenders by passing at the very last second to set up a breakaway or a lay-up goal for his linemates. He had fantastic chemistry with Matt Duchene in 2022 for this reason and while they struggled to repeat that last year, Forsberg still found a way to get on the scoresheet with a revolving door of linemates. His 42-goal campaign might have been an aberration, but at the end of the day the Preds will be happy with what they get out of Forsberg.

Ryan O’Reilly - C

Nashville shook up their forward corps this summer, shipping off veterans Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen and bringing in Ryan O’Reilly as their new centerpiece. Whether you’re a contending team or navigating a rebuild, O’Reilly is a good player to build your forward group around. He can handle the big minutes and the tougher matchups, which will make life easier for the Tommy Novaks of the roster. Nashville’s blue line will also benefit from him, as he acts like a third defenseman with how deep he plays in the zone and how good he is at starting breakouts. This along with his strength in making plays on his backhand are his calling cards. He has also made the most out of playing with some of the scraps in the St. Louis’ forward corps, as the more talented players were moved to more scoring lines. Last year he formed an excellent checking line with Josh Leivo and Brandon Saad. O’Reilly is the type of player whose line will usually dominate territorially even if they aren’t scoring a lot of goals, so this bodes well for what he can do in Nashville. Very high floor, but a lower ceiling than there used to be with him.

Tommy Novak - C

The former Minnesota Gopher might have been the best player in the second half of the season that you’ve never heard of (unless you’re a Nashville fan or a fantasy hockey player). Known primarily as a playmaker and a pass-first player, the 17 goals in 50 games Novak scored last year was one fewer than his career total in four years at college and more than he scored in any season in the AHL. It wasn’t the “playing out of the string” type of production either, as Nashville was fighting for a playoff spot in the second half and three of Novak’s goals were scored in overtime. He showed signs that he could be a good player during his first cup of coffee with the Preds. He has excellent hands and was very good at making safe plays to keep offensive zone shifts going. What changed last year was that he really started poaching for more offense and began shooting more. Some of that is from getting endless breakaway opportunities but he also worked his way into the slot to create his own shot instead of reverting to the point or passing it off to someone else. At 26, this was probably Novak’s last chance to prove he belongs in the NHL and to say he proved that is an understatement.

Gustav Nyquist - LW

Every team needs a player or two like Nyquist, a decent scoring forward who isn’t a top-liner but can keep up with your big dogs if you need someone to fill-in. Nyquist has that Swiss-Army Knife toolset where he can do just enough to help everyone his line without being the main driver of it, not being the first one on pucks, but usually being in the right spot to receive a pass or setup a give-and-go. Uses his stick well in the defensive zone and was a regular on Columbus’ aggressive penalty kill for years, scoring seven shorthanded goals in three years with Columbus. Had no real consistent linemates with the Jackets last year and didn’t see any action with Minnesota until the playoffs where he played on a line with Ryan Hartman. Doesn’t have the shot or the game-breaking skill to be the driver on his line, or a consistent offensive threat, but will pitch-in enough to help any line that he is on. Modern day utility player and a nice placeholder for the Preds.

Cody Glass - C

Spending all of 2021-22 in the AHL, Nashville made it a priority to fix Cody Glass’ development after getting him from Vegas. The former third overall pick had a rocky start in the NHL and his first full season with the Predators was a major step forward. Finding his way as a middle-six center, Glass seemed to find his niche as a goal-scorer and a net-front guy on the power play. Scoring six of his goals with the man advantage, Glass is more of the “goal/point vulture” mold right now, he hangs around the net most of his shifts and has slowly figured out the ins-and-outs of scoring a lot of dirty goals. He has terrific hands but slow feet, so this is a good way for him to make an NHL career. It makes him more of a secondary player on his line, as he doesn’t play with a lot of pace, or handle the puck much, but it’s also something you can work around since he will do the little things away from the puck. His defensive game was especially encouraging, always in the right spot in coverage to help generate easy exits. Great things were expected for Glass when Vegas took him with their first ever pick and a detour to Nashville seems to be just what he needed to get his career back on track.

Yakov Trenin - LW

Appropriately nicknamed “The Yak,” the Nashville winger is probably most known for being one of the only players to fight Zdeno Chara twice. What they might not know is that he’s become one of Nashville’s more reliable players since then. Scoring double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons, he found a home on what was dubbed “The Herd Line” by Preds fans. He was one of the straws that stirred the drink on that line because he is very direct in how he plays. He shoots the puck at every opportunity and will lay a shoulder into any player that is along the boards. The more skilled parts of his game showed out a little last year, carrying the puck into the zone more and surprising defenders with his puck-handling. He still doesn’t drift too far from his bread and butter, always hanging around or behind the net to set up shop in the offensive zone and being a nuisance to play against. Also, a fixture on Nashville’s penalty kill alongside Colton Sissons. Trenin should continue to be a regular middle-sixer for Nashville even with The Herd Line disassembled.

Denis Gurianov - RW

Dallas finally decided to cut bait with their former first round pick, sending him to Montreal in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov. Far removed from his 20-goal rookie campaign, Gurianov struggled to find the scoring touch after that and hasn’t found a niche in the other parts of the game. His last year in Dallas was his low point, with only two goals in 43 games. If you tuned into their games, you know it wasn’t for a lack of trying, as he averaged more shots per 60 minutes than almost any of their other forwards and the blistering one-timer is still there. Being able to get it on the net has been the issue and his game went from one-dimensional to zero-dimensional as a high-shot volume player who couldn’t score. A fresh start in Montreal helped for a pinch, scoring four goals in five games after the trade but they ultimately let him become a free agent. He brings some qualities that Nashville could use, especially as a triggerman for their second power play unit and someone who plays with a high-motor and will at least work hard in his minutes. It’s tough to say if he will get regular playing time with so many players from Milwaukee looking for full-time jobs too.

Colton Sissons - C

A hero from their 2017 Stanley Cup run, Sissons has been a mainstay in Nashville’s bottom-six for years, centering The Herd Line with Trenin and Jeannot. He was one of a few players that had their role increased last year due to injury, playing close to 19 minutes some nights and even getting some prolonged time with Filip Forsberg in the top-six at times. Sissons is typically the “next man up” for Nashville in these situations because of how reliable his game is as a defensive player and that he has the stamina to play bigger minutes if needed. Most of the time he has a pretty thankless role as the center who takes most of the defensive zone faceoffs and the main job is surviving the shift before even thinking about making a play with the puck. It’s a tough, but necessary role on most teams and you can do worse than Sissons. He usually finds a way to get to the 25–30-point range despite that, though. Last year was his highest goal total since 2019, as the extra ice-time allowed him to poach for more offense at times. He can also play the wing if needed, so should continue to be a fixture in Nashville’s lineup next year.

Phillip Tomasino - RW

After spending all of 2021-22 in the NHL, the former first round pick wasn’t called up to Nashville until February. This decision was met with the refrain of “it’s about time,” as he was a sleeper pick for some people last year. Not setting the world on fire but showing some flash as a playmaker and looking like he belonged in the NHL at the very least. His play down the stretch was more of the same, Tomasino getting more of a run in the top-six and showing some of that creativity that got him drafted so high. Why he was in the AHL for so long is tough to say. Either Nashville didn’t want to have one of their top prospects stuck as a checker or they felt his overall game needed more work. Regardless, it looks like he did enough to be on the opening night roster this year. He was a decent weapon on the second power play unit, setting up a lot of plays from the right faceoff circle and scoring a few “surprise” goals off deflections. The lack of goal-scoring and his spotty play-driving are legitimate concerns, but hopefully he will get a full-season to iron those out this time around.

Defense

Roman Josi - D

Following up a record-setting season is tough. Perhaps it’s even more difficult when someone on another team breaks your own record, which was the case for Nashville’s star defenseman. He was the first defenseman to top 90 points, something that hasn’t been done post-lockout, until Erik Karlsson scored 101-points this year. There wasn’t a lot that changed about his overall game this year except the puck went into the net less often, mainly on the power play where he had 13 fewer points. Josi was the same, roaming player he has always been, always looking to push for offense. Nashville’s forwards not scoring as many goals as they used to is what hurt his point total more than anything. The same passing plays he created in 2022 weren’t as freely available last year, so the points didn’t come as easily for him. The main difference for the Nashville captain this year was adjusting to a new partner in Ryan McDonagh, pairing him with another lefty for the first time in a while and someone who is a little tougher around the edges than Dante Fabbro. It made breakouts a little easier, as Josi didn’t have to go the full 200 feet to create offense and could get up in the play more with a steady partner back. Still projects to be the team’s best player for the upcoming season.

Tyson Barrie - D

Some players are a product of the situations they’re in and Tyson Barrie has been living his best life running the top of the umbrella of the Oilers power play. His vision and deception from the point made him a good fit for that spot, as he can do more than just distribute from the point and find the soft spots in the penalty kill. Nashville got to see glimpses of that during his audition with the team after the trade deadline. He’s also a decent goal-scoring threat for a defenseman, tallying 10 last season. He has some utility at 5-on-5 but was used primarily on the third pair during his final year with Edmonton, as he doesn’t handle forecheck pressure well and has trouble translating his strong puck-skills when the game gets quicker. Most of his value is attached to what he does on the power play, which was a lot with the Oilers. 54-percent of his points with Edmonton were with the man advantage. He could see a bigger role in Nashville but will have a tough time unseating Roman Josi as the team’s power play quarter back.

Ryan McDonagh - D

Few players deserved the “underrated” tag more than Ryan McDonagh in his prime. He did everything you want out of a top-pairing defenseman and could control 5-on-5 play better than almost anyone. As he has gotten older, he’s gotten less concerned with putting up points and more with taking care of his own zone first. He’s a strong skater still and will jump in for a splash play occasionally, but he’s not the one-man breakout he used to be. Pairing him with Josi made sense on paper, as McDonagh can still be effective with taking hits and killing the play along the boards so Josi can scoop the puck up, but there is only so much you can do as a defenseman playing this style. You’re making the first play, but everything else is out of your control, so the downside is you might have a season like McDonagh where you spend most of the time blocking shots and preventing damage in your own zone. There’s a role for these players, but it’s a taxing style on their bodies and McDonagh already has a lot of miles on his tires at 33-years old. His skating is still strong enough to keep him a viable option on the penalty kill and the top-four.

Alex Carrier - D

The young defenseman suffered two setbacks, first was having his season derailed by an injury, second was losing Mattias Ekholm, Carrier’s defense partner for most of his brief career. His game isn’t too different from top-pairing defensemen around the AHL or in other leagues, just needing a chance to finally get a chance in the AHL. He’s a good skater that uses his stick to disrupt plays without taking penalties and was a great fit for John Hynes’ system where the right defensemen step up in the neutral zone regularly. Very good with the puck even if it doesn’t translate to a lot of points, as exiting the zone with control is a strength of his. Could be in a tough roster situation this year with Nashville having four right-handed defensemen under contract and his regular partner now playing for another team. Mobility and willingness to play anywhere in the lineup should be enough to keep him a regular, although maybe with a different role depending on how the roster shakes out.

Goaltending

Juuse Saros - G

The Nashville Predators missing out on the postseason last year was hardly goaltender Juuse Saros’ fault. The undersized – but remarkably well-positioned and hard-to-shake – number one put up one of the league’s best performances last year, despite the raw numbers showcasing nothing more than an overworked (but better than average) starter on an underperforming team. No goaltender in the NHL made more saves above expected last year than he did, with the 28-year-old keeping his team not just in games, but close to the playoff hunt quite literally down to the bitter end. The Predators missed the postseason by a mere three points last year, and it’s hard to believe they would have been anywhere but the league basement without Saros’ steady presence in more than two-thirds of their games.

Of course, there’s only so long that the team can continue to trot out Saros for over sixty games a year. It’s hard to imagine they don’t want to split the workload more evenly, and there’s a chance that he’ll be able to take some breaths of relief with prospect Yaroslav Askarov looking more and more ready for regular NHL action. But ultimately. Saros is a smaller goaltender who has to rely on picture-perfect precision in his game to keep the team from backsliding; if they keep playing him with the kind of workload they’ve asked of him for the last few years, it’s hard to imagine it won’t start to show up in the form of fatigue errors before they’re ready to get Askarov into regular game action. The Predators have to find the balance between treating their current starter right and avoiding any kind of rush job for their goaltender of the future – and right now, they’re toeing that line a little too closely for comfort.

Projected starts: 60-65

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – NHL Player Profiles

Corey Sznajder – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:09:35 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) skates during a timeout during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators on March 5, 2022 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Filip Forsberg

It might surprise some folks that last year was only the third time Filip Forsberg eclipsed the 30-goal mark and the only season where he was a point-per-game player. Widely considered one of the league’s stars, it was always a struggle for him to have the point production that matched his talent. That changed in 2021. Forsberg had the golden touch, scoring on almost 20% of his shots, benefitting from Nashville playing more off the rush than in past years. For years, the Preds were a team that created off long, sustained possessions with Forsberg pulling the puck off the wall, using his great hands to create chances with minimal space. This was still part of Nashville’s game, but there was more of a direct approach with Forsberg this year. He attacked the net more frequently after entering the zone, taking more shots instead of looking and being selective. It made a lethal combination with Matt Duchene, as the two frequently set each other up on give-and-go plays. Forsberg is such a gifted player that he can play any style and be effective, but the rush-based approach did a lot for making him more of a game-breaker, giving Nashville a huge spark in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. His playmaking also came a long way, ranking as one of the best players in the league in assists on scoring chances. With goal-scoring on the rise, Forsberg is set to have another good year. Will it be the heights he reached last year when everything went right, or will he settle back into being the 25-30 goal guy he’s been for most of his career?

