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Predators Recall Kevin Gravel

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The Predators have recalled veteran defenseman Kevin Gravel for the second time in as many months, the team announced Monday. Jeremy Lauzon, who’s missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, has landed on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction. The move was previously reflected in yesterday’s AHL transactions log but wasn’t made official by the team until today.

Recalling Gravel gives Nashville an extra defender on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Jets. They’re down two right now with Lauzon and Adam Wilsby (upper body, day-to-day) both on injured reserve.

In fact, Gravel projects to be the only extra healthy skater available for Nashville on Tuesday. The Preds are also carrying just 12 healthy forwards with Zachary L’Heureux serving the final game of his suspension for slew-footing Wild captain Jared Spurgeon and Thomas Novak dealing with an upper-body injury despite remaining on the active roster.

Gravel appeared in three games for Nashville last month while injuries plagued Lauzon, Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. The 32-year-old recorded an assist and a +2 rating while averaging 18:19 per contest, the highest usage of his seven-year, 135-game NHL career.

It was Gravel’s first NHL appearance since skating in 23 games with the Preds in the 2022-23 season. The Michigan native has spent the last three years in the organization, primarily playing for the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. He’s made 25 AHL appearances this year, posting five points and a -4 rating. He served as the club’s captain last season.

He’ll remain in Nashville/Milwaukee for at least one more season after he inked a two-year extension midway through the 2023-24 campaign. The 6’4″ lefty was a fifth-round pick of the Kings back in 2010 and has also logged games for the Oilers and Maple Leafs in addition to his time in Hollywood and Nashville.

Lauzon last played on Dec. 31 against Minnesota. He’ll sit out tomorrow’s contest but is eligible to return on Saturday against the Capitals if his health allows. He also missed 10 games with a lower-body issue in November and December, but has one assist and 127 hits in 28 appearances this season when healthy.

Gravel Recalled, Lauzon To IR

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The Predators have recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from AHL Milwaukee, per the AHL’s transactions log.  He’ll take the place of Jeremy Lauzon on the active roster who has been moved back to injured reserve.  Gravel has an assist in three games with Nashville so far this season but is likely to be in the seventh defender role for the time being.  He also has five points in 25 games with the Admirals.  Lauzon, meanwhile, just returned from injured reserve midway through last month, getting into six games before being sidelined with a lower-body injury once again.  He has one assist and 127 hits in 28 games thus far in just under 18 minutes a night of playing time.

Predators Place Adam Wilsby On IR, Recall Fedor Svechkov

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The Predators placed defenseman Adam Wilsby on injured reserve on Friday with an upper-body issue retroactive to Dec. 30, Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game reports. Nashville recalled center Fedor Svechkov from AHL Milwaukee in a corresponding transaction, Kieser said, keeping their roster at the 23-player maximum.

Wilsby, 24, has already missed one game with the UBI, which he presumably sustained in his most recent appearance against the Jets on Monday. He logged 18:29 of ice time in that contest, his 15th of the season and of his NHL career.

Initially recalled from Milwaukee in November, Wilsby has been on the transaction wire a few times this season but was beginning to get a look as a regular amid a demotion for Marc Del Gaizo and injury troubles for Jeremy Lauzon. He remains day-to-day but will miss at least two more games with the injury until he’s eligible to return against Winnipeg next Tuesday.

Things have largely gone well for Wilsby, who the Preds selected 101st overall in the 2020 draft. He’s posted a goal and two assists with a +3 rating, averaging 18:43 per game and limiting himself to one minor penalty. The 6’1″ lefty has spent most of his time with veteran Luke Schenn at even strength to good results. The pairing has been one of Nashville’s best at preventing quality chances against, controlling 56.5% of expected goals and allowing only 1.52 xGA/60, per MoneyPuck. Both rank second on the team among pairings with at least 50 minutes together this season.

His third-pairing spot with Schenn will go to Spencer Stastney, who’s set to make his season debut tonight against the Canucks after being recalled from Milwaukee yesterday. The 24-year-old has three points and a +2 rating in 10 AHL games this season after missing the first few months of the campaign due to personal reasons.

Meanwhile, Svechkov comes up for the second time this season but may not get a look in tonight’s game, with Ozzy Wiesblatt slated to make his NHL debut after being recalled alongside Stastney. Wiesblatt will slot in for winger Zachary L’Heureux, who’s set to serve the first game of a three-game suspension handed down for slew-footing Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon.

Nashville selected Svechkov, 21, with the 19th overall pick of the 2021 draft. The Russian pivot played nine games earlier this year on his first career recall, scoring twice while averaging 11:57 per game and winning 46.2% of his faceoffs. His 0.92 points per game with Milwaukee are second on the team this season.

Zachary L’Heureux Suspended Three Games

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1/2: The NHL has announced a three games suspension for L’Heureux. It’s the first suspension of his NHL career. L’Heureux built up a long rap sheet while playing junior hockey, ultimately sitting out of 36 games across four seasons in the QMJHL due to suspension. He will be eligible to return on January 11th, when the Predators host the Washington Capitals.

