The Predators have made a pair of roster moves heading into their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game relays (Twitter link) that Nashville has placed center Mark Jankowski on injured reserve. With the open roster spot, they’ve recalled winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from AHL Milwaukee.
It’s a bit surprising that the Preds wound up waiting this long to put Jankowski on IR. The 30-year-old has been out for the last three weeks with an upper-body injury that carries a week-to-week designation. Jankowski has played in 37 games this season, notching three goals and five assists while logging a little under 13 minutes a night. Having been out this long, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any point when he’s cleared to return.
As for Wiesblatt, this is his second recall of the season. He got into two games on his first one back in January where he had four hits in a little over ten minutes a night of action. This one will be shorter-lived, however, as he’ll almost certainly be sent back following the game to keep playing with the Admirals. On the farm, the 22-year-old has 11 goals and 12 assists in 41 games, already making it the most productive of his three professional seasons.