Nino Niederreiter

A player like Niederreiter is always going to be useful because even if he’s in a scoring drought, he is going to do something to help his line. He has the top-six skill with a fourth line mentality. He’s very smart with how he forechecks and disrupts plays without taking penalties and can keep pucks pinned below the goal-line for an entire shift. It made him a vital member of Carolina’s shutdown line with Jordan Staal last year, as he was the “skill guy” on the line, creating looks off the rush and being the first one on pucks to wear down defenders. The interesting thing about him is that while he’s productive, a lot of the goals he scores are of the “odd” variety. You’ll see a lot of bank shots off the goaltender or goals from impossible angles. Not many players will have back-to-back 20-goal seasons scoring goals like this, but that’s been the case for him. There’s a lot of different things Nashville can do with him. He would fit right in with Tanner Jeannot on the checking line, but he was moved around in Carolina before settling in on Staal’s wing, so he brings some versatility there. Special teams’ ice-time is the one thing to look for with him, as he produced with limited usage on the Carolina power play and didn’t kill penalties either. He could be more of a fixture on both in Nashville.

Matt Duchene

One year removed from being available in the expansion draft, Matt Duchene had the type of season Nashville fans were waiting for. It was his most productive season in his long NHL career and the first time he reached the 40-goal mark. Nashville changing their approach to more of a transition team and pairing him with Filip Forsberg was the main cause. He always created a lot of shots but would often find himself too close to the goaltender or at too weird of an angle to make any moves or use his great shot. Most of that is from the Preds expecting Duchene to drive his own line with other checkers instead of pairing him with another elite talent like Forsberg. Skill works with skill and the duo were unstoppable for the Preds, Duchene getting the full benefit of playing more off the rush and using his speed as a weapon more. He created less offense in volume, but the chance quality was at another level because of how much time and space he would have to shoot. This also applies to the power play because while he still played the net-front role, the Preds set him up with more diagonal passing plays, giving him space for one-timers at the side of the net instead of looking for rebounds and deflections. There is some concern on if Duchene can produce without Forsberg by his side, but the Preds likely won’t mess with a duo that gave them such great results last year. They figured out how to cater to their best players strengths, which is an encouraging sign for the team going forward.

Ryan Johansen

Johansen was another player who had a renaissance season in Nashville, reaching the 20-goal mark for the first time since his Columbus days, although his rebound season wasn’t talked about as much. His game isn’t as flashy as it used to be. Hips surgeries have impacted how much power he can get behind his stride and while his strength is still there, he isn’t the same player who can setup shop in the offensive zone like in the heyday of the JOFA Line. His hands, however, are still as strong as ever and you saw that with how great he was as a goal-scorer. Nashville set him up in a lot of ways from the bumper position on the power play, he might have been Josi’s favorite passing target with his precision on tip plays and how he could get himself open for one-timers. It’s a different look from his old days of quarterbacking the power play from the wall, but goal-scoring is where he was the most effective and it caught some teams off-guard. He still had more of a pass-first mindset, especially after getting bumped up to the Forsberg line, it just wasn’t as extreme as it was in previous season, and it was rare for him to be the one driving a line. Someone else had to set the table for Johansen to get into the zone or create a chance and it was up to him to make the final play. It worked last year, but it’s clear that he is more of a specialist than he was in previous years. Most players have to adapt and change their games as they get older, and Johansen is going through that right now.

Tanner Jeannot

It’s hard not to love watching Tanner Jeannot play. He is very easy to notice anytime Nashville is on because of how aggressive he is anytime the puck is in the offensive zone. He’s always the first one to deliver a big hit or get in on the forecheck, which is always going to be part of Nashville’s DNA. His 24 goals were a bonus with everything else he brought to the table, leading all rookies in that department. He scored a lot of “dirty” goals off deflections and rebounds where the puck took an odd bounce, or he found himself behind the defense. Jeannot had some very good offensive seasons in Moose Jaw, but not many had him pegged as a 20+ goal-scorer, especially in the role Nashville had him in. His line with Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin played in more high-leverage situations as the season went on and Jeannot’s penchant for going to the net for tip plays made them more of a dual threat than just a line that forechecks. Repeating that next year might be tough, as his line didn’t create a lot of shots unless it was coming off Trenin’s stick and Jeannot was more of an opportunistic scorer than someone who drove play. Although Nashville will be happy if they got even half of what Jeannot produced last year with how good he is at being an agitator.

Mikael Granlund

Granlund is one of the tougher players to project on Nashville’s roster. He plays a lot of important minutes, which includes killing penalties and centering Forsberg/Duchene, but when you look at what he does on his own, it’s not much. He had another good season in terms of points, with 25% of them coming off secondary assists and was a mainstay on their top power play unit. It’s just that he’s more of a support player now and his production will mirror whoever his linemates are. If that’s Forsberg and Duchene again, he’s in for a good season. If he’s centering another line, he might go back to the 40–45-point player he was before. That’s not to say he’s a bad player, because he wears a lot of hats for Nashville and helps facilitate the rush offense for Duchene and Forsberg by doing most of the work away from the puck. His endurance and lower body strength make him a key part of the Preds but he kind of struggled against quicker opponents and made him more of a power play specialist than in years past. That said, he should be the 1C for Nashville unless someone else dethrones him.

Phillip Tomasino

The young winger had a solid rookie season in Nashville despite not having a clear role. His linemates were inconsistent with Nashville not trusting him on the second line just yet and the Jeannot line playing more third line minutes. Tomasino ended up getting the leftovers and he did surprisingly well with a rotating cast of linemates, producing more primary assists per 60 minutes than any other Nashville forward. He has the tools to make the jump to a top-six role, as he’s more of a shoot-first player despite the boxcar stats and has a deceptive release. He’s also a smooth skater and showed some ability to create off the rush, although it didn’t lead to many goals. Tomasino was pigeon-holed into more of a shoot-first role last year because of who his linemates were (Johansen, Cousins, Novak) and while he did fine, he was better as a playmaker in junior and the long stick he uses made it awkward for him to get the shot he wanted even if he was in good position. His passing was still a threat, but Nashville has a lot of similar forwards that they needed a finisher on his line. This will likely be the next step in his development. He had a good season with limited minutes and should be in line for a bigger role next year.

Eeli Tolvanen

While Tolvanen has struggled to be the force he was in junior, he has found a niche as a defensive-forward for Nashville, although it’s not always obvious when watching him play. He still has the bomb of a one-timer and shows flashes of high-end skill, but it’s been tough for him to produce at the NHL level even with decent minutes. However, he made himself an everyday NHLer by finding other ways to be productive. He was an excellent forechecker and was very good at using his stick to force turnovers, setting the table for the Jeannot line to follow it up with offensive zone shifts. Sometimes this is what you have to do if you’re skill isn’t producing results like you’d hope, and it showed some maturity in Tolvanen’s game. It could make him a nice fit with Nino Niederreiter in the middle-six or on the penalty kill if they want to use him there. That said, Nashville is hoping for more offense out of him if they’re going to continue to give him power play time. We’ve seen how good of a shooter he is in spurts and making his shot more of a threat is one thing the Preds can do to take Tolvanen’s game to the next level.

Yakov Trenin

You can take one look at the monstrous Yakov Trenin and have a good idea of how he plays. He is there to crash bodies, shoot the puck and be a general pain to play against. He was the catalyst of Nashville’s “Herd Line” with Jeannot and Sissons, usually the one taking most of the shots or hitting Jeannot for a deflection. It’s easy to forget that Trenin was a good goal-scorer at other levels, including fairly recently in the AHL, so his 17 goals weren’t totally out of left field. He shoots from everywhere in the offensive zone and isn’t a one-trick pony with taking empty calorie shots off the rush. He will go to the net and is skilled with getting deflections off point shots. It was just a perfect marriage of playing styles with him and Jeannot, as the duo spent a lot of time in the offensive zone and Trenin could play to his strengths more with playing a straight-line game and getting ga lot of shots on goal. He is the most likely member of The Herd Line to repeat his production from the past season.

DEFENSE

Roman Josi

The biggest catalyst of Nashville’s newfound offense was their best player, Roman Josi. The Norris runner-up was a few goalposts and mishits from being the first defenseman to reach 100 points since Brian Leetch. Better scoring from the forwards was part of it, but something else was a change in approach in how they used their star. Nashville tried to keep Josi out of the defensive zone as much as possible, sending him on the ice off opposing line-changes and having his partners retrieve the puck more, allowing Josi to get up in the play and create off the rush without expending as much energy. It also allowed him to play longer shifts in the offensive zone, which already catered to his strengths. He could treat five-on-five play like a power play and attack off the rush on more “re-load” type of plays against tired defenders rather than going the full-200 feet. Nashville already knows what they have in Josi, now they wanted to maximize how gifted he is with the puck rather than have him carry the entire defense on his back. Safe to say they got the result they wanted. It didn’t matter which forwards he was paired with because he can make anyone dangerous with how much attention he draws from defenders. Someone usually gets open and Josi is one of the best passing defensemen in the league. It was showcased even more on the power play, where he set career highs with 37 points and scored 11 goals, more than he has had in the past three years combined. Josi will get his offense, but it will be tough to replicate the gaudy point total he had this year, as so few defensemen have been able to replicate the type of season he had.

Mattias Ekholm

The workhorse of the Preds defense, Ekholm played more of a pure shutdown role than he ever has before. He started the bulk of his shifts in the defensive zone against top lines and did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to limiting damage. There were few defensemen in the league who had more successful puck retrievals in the defensive zone, both to kickstart breakouts and to clear the zone. It was a bit of a thankless role, as Ekholm didn’t get to be up in the play much at all and his offense took a small hit. They were also very taxing minutes, and he doesn’t get enough credit for avoiding as many hits as he does because he’s so quick to make the first play after going back to get the puck. Killing other team’s forechecks is an underrated skill for a shutdown defenseman, as most are concerned with blocking shots and delivering hits. He fits the mold of a modern defenseman but doesn’t have the flashy plays that a Jaccob Slavin or Devon Toews, so he gets overlooked in that discussion. It also shouldn’t be overlooked that he took on these minutes alongside a rookie partner in Alex Carrier, who slowly picked up on some of Ekholm’s traits with protecting the puck from forecheckers to move it out of the zone. The downside is that this type of workload eventually catches up. Always playing on your heels, clearing pucks and swimming upstream has a trickle-down effect on the rest of your shifts if you’re not creating any offense. Ekholm managed to do well but it’s a tough role to play every year.

Dante Fabbro

Ending the previous year as a healthy scratch in the playoffs, Fabbro got his career back on track by solidifying himself as Roman Josi’s right-hand man. He had the less desirable job of the duo, going back to get most of the pucks and being the safety value while Josi did his usual roaming in the offensive zone. It had its perks. Fabbro got to play a little more on offense, utilizing the more skilled part of his game we saw at Boston U. Before then, he looked like a player who could eat a lot of minutes but not really do anything to shift the tides of the game. While that’s still somewhat true, Fabbro did show he can hang with the stars on the team, being a productive member of their top defense pair isn’t anything to scoff at. Especially since you’re going to deal with a lot of unpredictability with Josi as your partner. The most encouraging thing is that Fabbro translated some of his skills to the defensive side of the game, using some of his finesse to help start breakouts and using his skating to help get back to cover for Josi or defend entries. It’s exactly the type of thing you want to see with your young defensemen. Can he do it with a partner that isn’t a Norris runner-up? That remains to be seen.

GOALTENDING

Juuse Saros

In a perfect world, it’s hard to believe that the Nashville Predators would want to leave starter Juuse Saros to shoulder such a large chunk of the workload during the regular season. But thanks to the covid-19 league-wide hiccups and a slew of start-and-stops that left some of the league’s most storied veterans struggling to get themselves into top game shape, the 2022-23 season features a few too many open spots for tandem jobs and a few too many established names to fill them – which has left teams like Nashville to take gambles on available reclamation projects while hoping that starters like Saros can handle heavier volumes of work without fizzling out around the postseason.

The good news for Nashville is that Saros has been exactly what they hoped he would be, without suffering much in the way of growing pains as he adjusted to life without mentor Pekka Rinne sharing his crease. A structurally precise goaltender who tricks teams with his smaller stature and keeps them on their toes with surprisingly fast footwork and good pad reach, Saros has kept Nashville from plummeting once their giants hit a decline and left them facing down a likely-closed Stanley Cup window. What they might need to worry about, though, is just how healthy Saros can remain when holding down the fort every night – especially with a fairly unknown quantity behind him in fellow Finnish netminder Kevin Lankinen, who arrives fresh off a tumultuous handful of years with the Chicago Blackhawks. Lankinen’s speed and enthusiasm don’t necessarily compensate fully for the technical gaps in his game, particularly when it comes to his ability to adapt his play hinging out from the blue line – and Chicago’s complete lack of defensive structure left him with few good examples in the way of effective reading and reacting in the way of blue line systems. He has a lot of promise to his game, but a lot of bad habits that he’ll need to unlearn if Nashville hopes to utilize him as a quality backup option to tandem with Saros beyond this year.