1/1: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux injured Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon in the second period of Tuesday’s game on a slew-footing incident.  The play (Twitter link via 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser) saw the rookie receive a match penalty on the play, creating an automatic review.

Following that review, it was announced that L’Heureux will have a hearing on Thursday about the hit.  Michael Russo of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it will be a phone hearing.  The maximum penalty for a phone hearing is five games.

L’Heureux was recalled to Nashville’s roster just two weeks into the season and he has been a regular in their bottom six since then, averaging 11:31 a night of playing time.  The 21-year-old has played in 33 games so far, picking up four goals and five assists along with 106 hits and 32 penalty minutes in those outings.

Assuming a suspension comes his way, it will be the first NHL ban of L’Heureux’s career.  However, it’s worth noting that he was suspended nine times in the QMJHL while also receiving a pair of suspensions last season in the minors.  None of those will be taken into consideration here, however, since they occurred at other levels.

With Cole Smith on injured reserve, the Predators are now down to just 12 healthy forwards on their active roster.  With a potential suspension looming for L’Heureux, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Nashville recall a forward or two from AHL Milwaukee before Friday’s game against Vancouver.

Predators Recall Spencer Stastney, Ozzy Wiesblatt

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The Predators recalled defenseman Spencer Stastney and right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from AHL Milwaukee on Thursday, per the AHL’s transactions log (stick taps to Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game). Nashville had a pair of open roster spots, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

Stastney, 25 on Saturday, returns to the NHL after suiting up in 20 regular-season and three playoff games for the Preds last season. He wasn’t at this season’s training camp due to personal reasons, though, an absence that stretched until late November.

Upon his return, the Preds sent Stastney to Milwaukee to get back up to game speed. There, the 2018 fifth-round pick has three assists and a +2 rating through 10 games, not quite matching the impact he had last season with 20 points and a +27 rating in only 44 AHL appearances.

In his NHL minutes last season, Stastney showed he could be a capable bottom-pairing presence. He posted a pair of goals and assists with a +9 rating, averaging just south of 16 minutes per game and blocking 29 shots.

Checking in at 6’0″ and 183 lbs, Stastney controlled 51.9% of shot attempts and 59.3% of expected goals when he was on the ice at even strength last year. They’ll be looking for him to do more of the same in a bottom-pairing role while Jeremy Lauzon and Adam Wilsby sit out with injuries.

If Wiesblatt draws into the lineup tomorrow against the Canucks – not a given since Nashville has 12 healthy forwards without him – it would mark his NHL debut. A first-round pick of the Sharks in 2020, the Preds acquired him in exchange for pending RFA Egor Afanasyev in June. Afanasyev opted not to sign with San Jose and head overseas, while Wiesblatt inked a two-year, two-way extension in November in addition to playing out the final season of his entry-level contract this year.

The 22-year-old hasn’t been an offensive factor like the Sharks initially hoped in the minors, and that hasn’t changed much this season. Wiesblatt has been just fine, posting 14 points and 45 PIMs in 27 games for Milwaukee. That 0.52 points per game pace is a career-high in the minors for Wiesblatt, who’s now in his third AHL season.

Neither Stastney nor Wiesblatt will need to clear waivers if they’re sent back down to Milwaukee.

Late Night Notes: Doughty, Wilsby, Crosby

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Top Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has taken one step closer to full health, returning to skating drills on Tuesday head coach Jim Hiller shared with NHL.com’s Zach Dooley. Doughty has missed the entire regular season after undergoing an ankle surgery in October. He was placed on long-term injured reserve on October 9th.

The Kings defense has been great in Doughty’s absence. Rookie Brandt Clarke leads the bunch in scoring with an impressive 21 points in 36 games – and is quickly followed by Vladislav Gavrikov, Jordan Spence, and Joel Edmundson in scoring double-digit points. The blue-line has been a major factor in the Kings’ 21-10-5 record, and getting back their franchise defender in Doughty could be the piece to really push them into company with the league’s top teams. The 35-year-old Doughty recorded 50 points in 82 games last season – his second consecutive year reaching the 50-point mark. His performance featured 15 goals, the most Doughty has scored since the 2009-10 season. While age has certainly slowed his game, he still seems poised to make a major impact in Los Angeles’ top-four once he’s back to full health.

Sticking to the Western Conference, Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby missed the team’s Tuesday game against Minnesota with an upper-body injury. He has been designated as day-to-day, per a team announcement. Wilsby has been a focal piece of Nashville’s blue-line, averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time each game and recording three points across 15 games. He’s 10 games shy of making this year his official rookie season in the NHL. Wilsby earned the promotion after climbing the ranks of the Milwaukee Admirals, totaling 44 points in 126 games with the club over the last three seasons – including five points in 13 games this year. Recent trade acquisition Justin Barron is filled in for Wilsby. It’s his third game with the Predators. Barron is still searching for his first point with the team.

