The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are making an AHL swap shortly before the trade deadline. The Predators announced they’ve acquired forward Jesse Ylönen from the Lightning for forward Anthony Angello.
Sticking to the deadline approach he shared yesterday, general manager Barry Trotz has acquired a forward with NHL experience who can fill in should the Predators move out multiple forward pieces. There are non-subtle expectations Nashville will be one of the aggressive sellers during this year’s deadline season, and Ylönen provides a quality depth option for that approach.
Despite playing the entire year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Ylönen is a veteran of 111 games at the NHL level — all with the Montreal Canadiens. After debuting with the Canadiens on May 12, 2021, Ylönen scored 11 goals and 29 points in Montreal before signing on with the Lightning this past summer as an unrestricted free agent. He was recalled on February 22nd by the Lightning but only served as a practice player for Tampa Bay’s returning members of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The lack of NHL minutes hasn’t hindered his production this season as Ylönen’s recorded eight goals and 25 points in 47 games for the Crunch. That production puts the Scottsdale, AZ native third on the team in scoring and would make him tied for seventh on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Meanwhile, Angello heads east to join the fourth organization of his professional career. The former fifth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a veteran of 320 games at the AHL level split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Thunders, and Admirals. He’s managed 68 goals and 133 points over that stretch and 307 PIMs. Angello isn’t a stranger to the NHL either, scoring three goals and five points in 31 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022.
I don’t get why Tampa traded Ylönen who has 8 goals, 17 assists & 25 points for them in the AHL & could have been a potential depth piece for them only to trade him to Nashville for Angello, a middling player who doesn’t have much to bring & has merely 7 goals, 7 assists & 14 points for them in the AHL this season. In addition, Ylönen is only 25 years old while Angello is 28 years old. Don’t agree with this AHL swap for Tampa. Tampa would have been better off getting a draft pick as they could have easily gotten a 4th or 5th round pick for Ylönen instead of a player who they will probably drop after the season.
I think this is to give Ylönen a chance at some NHL time but I certainly could be way wrong here
It sounds like you could be right Donovan based on the article. Though I think he would have gotten some NHL time in Tampa because he was showing potential as a possible depth piece.
I understand the trade from Nashville’s standpoint but I don’t get it from Tampa’s viewpoint at all.
I will add after looking a little further into this that Angello has over 307 penalty minutes in his career so he brings a physicality at the center position & he does have a +5 rating in the AHL & a +3 in the NHL which shows he does have a defensive game to him. I assume that’s what Tampa must like about him.
Nashville should move out Andrew Brunette, He simply can’t coach at the NHL level, But Barry Trotz will probably hold on to him because he won’t admit to making a huge mistake.
Watch a game – roster sucks. Fantasy hockey. Still pushing for Quennville/Aldrich?
Sadly, usaKesler is correct here.