Projected starts: 60-65

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Nashville Predators Top 20 Prospects

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:44:25 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Nashville Predators prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Askarov is best known for his show-stopping international play. Beyond those intermittent two week runs, his play last year in the VHL was among the best for any teenaged netminder in the league’s history. More importantly, he has the skills to back up his gaudy stats. Starting off with unparalleled athleticism, his post-to-post movement is explosive, and his skating ability also allows him to play aggressively, telescoping out of his crease to cut down angles from long range shots. His athleticism also shows when forced to scramble when the play gets too hairy near his crease. Unlike some other recent highly athletic goalie prospects (e.g. Tyler Parsons), Askarov’s game is also technically sound. He plays a classic butterfly style and can cover both the upper and lower quadrants of the net. He sometimes takes a half second or so too long to get his feet set, giving quick shooting opponents a chance to catch him unprepared, but that should be coachable with time. He also excels in his reads and anticipation and is in position before the shot is made. He is calm and poised, handles traffic well, and never seems to lose the puck, avoiding big, juicy rebounds. – RW

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Tomasino’s biggest strength remains his play in transition. His explosiveness and ability to protect the puck and process at full speed make him so difficult to stop as he gains speed through the neutral zone. This dominance as an attacker was flashed as a draft eligible player, but an increase in confidence and strength made him a more consistent player. With that added strength came an increased ability to maintain possession through contact and to prolong possession deep in the offensive zone. His effort and engagement level without the puck really improved. When you add it all up, you have a pretty dominant offensive player. Moving forward, Tomasino will look to continue to improve his play as a defensive forward, using his speed to be a difference maker as a forechecker and backchecker. While another year in the OHL is likely, Tomasino has an outside chance of cracking the Predators. He projects as a top six forward who can be a go-to contributor for Nashville and one of the team’s highest scoring players. – BO

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

While consistency is an issue at times, and his game is far from perfect, Afanasyev demonstrates a high level of skill and confidence as a goal scorer. He is an extremely aggressive shooter, who is always looking to get the puck, or himself, to the net. He generates considerable velocity on his wrist shot and the ability to beat goalies clean, even from distance. He shoots while in full stride, with the ability to generate his own scoring chances by driving wide. With quick hands, Afanasyev does well in the offensive zone to protect the puck and will challenge defenders for open space. Outside of his goal scoring ability and shot generation tendencies, he needs to round off his game. His decision making with the puck requires fine tuning as turnovers can be an issue when he takes his time. Additionally, he struggles as a three-zone player and can have a tendency to float. He is not currently a play driver and is rarely used for zone entries. Afanasyev has the size and skill set to be a goal scoring, top six forward at the NHL level, if he can play with greater consistency. – BO

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Tolvanen has been somewhat of a disappointment since coming to the AHL two seasons ago. Expected to jump directly to Nashville upon coming stateside, his goal-scoring has instead flattened out. That said, he still has quite a bit of promise and has improved in many aspects other than scoring, that are suggestive of his ability to provide value in the future. Having lost 10 pounds, he has greatly increased his top speed and acceleration, becoming more dynamic with the puck on his stick. His play away from the puck has gotten better as well, with more shot blocks and better play against the boards on defense. He has rounded out his game to where he is not entirely useless without scoring, which will help earn his spot in the lineup, even in a bottom six role. The youngest player on a stacked Milwaukee team last year, Tolvanen might not be a superstar at the highest level, but he can be a high-octane second-line scorer and first-power play triggerman if he finds confidence in the AHL next season, even if the hype has worn off. - TD

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Pitlick made a big splash in his inaugural professional season with his energy, pacing, and shooting ability allowing him to shine. A terrific puck-pursuit hybrid forward, the 23-year-old boasts high-grade speed that complements his aggressive, relentless forechecking without the puck. He can also be a dynamic puck-handler with his agility and hand speed. More of a shooter than a facilitator, he likes to set up in the slot or faceoff circle to let loose a quickly-released slap shot or an accurate, hard wrister, but he can also slow down the game in the offensive zone and find his teammates at a respectable level. Responsible in his own zone, he has displayed the maturity and mistake-free defensive game that would help his potential to play a three-zone game. The only genuine knock on him is his size, and at 5-10”, he has shown a lack of strength around the boards. His future role as middle six forechecker with scoring potential is fast approaching, and he is arguably NHL-ready at this point. – TD

Luke Evangelista, RW (42^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Evangelista broke out in a big way last year. Utilized as a support winger in London’s top six, he showed that he can be versatile while complementing some of the Knights’ older skilled players like Connor McMichael and Liam Foudy. Evangelista excels playing down low, outworking larger defenders to win puck battles, but also possessing the hands, creativity, and vision to generate scoring chances coming off the wall. He protects the puck well and works equally well in transition as he does grinding it out, attacking the middle of the ice. He has also proven an ability to be the primary puck carrier. It is highly likely that he is a much more skilled player than he was able to show last year, which he flashed when given the responsibility. A well-rounded player who does everything well, Evangelist may be the next London forward, after the likes of the aforementioned McMichael, as well as Alex Formenton and Christian Dvorak, who explodes in his first post-draft season. – BO

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Farrance is an explosive offensive defenseman who has already proven to be a draft day steal before even setting foot on professional ice. After a slow start to his collegiate career, he ended up leading the country in scoring by defensemen in his junior season. For his efforts, he was named to the All-American first team, New England’s best defenseman, and was a Hobey Baker finalist. Farrance is an extreme offensive threat. His speed is blistering, and he can blow past defenders easily, one aspect that makes him so dangerous. He played on his team’s first power play unit and is an excellent asset on the man-advantage because of his ability to cycle the puck. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone. He sees the ice very well and is capable of making good plays in difficult situations. He isn’t exactly small but is more of a finesse player than a physical player, even if he is not afraid to use his body. He also has really soft hands and the puck seems to float on his stick. He projects to be at least on a second line pairing at the highest level. - JS

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Parssinen had an excellent season with TPS in both the U20 league and in Liiga. He was promoted to the Liiga team in December. He was one of the few bright spots on a poor TPS team that missed the playoffs. He seemingly gained confidence and made strides as the season progressed. He is a competitive, sizeable center who plays a strong two-way game. He is dependable on both sides of the puck, has good vision and displays awareness. A good playmaker with quality passing skills and swift hands to carry the puck up the ice, he can make flashy plays and has an accurate wrist shot. He can be utilized on special teams. While he does not have blazing speed, he reads the game well and knows where to go to be effective. Parssinen fell all the way to the late seventh round in the 2019 draft, possibly due to injury concerns. Since the draft, his progress has made the Predators look very smart. He could be a steal of a draft pick when all is said and done. - MB

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

A second-round pick in the stacked 2015 NHL Draft, Trenin’s development up until the most recent pro season had been largely disappointing. The Chelyabinsk native dazzled in the QMJHL in his draft year, but failed to equal that production in with AHL Milwaukee, until his transformative 2019-20 campaign. The toolkit has always been interesting: power forward with blazing fast hands and creative ways of finding angles for shots, he also found confidence and assertiveness for the first time as a top-six centerman with the Admirals last season. Excelling in breaking down defenses and making plays within and when entering the offensive zone, he is deadly at even strength as an independent contractor who consistently creates offensive chances for himself and by himself. Physically, he is difficult to take off the puck and has superb momentum with his body. While he is not particularly quick, he is a decent enough skater to be a depth scorer in the NHL, although he doesn’t seem to be a factor defensively. He will need to back last season up with another in the AHL, especially as he was not all too effective in his NHL run, but he has made a name for himself. - TD

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

The Predators have not needed a transition in goal for more than a decade, but Pekka Rinne’s decline and aging curve, as well as Juuse Saros’ struggles as the primary netminder, have led to questions about who is ready to contribute from the Predators’ prospect pipeline, and Ingram has entered the discussion as the most likely answer. Picked up for a mere seventh-round pick in 2021 after a publicized fallout with Tampa Bay, Ingram shined in his first season in the Nashville farm system, representing Milwaukee in the AHL All-Star Game and placing third among qualified goalies in GAA and save percentage. What the 6-1” netminder lacks in size and utility, he more than makes up for in technical refinement and athleticism. The highly skilled goalie has quick feet, guards post-to-post well, and leverages his lack of size by playing primarily at the lip of the crease to maximize coverage. He does not often overplay pucks or overreact to defensive breakdowns in front of him and makes the saves he needs to. I wouldn’t expect Ingram to immediately overtake Rinne, a fan favorite deserving of loyalty from the franchise, but the time will come soon with more seasoning in the AHL. – TD

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

In an organization with less blueline depth than the Predators, Carrier would already be a consistent presence on the NHL depth chart. This is a credit to Nashville’s incredible two-way forces on defense rather than a knock on Carrier, who himself is a serviceable depth blueline prospect with an improving offensive game. On pace to set a career high in points before the AHL’s pause and eventual cancellation, Carrier was the most lethal offensive defenseman on the Admirals, the team with the best record in the league in 2019-20. An impressive puck-mover who has started to use his improving skating speed more to impact things offensively, the 23-year-old is an intelligent passer and a reliable option to move the puck out of the defensive zone and through center. Smart and with a long stick, his gaps close fast, and he generally plays opposing forwards against the boards rather than letting them get inside position. A power play quarterback, he can stand to improve his shot and his ability to pass through traffic. He is a near fully ready bottom-four blueliner who can contribute in a multitude of ways. - TD

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Del Gaizo is an offensive defenseman who spent two years in the USHL and in 2017-18 led all league defensemen in goals scored. He then joined UMass, where he helped send the Minutemen to a national championship game — literally, as he led all freshman on the team in scoring and he potted the game-winning goal in the 2019 national semifinal game. Del Gaizo was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team for his efforts. He has a quick and accurate shot and his slapshot is especially hard. His passes are direct, and he handles the puck well. Not only can he contribute offensively, but he has a calm demeanor on the backcheck. He is still raw but has the tools to become a lower-pairing defenseman at this highest level, but if anything holds him back, it is his combination of below average size and average, at best, skating. He will need to prove that he is more than a tweener. - JS

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Acquired in the offseason’s big-news P.K. Subban trade, Davies brings to the Nashville system a game stylistically similar to the 2013 Norris Trophy winner. Highly aggressive with the puck and capable of pushing offense from the blueline out, he shows flashes of elite-level vision and passing at times and was one of the best puck-movers in the NCAA for three years. His 5-11” frame should be a detriment for someone as physical as he is, but his upper-body strength and willingness to engage with his body compensates for a lack of size. His hockey sense on offense also allows him to be a useful defender, anticipating the movement of opposing forwards and keeping them in front of him most times. He can be prone to a turnover, a side effect of a risky offensive defenseman, but his puck play is generally good. His skating looks poor against AHL competition though, and at 23 with years of high-level hockey already behind him, we can’t be confident his speed and overall mobility will improve. Regardless, he is a solid depth defense prospect with some promising offensive skill. – TD

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Passed over in his first draft year, when he was a feisty energy player with a strong shot, Fontaine went back to the USHL and turned up the skill. His path to a successful career is still likely to be trying to mold his game after Brad Marchand (small pest with skill), but this year he showed more and more that the skill was there in abundance. The Northeastern commit is a solid puck handler who can skate the puck through a crowd towards the danger zone. Additionally, his shot was among the best in the USHL, giving him the ability to score from anywhere in the offensive zone. His energy level is evident on both sides of the puck as well. He reads the game well and can be used in all roles and situations, with his chippiness rarely crossing the line to callable infractions. A fun, fun player to watch, Fontaine ability to adapt to the NCAA will tell us how much of his improvements from last year are sustainable. – RW

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

In the introduction to the Nashville section, I mentioned players with diminished expectations without exactly being busts. I had Mismash in mind when crafting that sentence. Three years after being drafted, all spent in a top collegiate program in North Dakota and Mismash is seemingly no closer to realizing his potential today than he was with the USNTDP, lighting up the WU18 tournament before being drafted. The versatile forward has seen his point totals fluctuate from 22 to 10 to 20 in three years with the Fighting Hawks. If you catch him on the right day, he plays with positive, disruptive energy. He can demonstrate soft hands and still flashes the ability to take over a shift with skill and decisiveness. He simply doesn’t do that often enough. As of this writing, Mismash is expected to return to North Dakota for a senior season, before he forces Nashville to offer him a contract or lose his rights. He still has the potential to be a bottom-line contributor. - RW

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Kondelik played his youth hockey in the Czech Republic before heading to the U.S. to play in the USHL. He represented his country in international play in five of the last six years, including in the 2020 World Junior Championship. Kondelik was on the Ivan Hlinka Memorial championship team in 2015-16 and named a top three Czech player in the 2017 U-18 World Junior Championship. He has made an impact at UConn over the past two years, contributing offensively and defensively. Kondelik isn’t a prolific scorer, but he is a solid power forward. He is a good skater especially considering his size (6-7”) and can motor up the ice. He sees the ice well and makes direct passes and feeds in difficult positions and through traffic. He is not the shiftiest, but he can still buy time and space for himself. Kondelik is also good at protecting the puck. He has bottom six upside, and his size will win him multiple chances to achieve it. - JS

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Often overshadowed on his USNTDP blueline, competing with the likes of K’Andre Miller, Mattias Samuelsson, and Bode Wilde, Stastney has nevertheless impressed scouts with his development through two seasons with Notre Dame. There is not a lot of flash in his game, but he is a fantastic skater and managed to up his scoring from four points as a freshman to 20 in a truncated sophomore season, while also representing the US at the WJC. As impressive as his added offensive punch was, the key to Stastney’s game is continuing to defend well without any real semblance of a physical game. Small and slight, he comes by the lack of physicality honestly, but he has thus far made up for it with tight coverage, good one-on-one tracking ability and heady clock management. Stastney might be able to contribute to a second power play unit at a higher level but represents a good organizational asset even if he just maxes out as a safe third pairing defender with only even strength duties. - RW

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Over the years, Harper has emerged as a steady and consistent player. While playing prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms, he filled in for a few games with the USNTDP U-17 team, and later with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. He burst onto the scene at Boston University as a freshman, wowing with his scoring ability. He was injured in his sophomore year and missed nearly half the season but had rebounded by his senior year. Harper represented the U.S. in the World Junior Championship in both his freshman and sophomore season, before his injury troubles, and was a part of the gold medal squad in the former season. Harper is very fast, which is a boon offensively but also defensively as he has no issues backchecking. He also appeared on the team’s first power play unit. At 5-7” he is small but is still able to effectively avoid opponents. He also has good hockey sense. The fifth-round pick opted to sign with Nashville despite an option to become a free agent following graduation and will face his next challenge next season, in the AHL. – JS

