The Nashville Predators have recalled defense prospect Ryan Ufko and are expected to award him his NHL debut on Monday per Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game. It is the first call-up of Ufko’s pro career.
Nashville drafted Ufko with in the fourth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a standout year with the USHL’s Clark Cup Championship-winning Chicago Steel. Ufko followed a breakout juniors performance and draft selection with three seasons playing for the University of Massachusetts. He carried over his red-hot play right away, netting 31 points in 37 appearances – just two points shy of Scott Morrow’s mark for the lead in scoring among Minutemen defensemen. Alongside Morrow, Ufko served in a top role for UMass as they chased a Hockey East championship.
Ufko’s scoring pace took a slight dip in his sophomore season – when he tallied just 24 points in 32 games – though he did manage to grow from five goals to eight goals. He continued that growth while finding a new gear in his junior year, ending the season with 10 goals and 26 points in 37 games. That scoring coincided with a noticeable full-ice impact and helped Ufko push his squad to a conference semi-final exit. His game was noticeably more energetic, confident, and – above all else for the five-foot-10 defender – physical than in years prior. Nashville opted to strike while the iron was hot, signing Ufko to his entry-level contract and assigning him to the AHL at the end of the UMass season.
That decision proved immediately fruitful. Ufko has found another step in the pro ranks, with six points in nine regular season games and 10 points in 15 playoff games to close out the AHL’s 2023-24 season. He’s continued to grow into form this season, netting eight goals and 29 points in 71 games while earning more-and-more ice time as the year has gone on. Ufko certainly doesn’t have the explosive scoring of some top defense prospects, but the momentum he’s gained in Milwaukee has been admirable. With their season effectively lost, Nashville will give Ufko a chance to continue his momentum into the top flight. He becomes the seventh rookie to make his NHL debut with Nashville this season.