Adam Wilsby, D (101^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A late bloomer, Wilsby finally did enough in his third year of draft eligibility after spending the bulk of his season playing senior hockey in Sweden’s second tier, putting up fantastic offensive numbers (tied for fourth in points among blueliners). He has an average build and is a strong four-way skater, more now than when he first became eligible, thanks to an improved physique. He is also a solid puck mover and has proven more than competent at quarterbacking the power play, although he does not have a big point shot. He has shown to be reliable in all facets of the game thanks to good play reading and defensive awareness and may continue to improve off the puck as he grows accustomed to his matured build. Because of the well-rounded nature of his overall game, Wilsby might have more of a chance to avoid the “tweener” tag than some of the other blueliners on the back half of this list. – RW

Semyon Chistyakov, D (117^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

In his first post draft campaign, Chistyakov played a considerably more assertive game when his team had the puck, imposing his will far more often in the offensive zone. He has the requisite skating ability, puck moving instincts, all tied together by a sound hockey brain, helping him make the most of what he has. His undersized frame may yet hold him back, but it has not done so yet, and he has been known to play aggressively from time to time. He also tries to overcome the size disadvantage by using a quick defensive stick to push pucks away before the pay gets too hairy for him. If the early goings of this season are anything to judge by, Chistyakov seems to have skipped the VHL, going right from the MHL (Russian juniors) to the KHL, playing on a bottom pairing with a bit of power play time thrown in. His outlook is still shrouded in mystery, but Chistyakov is heading in the right direction. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 23

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 18:20:12 +0000

Nashville Predators

Always a strong team, but rarely a world beater, Nashville’s window may be closing. In the three years previous to the current one, the Predators made it to a Stanley Cup Final, won the President’s Trophy, and won the Central Division, respectively. The Stanley Cup Final year was the first, and still the only, time the team has gotten past the second round of the playoffs. This year they missed the first round entirley, losing to Arizona in the play-in round three games to one

Thankfully, even through a run in which they made the playoffs in eight of the past ten seasons, the team generally kept a hold of its draft picks. A confluence of trades in 2018 prevented David Poile and company from calling out a name until the fourth round, but that was the first year that Nashville did not have a first round pick since 2015. In that time, the reputation they had for drafting well was maintained well. Even still early in the observational phase, we don’t see any picks in the first half of the draft who seem trending towards ‘bust’ status. Sure, a few players are not exactly living up to expectations, but even they have simply downgraded their projections from middle-of-roster to bottom-of-roster.

If there is much hope of extending the contention window, it largely rests in what the Predators have developing on the farm with Milwaukee. It is rarely exciting in this day and age to have your best and brightest so close to the NHL, as the AHL is often the testing ground for players bound for the back end of a roster, but the depth and breadth of skilled players honing their respective games with the Admirals in 2019-20 definitely bodes well for the immediate future. When the AHL season was suspended, the Admirals had a league best .714 points percentage, over 50 percentage points better than the next best squad.

Under the guise of head coach Karl Taylor, in only his second season as a bench boss in the AHL, the Admirals lost only 14 times in regulation through 63 games, outscoring their opponents by 70 goals. Although the lineup was led by two high scoring veterans, in Daniel Carr and Cole Schneider, what was most impressive was the depth of scoring. Prospects in whom the Predators organization maintains high hopes include players like Eeli Tolvanen, Rem Pitlick, Alexandre Carrier and Yakov Trenin, all featured below, but also one with a pretty neat backstory, who just missed this list, in Tommy Novak.

A Nashville third round pick in 2015, Novak moved from Waterloo of the USHL to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The center was OK over his four-year run with the famed Big Ten program, parlaying fine skating ability and hockey IQ into a solid two-way game for the collegiate game. That last clause is important, as the Predators would not offer a forward who never scored more than six goals in a season, and combined for seven goals over his final two seasons, an NHL Entry Level deal, dangling only an AHL contract to Novak.

Not only did Novak exceed expectations moving to the AHL but proved to be more dangerous a scorer in the AHL than he ever was at the NCAA level. His 11 goals as an AHL rookie were one short of his total from his final three years with the Golden Gophers and he finished the season third in scoring for the Admirals. More importantly though, the Predators finally saw enough to give Novak the ELC he had been waiting for, inking him to a two-year deal on March 25, less than two weeks after the season was originally postponed.

Even if Nashville’s so-called window may be closing, there is no reason this team cannot keep competing into the foreseeable future.

Philip Tomasino of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

One of only four players in the OHL this year to hit the 100-point plateau, Tomasino had a fantastic draft +1 year, which was split between the Niagara IceDogs and Oshawa Generals. His biggest strength remains his play in transition. His explosiveness and ability to protect the puck and process at full speed make him so difficult to stop as he gains speed through the neutral zone. Without question, Tomasino is one of the best forwards in the OHL at gaining the offensive zone. This dominance as an attacker was flashed as a draft eligible player, but an increase in confidence and strength made him a more consistent player.

Where Tomasino really improved this year was his ability to play and succeed without pace. With that added strength came an increased ability to play and maintain possession through contact and consequently, a greater ability to prolong possession deep in the offensive zone. He was winning significantly more challenges deep, and his effort and engagement level without the puck really improved. When you add it all up, you have a pretty dominant offensive player.

Moving forward, Tomasino will look to continue to improve his play as a defensive forward, using his speed to be a difference maker as a forechecker and backchecker. These areas did improve this year, but for him to stick down the middle, it is likely that further growth will be required. While another year in the OHL is likely, Tomasino does have an outside chance of cracking the Predators roster next season. He projects as a top six forward who can be a go-to contributor for Nashville and one of the team’s highest scoring players. - BO

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Transferring from the USHL (where he starred with Muskegon in his draft year), Afanasyev’s first year in the OHL with Windsor has to be considered a success. While consistency was an issue at times, and his game is far from perfect, he demonstrates a high level of skill and confidence as a goal scorer and finished as the leading goal scorer for the Spitfires.

Afanasyev is an extremely aggressive shooter, who is always looking to get the puck to the net or get himself there. He generates considerable velocity on his wrist shot and possesses the ability to beat goalies clean, even from a distance. He also shows well shooting while in full stride and is more than just a trigger man or stand-still shooter. As such, he possesses the ability to generate his own scoring chances by driving wide. With quick hands, Afanasyev does well in the offensive zone to protect the puck and will challenge defenders for open space.

Outside of his goal scoring ability and shot generation tendencies, Afanasyev needs to grow more as a player. His decision making with the puck requires fine tuning as turnovers can be an issue as defenders force him into the middle of the ice. Additionally, he struggles as a three-zone player and can have a tendency to float. He is not currently the type of player who drives the attack, as his zone entry tendencies are among the lowest of any top six forward in the OHL. He relies on the speed of his linemates to push the pace. No question, Afanasyev has the size and skill set to be a goal scoring, top six forward at the NHL level. But he will need to further round out his game to be a more consistent difference maker. - BO

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 13: Eeli Tolvanen #11 of the Nashville Predators poses for his official headshot on September 13, 2018 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Not long ago, Tolvanen was the crown jewel of a deep Predators farm system. Starring as a rookie in the KHL, a league some consider to be the second-best in the world, his scoring prowess was on full display and hype for an eventual North American return (he spent his final amateur years in the USHL) built across the hockey world. However, the Finnish winger has been somewhat of a disappointment since coming to the AHL two seasons ago. Expected to jump directly to Nashville upon coming stateside, he has instead posted under .3 goals per game in 121 AHL contests.

With all that said, the former Jokerit standout still has quite a bit of promise. Still only 21, an age at which most young players are still seeking to crack an AHL lineup, Tolvanen has improved in many aspects other than scoring that are encouraging of his ability to provide value in the future. 10 pounds lighter than when he first came to the AHL, he has greatly increased his top speed and acceleration, becoming more dynamic with the puck on his stick. His play away from the puck has gotten better as well, with more shot blocks and better play against the boards on defense. He has rounded out his game to where he is not entirely useless without scoring, which will help win him over an NHL coaching staff.

The youngest player on a stacked Milwaukee team last year, Tolvanen might not be a superstar at the highest level, but he can be a high-octane second-line scorer and first-power play triggerman if he finds confidence in the AHL next season, even if the hype has worn off. - TD

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

After finishing in the top ten among all NCAA players in scoring during his senior year at Minnesota, Pitlick made a big splash in his inaugural professional season with the AHL-best Milwaukee Admirals, placing fifth among all league rookies in goals (20). His energy, pacing, and shooting ability allowed him to keep a spot in the top five of all prospects in the Predators system for the third straight year.

A terrific puck-pursuit hybrid forward, the 23-year-old boasts high-grade speed that compliments his aggressive, relentless forechecking style without the puck, but with it, he can be a dynamic puck-handler with his agility and hand speed. More of a shooter than a facilitator, he likes to set up in the slot or faceoff circle to let loose a quickly-released slap shot or accurate, hard wrister, but he can also slow down the game in the offensive zone and find his teammates at a respectable level.

Responsible in his own zone, he has displayed the maturity and mistake-free defensive game that would help his potential to play center, rather than wing, at the NHL level. The only genuine knock on him is his size, and at 5-10”, he has shown a lack of strength around the boards; however, Nashville has made useful players out of 5-9” Viktor Arvidsson and 5-6” Rocco Grimaldi, so this might be the best organization for him. His future role as either a top-six scoring option or a third-line forechecker will be further examined down the line, but at 23, he is arguably NHL-ready at this point. - TD

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

A third-round draft pick, Farrance is an explosive offensive defenseman who has proven to be a draft day steal before even setting foot on professional ice. After playing in the USPHL in New York – where he was named the USPHL U-16 defenseman of the year twice and the most valuable player once, he joined the USNTDP, and represented the US at both the U-17 World Hockey Championship and the U-18 World Junior Championship.

As a freshman at Boston University, Farrance scored just nine points. But he stayed in college, and the development opportunities paid off. By his third year, he led the country in scoring by defensemen. He was named to the All-American first team, New England’s best defenseman and was a Hobey Baker finalist.

Farrance is an extreme offensive threat. His speed is blistering and he can blow past defenders easily, one aspect that makes him such a threat. He played on his team’s first power play unit, and is an excellent asset on the man-advantage because of his ability to cycle the puck. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone. He sees the ice very well and is capable of making good plays in difficult situations.

He isn’t exactly small but is more of a finesse player than a physical player, although he is not afraid to use his body. Farrance also has really soft hands and the puck seems to float on his stick. He projects to be at least on a second-line pairing at the highest level. - JS

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

He is a competitive, sizeable center who plays a strong two-way game. He is dependable on both sides of the puck, has good vision and displays awareness. A good playmaker with quality passing skills and swift hands to carry the puck up the ice, he can make flashy plays and has an accurate wrist shot. He can be utilized on special teams. While he does not have blazing speed, he reads the game well and knows where to go to be effective.

Parssinen fell all the way to the late seventh round in the 2019 draft, possibly due to injury concerns. Since the draft, his progress has made the Predators look very smart. He could be a steal of a draft pick when all is said and done. - MB

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

An impressive puck-mover who has started to use his improving skating speed more to impact things offensively, the 23-year-old is an intelligent passer and a reliable option to move the puck out of the defensive zone and through center. Smart and with a long stick, his gaps close fast, and he generally plays opposing forwards against the boards rather than letting them get inside position.

A power play quarterback, he can stand to improve his shot and his ability to pass through traffic. He is a near fully ready bottom-four blueliner who can contribute in a multitude of ways. - TD

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

The toolkit has always been interesting: a 6-2” power forward with blazing fast hands and creative ways of finding angles for shots, he also found confidence and assertiveness for the first time as a top-six centerman with the Admirals last season.

Excelling in breaking down defenses and making plays within and when entering the offensive zone, he is deadly at even strength as an independent contractor who consistently creates offensive chances for himself and by himself.

Physically, he is difficult to take off the puck and has superb momentum with his body. While he is not particularly quick, he is a decent enough skater to be a depth scorer in the NHL, although he doesn’t seem to be a factor defensively. He will need to back this season up with another in the AHL, especially as he was not all too effective in his NHL run, but he has made a name for himself. - TD

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Picked up for a mere seventh-round pick in 2021 after a publicized fallout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ingram shined in his first season in the Nashville farm system, representing Milwaukee in the AHL All-Star Game and placing third among qualified goalies in GAA and save percentage. What the 6-1” netminder lacks in size and utility, he more than makes up for in technical refinement and athleticism. The highly skilled goalie has quick feet, guards post-to-post well, and leverages his lack of size by playing primarily at the lip of the crease to maximize coverage. He does not often overplay pucks or overreact to defensive breakdowns in front of him and makes the saves he needs to.

I wouldn’t expect Ingram to immediately overtake Rinne, a fan favorite deserving of loyalty from the franchise, but the time will come soon with more seasoning in the AHL. - TD

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Del Gaizo, a fourth-round draft pick, is an offensive defenseman. He spent two years in the USHL and in 2017-18 led all league defensemen in goals scored. He then joined UMass, where he helped send the Minutemen to a national championship game — literally, as he led all freshman on the team in scoring and he potted the game-winning goal in the 2019 national semifinal game. Del Gaizo was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team for his efforts.

He has a quick and accurate shot and his slapshot is especially hard. His passes are direct, and he handles the puck well. Not only can he contribute offensively, but he has a calm demeanor on the backcheck. He is still raw but has the tools to become a lower-pairing defenseman at this highest level. - JS

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

His 5-11” frame should be a detriment for someone as physical as he is, but his upper-body strength and willingness to engage with his body compensates for a lack of size. His hockey sense on offense also allows him to be a useful defender, anticipating the movement of opposing forwards and keeping them in front of him most times. He can be prone to a turnover, a side effect of a risky offensive defenseman, but his puck play is generally good.

His skating looks poor against AHL competition though, and at 23 with years of high-level hockey already behind him, we can’t be confident his speed and overall mobility will improve. Regardless, he is a solid depth defense prospect with some promising offensive skill. - TD

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

The versatile forward has seen his point totals fluctuate from 22 to 10 to 20 in three years with the Fighting Hawks. If you catch him on the right day, he plays with positive, disruptive energy. He can demonstrate soft hands and still flashes the ability to take over a shift with skill and decisiveness. He simply doesn’t do that often enough.

As of this writing, Mismash is expected to return to North Dakota for a senior season, before he forces Nashville to offer him a contract or lose his rights. He still has the potential to be a bottom-line contributor. - RW

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Kondelik isn’t a prolific scorer, but he is a solid power forward. He is a good skater especially considering his size (6-7”) and can motor up the ice. He sees the ice well and makes direct passes and feeds in difficult positions and through traffic. He is not the shiftiest, but he can still buy time and space for himself. Kondelik is also good at protecting the puck. He has bottom six upside and his size will win him multiple chances to achieve it. - JS

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

As impressive as his added offensive punch was, the key to Stastney’s game is continuing to defend well without any real semblance of a physical game. Small and slight, he comes by the lack of physicality honestly, but he has thus far made up for it with tight coverage, good one-on-one tracking ability and heady clock management.

Stastney might be able to contribute to a second power play unit at a higher level but represents a good organizational asset even if he just maxes out as a safe third pairing defender with only even strength duties. - RW

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)

Harper represented the U.S. in the World Junior Championship in both his freshman and sophomore season, before his injury troubles, and was a part of the gold medal squad in the former season. Harper is very fast, which is a boon offensively but also defensively as he has no issues backchecking. He also appeared on the team’s first power play unit. At 5-7” he is small but is still able to effectively avoid opponents. He also has good hockey sense.

The fifth-round pick opted to sign with Nashville despite an option to become a free agent following graduation and will face his next challenge next season, in the AHL. - JS

AHL: Central Division Prospect Report, December 2019

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 18:05:13 +0000

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 04: Texas Stars forward Jason Robertson looks for the puck during game against the Tucson Roadrunners on October 04, 2019 on October 04, 2019, at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire)

November is always an interesting month of play in the American Hockey League. You start to see which of the teams that started October red hot are contenders, and which are pretenders, and we begin to see the rebirth of talented teams that kicked off the season near the bottom of the standings.

This normalization of team results extends to players, as well. The shrewd veterans brought in to help develop prospects finally get going, while some incredible young players slow down after a scorching start and improve upon their flaws without the early butterflies and pressure to succeed.

Coaches begin to understand how to balance their two primary objectives; winning and prospect development, while lineup deployment comes together and everyone finds a way to contribute to the club as the season turns to December.

Speaking of prospect development, we are going to take a look at some of the promising pupils competing in the AHL’s Central Division. Checking in on the clubs from the American Midwest, the state of Texas, and Manitoba, you will find some useful information on notable prospects as well as some news and notes from around the division.

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

Record:20-4-3-2, 45 points, .776% points percentage

The Admirals might be the best team in the AHL, and if not the best, they are absolutely the scariest. After winning 13 in a row, the club sits first in the league in points (45) and points percentage (.776) with an absurd 20-4-3-2 record.

Milwaukee has scored more goals (103) than any team in the AHL, while allowing fewer goals (69) than all but three other teams. A lot has been made of how dangerous this team is from a cohesive standpoint, as the roster boasts some high-end prospects and sought-after veterans, but their success boils down to individual players as well.

Milwaukee forward Yakov Trenin was named the AHL’s Player of the Week, while Tommy Novak was given the Rookie of the Month Award in November. The two are part of a core of ten Admirals players with double-digit points through the first two months of the season. Head coach Karl Taylor and his club look better than ever before and should be just as lethal down the road.

Jeremy Davies, 6th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Predators farm system (28-2-11-13): One of the pieces that came back to Nashville in the P.K. Subban trade that occurred at the last NHL Draft, Davies was a remarkably underrated asset for the Predators to acquire, as he posted just under a point-per-game in his last two years at Northeastern. That point-scoring prowess came from his ability to skate with the best of them, with and without the puck, and helping to transition the play in the neutral zone. His shot from the point is accurate, albeit a little soft, but is adept at generating rebounds for forwards. Physically, he gives up size (5-11”, 187 lbs) for his uncanny strength and tenacity, having not looked out of place in his short pro career. The Predators have a logjam of Grade A defensemen in their system, with Davies being just another one of them, but he carries a second-pairing potential with him so long as he can progress in his play-reading capabilities, which would make the former seventh-rounder an absolute steal.

Anthony Richard, 9th (28-7-2-9): Richard is off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2019-20 campaign. Generally a versatile playmaking forward with lots of energy and an up-ice demeanor, the 2015 fourth-rounder has been stagnant in what was supposed to be a big developmental year for the young forward. After scoring three points in the first two games of the season, Richard -- last year’s team leader in scoring -- has just five in his last 23, mostly due to a lack of assertiveness and drive. Now demoted to the Ads’ third line, Richard is due for a breakout, and his smarts, peskiness, and somewhat-improved skating can assist in that. His deployment on both the power play and penalty kill is promising in that he can contribute even without scoring, but you would like much more offensive production from the struggling winger.

Alexandre Carrier, 13th (29-4-15-19): Last season, Carrier impressed me by developing his offensive game; the skills were always there, but a certain passivity kept him from truly exploding until last campaign, where he used his skating, puck-handling, and vision to become a menacing puck-rusher for Milwaukee. With that squared away, our eyes turned to his flawed defensive game, which has since been bolstered by an increased willingness to engage physically and trust in his legs to get the puck out of the zone. Deployed on the Admirals’ first defensive pair as of late, he has burst onto the scene as a complete d-man with loads of offensive potential, currently sitting at fifth in AHL defensemen scoring.

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

Record: 13-10-2-2, 30 points, .556% points percentage

As their parent club continue on an improbable ascent up the Central Division standings, with points in 14 of their last 15 games, Iowa is sitting pretty at second in the AHL’s Central classification with help from veterans acquired this past offseason as well as some emerging prospects.

Iowa set a franchise record (since their move to Des Moines from Houston before the 2013-14 season) with 37 wins last season, culminating in their first postseason appearance in the Hawkeye State. The Wild are on pace to beat that mark with a 41-win pace through 22 games this season.

It’s a remarkable job by Tim Army, who has done an excellent job mixing lines and has his club playing a solid two-way game.

Connor Dewar, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Wild farm system (16-3-1-4): Dewar came to the Minnesota system in an unusual way. Undrafted in his first year of eligibility, the WHL stalwart was picked up in the third round of the 2018 draft by the Wild with a draft selection that was not initially theirs; a Vegas draft pick that was dealt to Minnesota in exchange for Alex Tuch, during the Golden Knights’ pre-expansion draft maneuvering. Now playing in his debut pro season, Dewar has been shaky, but at times, brilliant. His wrist shot is blazing fast and well-located, and his skating, though sloppy at times, is quick and upstart. After being stapled to the bottom-line with certified goons like Mike Liambas to start the season, the 20-year-old is playing top-six center minutes thanks to his reliable, disciplined playing style down the middle. I would like to see him use his shot more instead of his default idea of ill-advised passes.

Louie Belpedio, 11th (27-1-7-8): Belpedio has not had an easy start to his second full year in the pro ranks, but there are some grounds for optimism in his developing defensive game. The right-shot, puck-moving blueliner has long been an impactful guy in transition and physically, but his play-reading and stick-readiness have improved in a more reserved role this season. Deployed in a depth role with veteran Matt Register, Belpedio has done a lot to get back onto Minnesota’s radar for a spot with the NHL club. However, it seems as though Brennan Menell (and deservedly so) has supplanted him on the depth chart, so the former American World Junior participant will have to do more to get back to the big league.

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Record:14-10-0-1, 29 points, .580% points percentage

Looking to bounce back after an poor 2018-19 season, the IceHogs got younger, faster, and more energetic compared to their prior season’s roster, which sputtered to a seventh-place finish in the Central Division.

Led by a pair of brothers, Dylan and Tyler Sikura, the IceHogs are helping accelerate the ongoing rebuild of their parent club. Winners of six out of their last ten, the IceHogs have fought valiantly after a slow start to get back into playoff contention.

Rockford’s roster features several of Chicago’s best and most intriguing prospects, including Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, and MacKenzie Entwistle. Even if the Blackhawks (12-15-6, 30 points, last in NHL Central Division) lack entertainment value, Chicago fans can always drive just an hour and a half west to Rockford.

Adam Boqvist, 2nd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blackhawks’ farm system (15-1-5-6): The 2018 first rounder has found an offensive touch in his first North American professional season after being re-assigned from the Blackhawks, whose roster he made out of training camp, early this season. Inventive and creative with the puck on his stick, Boqvist boasts the deceptive skating speed and beautiful hands to produce offensively from the neutral zone in, as well as the shooting prowess and positional awareness to be a sneaky high goal-scorer. With that said, his defensive game is still incomplete; most notably his tracking of developing plays and his lack of physicality against the boards and behind the goal.

Kevin Lankinen, Unranked (6-3-1, 2.58 GAA, .927 Sv%): What Lankinen has done to even get himself on the radar of an NHL team is nothing short of incredible, but the highly entertaining Finnish netminder is nowhere close to done. In a crowded crease featuring Collin Delia and Matt Tomkins, the 24-year-old free agent signee has starred, leading the club with a 0.927 Sv%, which is top-20 in the AHL. A pure competitor in every way, Lankinen employs a high-energy, high-octane style of netminding that lacks mental composure but oozes athletic ability. Moves from side to side well and can catch up to anything he might not initially get, using his quick feet in a low-to-the-ice style that minimizes rebounds. Lankinen’s patience and shot tracking will need to improve for the goalie to succeed in the top-flight league.

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Record: 10-10-5-3, 28 points, .500% points percentage

After years of bouncing from parent club to parent club, even hosting two NHL teams at once, the San Antonio Rampage finally have two things that have plagued them over the past few seasons: organizational consistency and veteran support.

The Blues made efforts to bulk up their AHL affiliate with veteran guys with Mike Vecchione, Nathan Walker, and Derrick Pouliot, who are their three leading scorers thus far this season. The Rampage, who have finished last in their division four years running, are reaping the benefits.

A revival of a club that has not won a playoff game in eight years, the fans in the Alamo City deserve this. The postseason is not guaranteed, but to even be in the running is a nice change of pace.

Jordan Kyrou, 1st in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blues farm system (16-9-6-15): I’ll contend that Kyrou is one of the best players in the AHL right now, and his NHL future is both certain and near, with a recall on December 9. The top-ranked prospect in a revamped St. Louis system, the 2016 third-round selection dazzled with San Antonio thanks to his speed, footwork, and improved wrist shot/shot selection. His fiery speed has always been there, but his increased aggressiveness in using his shot (he is averaging over three shots on goal per game with the Rampage this season) is a major step up to me. The fact that he can play all three forward spots, with center being his best position, is also a great positive and means that it is possible he has already played his last AHL game.

Mitch Reinke, 9th (15-2-8-10): After a 13-game absence from the San Antonio lineup due to an upper-body injury, Reinke jumped in and immediately produced two assists from the blue line in his first game back on the ice. That performance more or less exemplifies what Reinke can bring to the Blues in the near future, and as he did with San Antonio last season, earning AHL All-Rookie honors with a 76-12-33-45 season stat line. A right-handed, puck-moving, smooth-skating defenseman that went undrafted is such an absurd thought that he has to have some flaws, right? Well, his initial blue line defense is flawed, with a lack of stick activity and a too passive style defending one-on-one to make an impact in a depth NHL role. Otherwise, the 23-year-old is one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the Blues system.

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

Record: 14-15-0-0, 28 points, .483% points percentage

After a 1-7-0-0 start, the Moose ripped off nine wins in their next ten games. Since then, however, they have found consistency and steadiness within a lineup that features several of Winnipeg’s most heralded prospects.

Jansen Harkins (11th) is the AHL’s third-leading scorer as he continues blossoming into the second-rounder he was drafted as in 2015, while defensemen Logan Stanley and Sami Niku (though currently battling an injury) progress into NHL-caliber two-way talents and forward Kristian Vesalainen (1st) has started to implement his skill into the game.

Head coach Pascal Vincent has done a magisterial job in properly mixing his roster combinations of veterans and young guns, and the team is showing it out on the ice.

Logan Stanley, 4th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Jets farm system (15-1-4-5): Coming back in late November to play his first game since October 18, Stanley did not look rusty at all in his return to AHL action. The towering defenseman’s calm and easy-going playing style benefited him after a long absence, as he was able to re-insert himself into the lineup and play his game without making adjustments. His defensive game is stout and incredibly mature, with his length and physical size making him difficult to get inside position on while his smarts give him the ability to move the puck out to middle-ice with relative ease. His booming slapshot makes him a lethal power-play option as well, though I would like to see him use his shot more. His journey to the NHL has been hindered by his slow skating and sloppy puck-handling at times, but the 2016 first-rounder is still only 21 and has time to make it all up.

Sami Niku, 5th (16-3-9-12): Niku is one of the most confusing and enigmatic prospects in professional hockey. One day he will look like a surefire top-four NHL defenseman, the next, he can play like the seventh-round draft pick and NHL longshot he was supposed to be. The defenseman will be on the shelf for the next 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, but beforehand, was playing with that up-and-down style he has been noted for. If he can only find consistency, his combination of elite skating, heads-up vision, and puck-moving skills can make him a go-to option for a Jets team that needs offense from the blue line.

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Record: 12-15-2-0, 26 points, .448% points percentage

The Wolves’ sudden fall from the reigning conference champion to back half of the division table has been a kick in the gut for the club and for AHL fans in the Windy City. 4-5-1-0 in their last ten games, Chicago has bled goals and has not found the offensive output to compensate.

However, help has come in an unorthodox way, in the form of Valentin Zykov, after the Vegas forward failed a drug test, was suspended 20 games, and then waived and assigned to the AHL club. The 2013 second-round pick is a proven AHL scorer (33 goals in 2017-18 with Charlotte) and has already chipped in two assists in as many games.

Brandon Pirri also recently joined the fray, but nevertheless, this club will need to see the emergence of some younger players like Lucas Elvenes to have any chance at making a charge back into a postseason spot. Losing as many veterans as they did from last season (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, etc) has depleted Rocky Thompson’s bench, but the season is still far from over.

Jake Bischoff, 8th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Golden Knights farm system (22-0-3-3): There are calls from Vegas fans to replace Deryk Engelland, an older and immobile defenseman, with Bischoff, an AHL regular who played well in a short stint with the Knights. While I have little familiarity with the Vegas coaching systems and what they value out of their defensemen, Bischoff could stick with the NHL club right now with little adjustment necessary. Originally a 2012 seventh-round pick of the New York Islanders, the Minnesotan has blossomed into the rugged, defensively solid blueliner the Knights envisioned when they acquired him in a swap near the 2017 expansion draft. He is a good skater for a big guy and has a rocket of a shot. Patient and observant with and without the puck, he displays intelligence in all three zones, but especially behind his own blue line, where he loves to take the body and is skilled at stealing the puck. He is probably a better defensive option than Engelland, but I don’t make the lineup decisions.

Jimmy Schuldt, 15th (28-4-9-13): After being a near point-per-game player at St. Cloud State, the undrafted defenseman was a highly sought-after prospect who ended up signing with Vegas in April of 2019. Since making his pro debut at the end of last season (a one-game cameo with the Golden Knights), Schuldt has had some on-and-off glimpses of why he was so revered coming out of college. He is exciting to watch with the puck, as he makes creativity reads, crisp passes, and has great footwork despite below-average top speed. His size (6-1”, 205 lbs) allows him to be effective in his own zone, showing some nastiness around the boards and the willingness to make open-ice hits at times. However, for all of his raw talent, he is prone to some turnovers and can have a few defensive errors. All in all, I think he can be a solid middle-pair defender, but with time.

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage

For fans of prospect development, the Griffins are one of the most fun teams to watch in all of pro hockey. The Red Wings, through their organizational rebuild of recent years, have more or less instituted a highly-aggressive, short-schedule development path for top prospects that places them in the AHL immediately and forces them to compete against grown men from the outset of their career.

The results have varied, from the struggles of Filip Zadina to the emergence of Moritz Seider as a future star, but nonetheless, Grand Rapids is home to one of the most entertaining teams in the league.

Three seasons removed from the Calder Cup title run of 2017, the Griffins will need a good next couple of months to get back into position to potentially charge up for another run at the hardware.

Filip Larsson, 13th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Red Wings farm system (2-5-0-0, 4.01 GAA, .843 Sv%): Larsson has gotten both sides of what can plague a goaltender’s early development. Step one, being arguably too inexperienced to jump directly into pro hockey, and step two, being hung out to dry by a very young defense in front of him. After elite performances in the USHL and NCAA in seasons past, Larsson has looked mentally lost in his five starts, allowing at least four goals in all of them, which have been mixed in with some ECHL re-assignments. At just 21, it is both reasonable and not completely unexpected for the Swede to struggle in the AHL, but his potential is still promising. His balance is elite and fueled by his high-end athleticism, which also allows him to move laterally with ease and flash quick glove and blocker hands. With time, he should figure it out.

Dominic Turgeon, 18th (27-6-7-13): As the Griffins roster becomes younger and increasingly prospect oriented, prospects with some level of experience have been turned to for top-six minutes on the struggling club. One of those guys is the 23-year-old fourth-year AHLer Turgeon, who has been commanding top-six minutes since puck drop on the season after mostly playing in a depth role throughout his first few seasons. He has done well with the increase in time, turning his offensive game from utterly useless to somewhat respectable, which could help the Red Wings see him as a future NHL player. Offense is not really his thing, and he has become one of the best defensive forwards in the league because of it; he plays a very safe, disciplined game down the middle and loves to help out in the defensive zone, directing traffic and stepping in front of shots. If he ever becomes an NHL regular, it will be because of that 200-foot game.

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage

The monkey has finally been lifted off of the Texas Stars’ collective back. The Stars endured a franchise-record 12-game losing streak before winning a 7-6 shootout thriller against Rockford on home ice recently. The feeling in and around the Texas locker room was as though they had won the Calder Cup.

The club was destined for some growing pains, as the roster includes as many as a dozen first-year North American pros. The 12-game losing streak put the club, Western Conference champions two seasons ago, at the bottom of the AHL standings.

Sometimes a lack of pressure can be beneficial for the development of young prospects. Being able to play your game and work on your flaws without the worries of dropping matches in the process can be a blessing in disguise. That is certainly what the Dallas Stars are hoping will occur in Cedar Park for the remainder of what looks to be a lost season, even after the move of former head coach Derek Laxdal up to the NHL club after the surprise firing of Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery.

Jason Robertson, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason ranking of Stars farm system (28-11-10-21): Robertson’s trouble as a skater was destined to plague the first few months of his pro career, and anyone who watched his domination of the OHL last season (115 points in 62 games) acknowledged it. The Michigan native has managed well as a scorer on his AHL Texas roster, leading the team in goals and being tied for the highest point total in the locker room. However, his skating has absolutely hindered his development into an NHL caliber player, as his sluggish foot quickness and relatively low top speed have given him some struggles. On the flip side, he is a first-year pro who boasts a physically-commanding package of power forward tools, such as supreme balance, gorgeous hands (especially in tight areas), and a blistering wrist shot that has gotten him power-play time since the outset of the season. The reigning AHL Player of the Week will need to make his simple skating stride at least respectable, and be more reliable on the defensive end, to become the surefire NHLer scorer he can be.

Riley Tufte, 8th (25-0-4-4): Since being drafted out of the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Tufte has had the “bust” label thrown at him many times, and in fairness to the fact that he is a first-year pro on a struggling AHL club (last in the league in points), he is not doing much to subdue the bust talk. Still seeking his first pro goal after 16 games, the two-time NCAA men’s national champion has received mostly third-line minutes and has been unimpressive in that time with the Stars this season. A big man with some quick heels for his size, he has demonstrated some glimpses of promise, using his physical advantages to set up teammates and his maturity and discipline to play very solid defensive hockey. Overall, he has gone missing for shifts -- and games -- at a time and has not played up to his first-round hype this season at all.

Nashville Predators Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:09:48 +0000

The Nashville Predators were practically a non-entity at the most recent NHL Entry Draft, with only four picks made, none among the first 110 selections.

Since their first draft class in 1998, they had never made fewer than five picks, and the only time that occurred was back in 2006. This is a franchise that was built through the draft and they have earned a reputation as a strong drafting team particularly when it comes to the defense.

It is understandable that they would have had so few picks this time, though, as the 2017-18 Predators were the strongest team (at least in the regular season) in franchise history.

In most cases, teams that trade away too many picks end up with shallow pipelines, and while the Predators are not at their deepest, they do have a good number of players who still project with NHL upsides. Not high-end upsides, but NHL.

Where the Predators may have a leg up on other organizations that have been in position to sell the future for the present in recent years, is that their picks tend to meet, or exceed expectations. There are certainly exceptions, there aren’t that many and most of their picks end up at minimum, in the professional chain.

That belief in and success at drafting means that the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee was stuffed not with professional journeymen (although there were a few – it is impossible not to have any), but with players that the Nashville brain trust hopes and has reasonable expectations to see in the NHL in the near future.

Fully eight of the top 20 prospects in the system spent all or most of last season in the AHL, as well as a few others who narrowly missed this list. Even though that AHL low ceiling, high floor depth does not extend to goaltending, the Predators are trying to change that by bringing in a few young and promising European pros in Miroslav Svoboda and Niclas Westerholm.

They will not all end up with lengthy and storied NHL careers, but the Predators are now in an enviable position of not only having a top tier NHL club, one legitimately discussed as a Stanley Cup contender this year, but they also are prepared for injury to nearly every role on the team, as they have someone ready and chomping at the bit on the farm that could be called up.

Considering how the NHL team currently lacks too many open spots, they are penciling in top prospect Eeli Tolvanen for a middle six slot at right wing and might have a competition for the 13^th forward with mid-tier prospects like Frederick Gaudreau or Emil Pettersson or Yakov Trenin pushing for the gig.

As much as the team’s prospect pool is currently on a low ebb, Nashville has a sustainable that is constantly being renewed with new talent. What they lacked in draft picks this year, they made up with one free agent signing from the AHL, two from the CHL, and four from Europe. None of those players has the upside of a first or second round pick, but they are all closer to being ready to help at the NHL level.

This approach can work, but I wouldn’t recommend the Predators doing this for too many more years.

Eeli Tolvanen

1 Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1^st) 19-year-olds rarely play significant minutes in the KHL. Before last season, the best year put up by an 18-year-old in KHL history was the 32 point season of Evgeni Kuznetsov in 2010-11. Tolvanen topped that mark by four points. A school credit issue prevented him from joining Boston College, as planned, but between his play for Jokerit and Finland at the WJC, Plan B turned out pretty well. Tolvanen has an elite shot, hard and precise and deadly even from a distance. Despite that tool, he is happy to dish to a teammate who is better positioned. He also does not hesitate to play a strong game, backchecking, fighting for pucks, and finishing checks. He was given a taste of the NHL last year, but he will stay for the whole meal this time.

2 Dante Fabbro, D (17^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 2^nd) Nashville’s first round pick from 2016 took some pretty big steps in his sophomore season at BU, increasing his offensive output by more than 50%, while showing very promising shut down abilities in his own zone. Although he is not especially large, he uses his body effectively in addition to his ability to use his stick to close a gap. He is a very poised, calm defender, reading the opposition well to create space for himself to make the right play and keep the puck moving in the right direction. Considering how stacked the Predators’ NHL blueline is, they don’t need Fabbro to be a top four defenseman, but that is what they’re getting. He will be returning to Boston University for his junior season, wearing the ‘C’ on his chest.

3 Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 7^th) Some players who are drafted in their second or third years of eligibility, they are simply grinders who took advantage of favorable ice time to excel. Others, such as Pitlick, always had the talent, but needed a bit longer to unlock it. Short and stocky, but with high end wheels, a killer shot and slick puck skills, Pitlick has spent two years now with Minnesota, providing top of the lineup scoring punch. While I would like to see more dominance, considering his skill set, he is not an all or nothing player. Willing to take a hit to make a play, he projects as a solid middle six forward who can create plays for his teammates and finish them off with equal efficiency thanks to high end vision and a touch of creativity.

Grant Mismash

4 Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. Last Year: 5^th) A high end athlete in the USNTDP in his draft year, Mismash had a quieter debut with North Dakota than the Predators might have liked. He still demonstrated high end puck skills coupled with above average skating and good hockey IQ, but he was not able to showcase all those attributes at the same time. Between his passing ability, his strength, and ability to maintain possession when under pressure, he is strong on the cycle. The flashes of playmaking instincts he did show suggest that additional comfort at the collegiate level could help unwrap a dynamic offensive presence. There is still a lot of road ahead for Mismash, but the future looks bright.

5 Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 12^th) Despite suffering through an injury-marred sophomore season at Boston University, Harper continued to dazzle on the ice and in the score sheet when healthy. A point per game player in the half-season he played, he overcomes his tiny size through shifty skating, and a keen understanding of what the other team is trying to achieve, which allows him to take advantage of the space on the ice. To his eternal credit, Harper plays a lot stronger than his 5-9”, 165 frame would suggest. He backchecks hard, does not avoid the greasy parts of the offensive zone and is quick to create a play for a linemate when he gets the puck in favorable position. If he can stay healthy, he could have a dominant junior season.

6 David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 8^th) A small but very mobile defender who flashed dynamic puck movement ability in his time with the USNTDP, Farrance found it harder to assert himself with any regularity as a freshman with Boston University. He still clearly has the high-end wheels, and his point shot, when he gets one off, is plus, with a quick release. In fairness to him, BU is a powerhouse with a stacked blueline and he still carried a regular shift, he just was not put in prime offensive situations. There is still plenty of reason to believe that the skills that he showed as a junior are still there and added familiarity and comfort with the level will help them shine with greater frequency next year.

7 Frederick Gaudreau, C (UDFA: Jan. 5, 2016. Last Year: 11^th) After four seasons in the Nashville system we know what Gaudreau is as a player. Over the last three years, his point totals in Milwaukee have hovered between 42 and 48. But in those three seasons, his games played have steadily dropped from 75 to 66 and finally, to 54 last year. The difference in games played in the AHL was made up for in time spent in Nashville. Despite playing 29 NHL games already, all three of his NHL goals came in the same playoff game in 2016-17. If Gaudreau breaks through and makes the team for good, his work ethic, heads-up hustle and hockey IQ make him a fit on the fourth line and penalty kill units.

8 Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 16^th) The smallest in a group of smaller defensemen with AHL Milwaukee, Carrier is also the most gifted puck mover of the lot. He definitely would rather move the puck to a teammate than fire it on net, and he is skilled at cutting a seam with a sharp pass. He also has shown an increased mental aptitude for the game, reading opponents well and earning time on the PK. E could still refine a few areas of his defensive game, such as showing more faith in his legs by playing with tighter gaps, and being more aggressive in his own zone on occasion, but he has come along very well in the past two seasons and looks like the first defender recalled to the NHL in case of injury.

9 Anthony Richard, C (100^th overall, 2015. Last Year: unranked) More than any other player with Milwaukee last year, Richard took huge strides forward in his development, showing some of that offensive potential that he demonstrated from a young age in the QMJHL. He is a very good skater who owns a hard shot and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He is often the first forward up on the forecheck and he frequently forces the opposing defender or goalie into errors due to his approach. His hands are not the softest, which will limit his offensive upside, but his speed and energy should be enough for him to carve out a bottom six role, killing penalties and providing some additional length to the offensive attack.

Jachym Kondelik

10 Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A towering 6-6”, with over 220 pounds hanging from his shoulders, Kondelik looks like a nightmare condor, but too often plays more like dove. For all his size, he skates pretty well and he demonstrates soft hands often enough to believe that they are legit. He has dealt with injuries in both of the last two years with Muskegon of the USHL and they may have been a factor, but he plays with a notable lack of intensity. He will often pass up the chance to bump an opponent and fails to be assertive as a general rule. That all said, with his natural physical gifts, the Predators did well to gamble on Kondelik with their first pick of the 2018 draft and will be patient with him as he develops at the University of Connecticut.

11 Tyler Gaudet, C (Trade: Feb. 26, 2018 [Arizona]. Last Year: unranked [Arizona]) Acquired in a trade deadline deal wit Arizona, ostensibly for AHL blueliner Trevor Murphy, Gaudet is trending well for a player who was never drafted either as a junior or by an NHL club. A work working center, he makes the most of what tools he has. His skating is just fine, but his motor is always revving, and he does well at pressuring opposing puck carriers, whether he is forechecking or backchecking. Considering his plus size, his skating effectiveness is actually fairly impressive. He has strong enough hands to protect the puck from stick checking opponents, and a strong enough drive to be a force along the boards. Last year was the first of his professional career that he did not receive any NHL time. Expect that to change for the better this season.

12 Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 10^th) If Nashville has a deeper system, Trenin’s rookie professional season would likely have dropped him from the top 20 altogether. In addition to the fact that he was all too often a non-factor on the ice, not involved in the center of the action at either end, he simply looked sluggish on his skates. Further, despite owning a big, muscular frame, he rarely used it to his team’s advantage, playing with less verve than the much smaller Anthony Richard, among others. To his credit, despite his struggles in the offensive end, Trenin remained committed to fulfilling his responsibilities in his own end. He will be afforded time to grow into the game, but he will need to show marked improvement next year to remain much of a factor in Nashville’s future plans.

13 Emil Pettersson, C (155^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 14^th) Five years after being drafted in the sixth round, Pettersson came over to North America just in time to miss his younger brother Elias light the Swedish league on fire. The elder Pettersson brother is not nearly as gifted as the Vancouver prospect, but he has smooth hands and good instincts on offense. Long and very lean, he can support two more gifted wingers, which is not a bad ability to have, but may not be able to create offense in North America on his own. He will also need to improve his skating, to get more explosivity, before earning a significant NHL chance.

14 Frederic Allard, D (78^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 9^th) As with most defensemen in the Nashville system, Allard has a smaller frame (tall enough, but thin) but makes up in mobility what he lacks in brawn. The former third rounder’s first year as a professional was a mixed bag, with decent offensive totals leavened by struggles to read the play in his own zone and a brief mid-season demotion to the ECHL. At this stage of his career, he is more effective when his team has the puck. As reminder that player development is not linear, in his last season in the QMJHL, his two-way game was more impressive than his contributions to the attack. His prospects would be better served with a swing back to his previous style of play.

Pavel Koltygin

15 Pavel Koltygin, C/LW (176^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A potential steal in the sixth round, Koltygin’s draft stock suffered this year as he was unable to build upon a strong North American debut with Drummondville, dropping from 47 points in 65 games in his first year as an import player from Russia, to 42 points in 64 games with a stronger team around him in his second draft eligible year. Outside of the points, Koltygin was worth drafting as he combines powerful legs with a hard shot and quick hands. He also showed an increased commitment to the play in his own end this year, making him less of a pure risk/reward selection.

16 Tanner Jeannot, LW (UDFA: Apr. 2, 2018. Last Year: IE) Passed over three times in the NHL Entry Draft, the Predators gave Jeannot an ELC in his overage year in the WHL, a season in which he eclipsed his previous career in points by 28, doubling his previous career high in goals. Like Gaudreau above, Jeannot is not the toolsiest prospect, but he has good size, plays a heart-and-hustle game and features a pretty good arsenal of shots. He is not slow, but skating is not a strength of his game. The same can be said of his abilities with the puck. Jeannot is the type of player for whom the best-case scenario is not all that different from the most likely outcome.

17 Karel Vajmelka, G (145^th overall, 2015. Last Year: unranked) It might be somewhat telling about the Predators scouting when it comes to goalies that of the six “prospect” netminders in the system, all are at least 6-3”, and most have not lived up to their advance billing, but the one time they went with a smaller goalkeeper, Juuse Saros buzzed through the system and earned a spot on the NHL bench. Vejmelka is the goalie still percolating in the system, most likely to push for NHL consideration going forward. He is athletic in the crease and reads the play well. He split last season between three teams in the Czech Republic’s top two levels and will be challenged to win the starter’s jib again with Kometa Brno.

18 Spencer Stastney, D (131^st overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) On good days last year, Stastney was a dynamic puck mover who could be trusted with the toughest defensive zone shifts as well. He covered opponents tightly and would not bite on deke attempts. On his bad days, he would make poor pinching decisions, cough up the puck shift after shift, and telegraph his intentions, making him very easy to defend against. Combined, he showed a lot of potential as an all-situations defender who has a lot to learn before being able to play his game at the highest levels. For the price of a fifth-round pick, it was more than worth it for the Predators to gamble on Stastney ironing out the kinks and inconsistencies at Notre Dame.

19 Joonas Lyytinen, D (132^nd overall, 2014. Last Year: unranked) The former fifth round pick arrived in North America at the age of 22 and did not immediately show why Nashville had been keeping tabs on him for years. He struggled in the early going to make an impact, spending a few weeks in the ECHL as a consequence. While it is not reflected in the scoresheet, by the end of the year, Lyytinen was starting to show some things worth getting excited about. He moves the puck very well and his reads and reactions showed a respectable level. He has moved on from an afterthought to a player of note in the system, although he will need to take a few more steps forward next year to maintain that status.

20 Thomas Novak, C (85^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 18^th) Despite owning a seemingly hard slapshot, Novak has lit the lamp only 14 times in three seasons of NCAA hockey at Minnesota. His game is more about his hands than his shoulders. He is a skilled stickhandler and creative passer. With the puck on his stick, he is more likely to hit a streaking linemate with a nice diagonal feed, or jive past a defender, than he is to try to take the puck to the net on his own. He plays with good presence of mind but lacks any truly dynamic traits that would lead to an offensive role in his future.

Nashville – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 20:10:18 +0000

For years, the Nashville Predators were known as a defense-led team. Much of that reputation was the result of the 2003 draft. With the seventh overall choice, they selected Ryan Suter. With their second of three picks in the second round, they chose Kevin Klein. And with the third of three second rounders, they called out the name of Shea Weber. Between the three of them, there are now 2,381 regular season games of experience.

Of course, the Predators history of developing front-line defensemen goes further and deeper than those three, even if Suter and Weber are the clear best of the bunch. In their first ever draft, their final pick was used on Karlis Skrastins, now remembered as one of the victims of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash. His NHL career spanned 832 games.

In 2001, they used their first round pick on Dan Hamhuis, who is likely to surpass 1,000 games this year. In 2005, they used their first three picks on blueliners. While the first two are little remembered today, the third one is Cody Franson. Although more beloved by the analytics crowd than by old-school thinkers (great possession stats, but slow afoot), he already has 527 games to his credit.

This reputation was further enhanced in 2009, with the selection of Ryan Ellis 11th overall and Mattias Ekholm in the fourth round. Seth Jones was the most recent feather in the defensemen drafting cap worn by Nashville’s only ever GM, David Poile. The 4th overall pick of the 2013 draft was traded to Columbus for Ryan Johansen before reaching his full potential, but he has already won fans up and down the league.

All of the above is not to say that the Predators never miss when drafting a defenseman high. Ryan Parent (18th overall in 2005) and Jonathon Blum (23rd overall in 2007) are fairly considered busts, even though each has more than 100 regular season games played in their resume. And of course, for every later round defender who panned out four or five never had the pleasure of inhaling the scent of an NHL locker room.

In summary, it is fair to say that Nashville’s reputation in this regard has been well earned. And unlike other clubs with a history of success with a slice of the draft population, the amazing consistency of the people running the good ship Predator adds to that legacy. We recognize this success and applaud Poile, Assistant Paul Fenton and their entire scouting staff for this history of success.

What we cannot do, however, is presume that any blueliner in the Nashville is bound for glory just because he was drafted by this team. The list below is well-represented by defensemen, and justifiably so. But it needs to be said that the placement of Dante Fabbro, or David Farrance, or any of the others, is based solely on that player’s standing as a prospect in this system, in a vacuum. We would be doing a disservice to the player, to ourselves as talent evaluators, and to you, the reader, if we give a subjective boost to any of the below just because the Nashville Predators once drafted Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Kevin Klein in a single draft. Dante Fabbro is ranked highly for the simple reason that he is really very good at hockey.

Eeli Tolvanen

1 Eeli Tolvanen – Owning one of the better shots in the 2017 draft class, Tolvanen would likely have been drafted well before the Predators’ turn at the podium were it not for a slow recovery from injury suffered at the WJC that held back his production in the second half. An excellent skater and puckhandler as well, his shot will always be his main draw. Although lacking strength, he is committed to puck retrieval in his own zone. After a problem with his Finnish school credits left him ineligible to play for Boston University, elected to go back to Finland to play for Jokerit in the KHL.

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 26: Canada forward Nicolas Roy (25) jumps in celebration as forward Dante Fabbro (8) joins him after scoring against Russia in the second period during the World junior Hockey Championships (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire)

2 Dante Fabbro – A lights-out blueliner in his draft year with Penticton of the BCHL, Fabbro acquitted himself well as a freshman with Boston University. While he was not quite the same level of offensive contributor, he proved that his defensive game is quite advanced. He keeps a very tight gap, does not bite on dekes very often, has an active stick and is surprisingly physical down low. A very good penalty killer. Has a solid enough point shot to project improved offensive totals going forward.

3 Vladislav Kamenev – After taking the rare step of leaving Russia at 19 to play in the AHL, at the very least, Kamenev can state that his game is well-suited for North America. He has very slick hands, which he combines with agile feet to be a dangerous customer in one-on-one situations. A creative passer as well. Responsible defensively, he hunts for pucks, and uses his solid frame to help out in the dirty areas. All he really needs at this point is an opportunity to prove himself in the NHL.

NASHVILLE, TN - JANUARY 12: Nashville Predators right wing Pontus Aberg (46) . (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

4 Pontus Aberg – The most ‘ready-now’ player in the Nashville system, Aberg was a regular in the Nashville lineup in their run to the Stanley Cup finals last spring. A two-way forward with solid overall offensive tools, he likes to play near the opposing crease. Patient with the puck, he sees the ice well and is equally comfortable shooting in net as he is dishing it off to a linemate, although is more likely to contribute as a goal scorer at the highest level. Smart and ready to establish himself in the NHL.

5 Grant Mismash – A versatile forward with an NHL caliber shot, Mismash has explosive offensive qualities that become more and more prominent as the season wore on. He is a plus skater with very soft hands. Does well at maintaining possession of the puck under pressure. A diligent backchecker and very hard worker, he gets into trouble on occasion with unnecessary penalties. Plays a gritty, rough style, which makes up in energy what he lacks in the ability to punish. Going to North Dakota.

6 Samuel Girard – The epitome of the modern-day small and mobile defenseman, Girard has led the QMJHL in both assists and points by a defenseman in both of the last two years. A great skater with exceptional vision, he will have to prove that his tiny frame can hold up to the rigors of the professional game. Has taken big strides recently in his defensive awareness, but still struggles at times when defending against high end speed. May need to be sheltered, but the tools are there.

7 Rem Pitlick – A bit of a late bloomer, Pitlick went from 16 points in his year of draft eligibility to leading the USHL with 89 points, winning the player of the year honors, in his second go round. Blessed with outstanding speed and a sniper’s shot, the stocky forward was productive from the get-go with Minnesota. A great finisher, he actually looks for the pass more often. Needs to improve his decision making in his own end, although does not neglect his duties off the puck.

8 David Farrance – The most dynamic blueliner in last year’s USNTDP, Farrance should not have been available towards the end of the third round, when the Predators pounced. His high end mobility and puck handling skills, as well as great vision in the offensive end, should all more than paper over his slightly below average height and minimal physical presence. Flashes top four blueline upside regularly. Although competent in his own zone, was rarely used on the PK for the U18 squad.

9 Frederic Allard – Drafted as a high end offensive defenseman, Allard’s offensive game seems to have plateaued, but he has made up for it with improved play in his own zone. An excellent skater with great edges and impressive top speed. Produces at a top clip despite not grading out as more than average with his shot or his raw puck skills. Everything plays up due to his anticipation and overall hockey sense. Has nothing left to prove in the Q.

10 Yakov Trenin – The Predators top pick in the 2015 draft, Trenin has been a steady offensive producer in three years of QMJHL development. Was one of the rare CHL players invited by Russia to play for their WJC squad. Big but not very physical, his best trait is his hockey IQ, a common trait among Predators’ prospects. Projects more as a playmaker than a sharpshooter as he prepares for his first full pro season. Has middle six upside.

11 Frederick Gaudreau – A postseason hero for Nashville last year, Gaudreau has come an awfully long way from his year and a half playing with Milwaukee on an AHL contract. A strong offensive showing in his second pro season convinced Nashville to give him an ELC. He has not looked back since. Outside of hockey IQ, all of his tools grade out around average, but the intelligence and positive energy allows it all to play up. Has a good chance to spend the year in Nashville as a fourth-liner/13th forward.

12 Patrick Harper – A tiny forward who was drafted out of the New England prep school ranks, Harper gave a hint of what was to come during Boston College’s pre-season, where he teamed up with Clayton Keller to destroy game sheets. Continued to score once the games counted, with nearly a point-per-game as a freshman. He has very nice touch with the puck. Skating is better going east-west than it is north-south. Is a non-entity physically.

13 Tyler Moy – There were some who thought that the selection of Moy, in his third year of eligibility, in 2015, was a ploy by Nashville to convince Jimmy Vesey to sign. If so, it clearly did not work, but no matter. Moy has game. He has plus puck skills and remains in control even under pressure. Possesses a very good shot release that allows him to connect even from wide angles. Also grades out as above average with his skating and, naturally for a Harvard grad, for his smarts. Making his pro debut this year.

14 Emil Pettersson – Taken in the sixth round in 2013, Pettersson’s development has been slow and steady until he broke out with a point per game performance in the second half last season after moving from Skelleftea to Vaxjo. He has high end puck skills and above average skating ability. Can play a flashy game and makes consistently strong reads in the offensive end. On the downside, he has little defensive game and can be physically overpowered. Signed to an ELC, will be coming to the AHL this year.

15 Victor Ejdsell – A late bloomer, Ejdsell has great size and exploded as an offensive option in Allsvenskan last year, leading the league in scoring. Skilled with the puck, he is a terror when he comes down the wing with speed. Is used to creating offense when given room, but has been known to struggle in tighter games when facing a strong backcheck. Needs to do a better job of utilizing his teammates, even if they do not have his physical gifts.

16 Alexandre Carrier – A small defender with excellent puck moving skills, Carrier had an excellent pro debut with Milwaukee. Formerly the fourth overall pick of the QMJHL entry draft in 2012, he was able to both contribute offensively and play a regular role on both special teams units. A fantastic passer who knows what he wants to do with the puck before he gets it. Guards the middle of the ice well, but could stand to tighten his gaps.

17 Trevor Murphy – An undersized offensive defenseman, Murphy was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Windsor of the OHL after a strong rookie camp in 2015. He plays rough for his size, and makes up for his weak points (size, skating) with strong puck skills and a burgeoning two-way game. Very good at beginning the transition to offense with a lead pass out of his own zone, he also can show some wiggle when carrying the puck over the line.

18 Tom Novak – While a knee injury cut his season short around the mid-way point, Novak had been picking up where he left off from a solid freshman campaign for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. A strong skater with some dynamic puck playing elements to his game, he likes to play near the opposing crease in the offensive end, making the goalie and defenders work for rebounds. Assuming a full recovery from his injury with no loss of speed, he could be in line for a strong season to get higher up this list.

19 Justin Kirkland – A two-way energy forward in the WHL, Kirkland struggled in his first exposure to the professional game. He had a hard time keeping up with the pace of the AHL game – particularly in regards to his first few steps - and his shot was rarely used and was not much of a threat when it was. He still has some potential as a power forward, but needs to be more assertive to ensure that his presence is felt in every shift.

20 Pavel Koltygin – A strong skater with good balance who excels at creating space for himself and protecting the puck. Koltygin had a great start to his first season in North America, but slowed tangibly in the season’s second half. The former ninth overall pick in the CHL import draft at least ended the season well with a solid showing for Russia at the WU18. With more consistent showings of his offensive tools, he could out to be a late-round steal.

One of the facets that the Predators like to look for in their prospects is high hockey IQ. The prospects listed above all share an aversion to mistakes and have strong reputations at both ends of the ice. In light of that strategy, they consistently are able to ice a team at the NHL level – a team that is largely built from within - that is greater than the sum of its parts.

2015 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Top 120 Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:17:44 +0000

Ilya Samsonov made the most of his opportunity in front of NHL scouts last month in the Czech Republic.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound native of Magnitogorsk helped lead Russia to victory at the Five Nations Tournament.

Samsonov showcased a full package of skill and smarts while upsetting Team USA in a 5-4 overtime win - being outshot 51-to-16 - and then shutting down Sweden 5-1 in the final game.

He played this season in the MHL with Stalnye Lisy, Magnitogorsk's junior team, and will get another chance to bolster his draft stock at the U18 World Championships next month in Switzerland.

A number of Samsonov's U18 teammates could draw some draft interest with strong showings in Zug and Lucerne, the two host cities for the U18 Worlds.

Big, strong-shooting winger Denis Gurianov of Lada Togliatti is rated in the second round - 40th overall - on the McKeen's Top 120 rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Mikhail Vorobyev (Salavat Ufa) is rated 78th overall and is a smart, well-structured pivot in the classic old Russian style, while diminutive winger Kirill Kaprizov (Novokuznetsk) is listed as a late third-rounder - 89th overall. Just 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Kaprizov was a creative force throughout the Five Nations and demonstrated that he has the courage and work ethic to help overcome the size factor.

Samsonov is the top-rated goaltender in the McKeen's rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft - debuting in the first round in the 29th spot.

Drafting goalies in the opening round has becoming increasingly less common. In fact, only six goaltenders have been selected in the first round over the past eight drafts (2007 to 2014). That compares to the five-year period from 2002 to 2006 in which a total of 14 goalies were first-round picks.

Samsonov is one of 11 goaltenders to earn spots in the McKeen's Top 120 rankings.

Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts is next on the goalie list - ranked as an early second-rounder at 33rd overall - while a pair of QMJHL goalies hold down the next two spots - Callum Booth of Halifax at 61st and Samuel Montembeault of Blainville-Boisbriand in the No. 68 spot.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
6	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
7	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
9	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
11	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
12	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
13	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
14	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
16	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
17	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
18	Joel Ek Eriksson	C	Farjestads (Swe)	6-2/180	29-Jan-97
19	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
20	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
21	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
22	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
23	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
24	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
25	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
26	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
27	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
28	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
29	Ilya Samsonov	G	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-3/200	22-Feb-97
30	Jack Roslovic	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	29-Jan-97

31	Erik Cernak	D	Kosice (Svk)	6-3/200	28-May-97
32	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
33	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
34	Tom Novak	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/180	28-Apr-97
35	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
36	Filip Chlapik	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-1/195	3-Jun-97
37	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
38	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
39	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
40	Denis Gurianov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-2/185	7-Jun-97
41	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
42	Jordan Greenway	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-5/225	16-Feb-97
43	Alexander Dergachyov	RW	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-4/200	27-Sep-96
44	Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson	C	Omaha (USHL)	6-1/195	31-Oct-96
45	Jeremy Bracco	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-9/175	17-Mar-97
46	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
47	Anthony Beauvillier	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/175	8-Jun-97
48	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
49	Dennis Yan	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-97
50	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97
51	Robin Kovacs	RW	AIK (Swe)	6-0/170	16-Nov-96
52	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
53	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
54	Travis Dermott	D	Erie (OHL)	5-11/195	22-Dec-96
55	Gabriel Carlsson	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-4/185	2-Jan-97
56	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
57	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
58	Christian Fischer	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/215	15-Apr-97
59	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-1/185	29-Jul-97
60	Dennis Gilbert	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-2/200	30-Oct-96

61	Callum Booth	G	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/200	21-May-97
62	Sebastian Aho	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/175	26-Jul-97
63	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
64	Nicolas Roy	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/200	5-Feb-97
65	Austin Wagner	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-1/180	23-Jun-97
66	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
67	Michael Spacek	C	Pardubice (Cze)	5-11/190	9-Apr-97
68	Samuel Montembeault	G	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-2/165	30-Oct-96
69	Yakov Trenin	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/195	13-Jan-97
70	Daniel Vladar	G	Kladno (Cze)	6-5/185	20-Aug-97
71	Kyle Capobianco	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Aug-97
72	David Kase	C	Chomutov (Cze)	5-11/170	28-Jan-97
73	Bailey Webster	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-3/210	8-Sep-97
74	Felix Sandstrom	G	Brynas (Swe)	6-2/190	12-Jan-97
75	Jesper Lindgren	D	MoDo (Swe)	6-0/160	19-May-97
76	Keegan Kolesar	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	8-Apr-97
77	Kevin Davis	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/185	14-Mar-97
78	Mikhail Vorobyev	C	Salavat Ufa (Rus)	6-2/195	5-Jan-97
79	Vince Dunn	D	Niagara (OHL)	6-0/185	29-Oct-96
80	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/175	21-Jun-97
81	Gustav Bouramman	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	24-Jan-97
82	Matej Tomek	G	Topeka (NAHL)	6-2/180	24-May-97
83	Lukas Jasek	RW	Trinec (Cze)	5-11/165	28-Aug-97
84	Nicolas Meloche	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-2/200	18-Jul-97
85	Roope Hintz	LW	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	6-2/185	17-Nov-96
86	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
87	Jean-Christophe Beaudin	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/185	27-Mar-97
88	Filip Ahl	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	6-3/210	12-Jun-97
89	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	Novokuznetsk (Rus)	5-9/185	26-Apr-97
90	John Marino	D	South Shore (USPHL)	6-0/175	21-May-97

91	Chaz Reddekopp	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-3/220	1-Jan-97
92	Adam Marsh	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	22-Aug-97
93	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
94	Loik Leveille	D	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	5-11/220	25-Sep-96
95	Adam Gaudette	C	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-1/175	3-Oct-96
96	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
97	Gabriel Gagne	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-5/190	11-Nov-96
98	Thomas Schemitsch	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-96
99	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
100	Jonne Tammela	LW	KalPa (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Aug-97
101	Christian Jaros	D	Lulea (Swe)	6-3/200	2-Apr-96
102	Ales Stezka	G	Liberec (Cze)	6-3/180	6-Jan-97
103	Ethan Bear	D	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/200	26-Jun-97
104	Mathieu Joseph	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	9-Feb-97
105	Jeremiah Addison	LW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/185	21-Oct-96
106	Devante Stephens	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Jan-97
107	Michael McNiven	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/205	9-Jul-97
108	Jeremy Lauzon	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/195	28-Apr-97
109	Luke Opilka	G	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	27-Feb-97
110	Philippe Myers	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-5/195	25-Jan-97
111	Adam Werner	G	Farjestads (Swe)	6-5/185	2-May-97
112	Brendan Warren	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	7-May-97
113	Julius Nattinen	C	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-2/190	14-Jan-97
114	Colton White	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	3-May-97
115	Samuel Dove-McFalls	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-2/205	10-Apr-97
116	Veeti Vainio	D	Blues (Fin)	6-2/170	16-Jun-97
117	Matt Bradley	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-11/185	22-Jan-97
118	Tyler Soy	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-11/170	10-Feb-97
119	Dmytro Timashov	LW	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/190	1-Oct-96
120	A.J. Greer	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-2/205	14-Dec-96

Yakov Trenin – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Washington powers on with Ovechkin, Chicago looks for change – Teams and players to target this week

Buffalo Sabres (Mon vs DET, Wed vs NYR, Sat @ WAS, Sun @ TOR)

Carolina Hurricanes ( Tue vs SJS, Fri vs OTT, Sun vs CBJ)

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs PHI, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs ANA, Sun @ CAR)

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs UTA, Thu vs EDM, Sat vs PHI, Sun vs VGK)

New York Islanders (Tue vs LAK, Thu vs CHI, Sun @ CHI)

New York Rangers (Mon vs CHI, Wed @ BUF, Sat vs LAK, Sun @ STL)

St. Louis Blues (Tue @ VAN, Thu vs SJS, Sat @ DAL, Sun vs NYR)

Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue @ NJD, Thu vs ANA, Sat @ DET, Sun vs BUF)

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 27 to December 3rd – Teams with favourable schedules and who to target

Boston Bruins

Florida Panthers

Nashville Predators

New York Rangers

Tampa Bay Lightning

Vegas Golden Knights

Washington Capitals

Winnipeg Jets

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Filip Forsberg - LW

Ryan O’Reilly - C

Tommy Novak - C

Gustav Nyquist - LW

Cody Glass - C

Yakov Trenin - LW

Denis Gurianov - RW

Colton Sissons - C

Phillip Tomasino - RW

Defense

Roman Josi - D

Tyson Barrie - D

Ryan McDonagh - D

Alex Carrier - D

Goaltending

Juuse Saros - G

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – NHL Player Profiles

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Nashville Predators Top 20 Prospects

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Luke Evangelista, RW (42nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Farrance, D (92nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Grant Mismash, C (61st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Spencer Stastney, D (131st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Harper, C (138th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Adam Wilsby, D (101st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 23

Nashville Predators

Philip Tomasino, C (24th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

David Farrance, D (92nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

Grant Mismash, C (61st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Spencer Stastney, D (131st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Harper, C (138th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)

AHL: Central Division Prospect Report, December 2019

Nashville Predators Prospect System Overview

Nashville – System Overview

2015 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Top 120 Rankings

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Luke Evangelista, RW (42^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Adam Wilsby, D (101^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

**Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)**

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)