Jumping out East, Sidney Crosby is continuing to stamp himself as the pinnacle Pittsburgh Penguin. He recorded his 1,034th assist on Sunday night, passing Mario Lemieux for the franchise’s all-time record and pushing Crosby to 12th on the NHL’s all-time assist leaderboards. Crosby sits 16 assists back from surpassing Gordie Howe and entering the top-10 of that list. He’s still 88 points shy of breaking Lemieux’s franchise record for all-time points. Crosby has two years on his contract after this season, which should be plenty of runway to set more Penguins scoring records, and continue challenging the tops of NHL record books.

Avalanche Acquire Juuso Pärssinen From Predators

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The Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators are making yet another trade, with forward Juuso Pärssinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick headed to the Avalanche in exchange for forward Ondrej Pavel and a 2027 third-round pick.

The Predators have been shopping Pärssinen around throughout much of the month, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting teams were interested in the forward two weeks ago. In the end, Nashville finds a typical suitor in Colorado. The two sides have already made one trade this season, swapping veteran backup Scott Wedgewood for young up-and-comer Justus Annunen and a draft pick in late-November. That move was one of four trades that Nashville has made this year, and one of three Avalanche trades. Both goalies have been fantastic in their new settings, with Wedgewood posting a 4-2-0 record and .932 save percentage in six games, and Annunen posting a 2-1-0 record and .941 in four games.

The two sides will now hope for similar profits from this deal. In Parssinen, Colorado receives the clear upper-hand, reeling in a six-foot-three, 212-pound 23-year-old with the ability to play either center or wing. Parssinen, originally a seventh-round pick in 2019, turned pro with the Predators in the 2022-23 season. He started the year in the minors, but earned a quick call-up after scoring nine points in his first 10 AHL games. Unfortunately, Parssinen couldn’t stay too hot at the pro level, though he did still manage an encouraging 25 points in 45 games as an NHL rookie. He made the Predators’ roster out of training camp last season, but managed just 12 points in 43 games before being reassigned to the minor leagues. Parssinen managed an additional 25 points in 36 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, setting him up to return to the NHL this year – but he still can’t seem to find his footing at the top flight. As it stands, he has just five points in 15 games this season – while serving in a true fourth-line role.

Parssinen still seems to have plenty of untapped potential, and middle-six upside. While Colorado mines that vein, Nashville clears up additional space on the NHL roster by acquiring career minor-leaguer Ondrej Pavel. Pavel also turned pro in 2022-23, joining the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for two games, and no scoring, after the end of Minnesota State’s season. He more formally played his rookie AHL season last year, recording 10 points and 37 penalty minutes in 61 games. Pavel also received the first two NHL games of his career last year, though one minor penalty and a -1 stand as his only stat changes. He’s continued to post menial scoring this year, with just two points in 14 AHL games on the season, and should head for a clear role down Nashville’s depth chart. That could open up space for the team to award more ice time to Fedor Svechkov, Reid Schaefer, or Joakim Kemell – three top prospects who have each performed admirably in the AHL. Predators general manager Barry Trotz said previously that, should the roster continue sliding, he’d like to prioritize getting top prospects NHL action – a statement vindicated by this move, and the team’s 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games.

Nashville Predators Recall Vinnie Hinostroza

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Journeyman Vinnie Hinostroza is set to play for the sixth franchise of his 10-year NHL career. The Nashville Predators announce they’ve recalled Hinostroza from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Hinostroza is in his first year with the Predators organization after signing a two-year, $1.55MM contract on the third day of this past offseason. He’s spent the entirety of the 2024-25 in Milwaukee where he’s been the highest-scoring player up to this point.

He’s not only Milwaukee’s highest-scoring player but leads the entire American Hockey League with 11 goals and 33 points in 26 games. Hinostroza is only two points shy of his total production in 42 games last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Hinostroza’s recall seems like another move from general manager Barry Trotz to introduce more scoring into Nashville’s lineup. The Predators have infamously been one of the most disappointing teams this season after an explosive flurry of signings this past summer.

He won’t be the final answer for a lethargic Nashville offense but Hinostroza should at least help the organization increase their second-to-last-place 2.44 GF/G average. The Predators generate enough shots and offensive chances but aren’t connecting on their opportunities. There’s little expectation Hinostroza’s 21.2% AHL shooting percentage will translate to the NHL level but it’s a step in the right direction for the Predators.

Predators Place Cole Smith On IR

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The Nashville Predators have placed forward Cole Smith on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. Although no specifics about his injury were given, it is likely related to the hard shot he took off the ankle in Saturday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings.

Smith is in his third full NHL season with Nashville after a four-year NCAA career and a couple of seasons in the AHL. The native of Brainerd, Minnesota has never been a prolific scorer but has been difficult to play against in his brief NHL career, playing the role of a disruptive forechecker as well as displaying a keen ability to get to the front of the net. He has also been a good penalty killer, utilizing his 6’3” frame to force turnovers.

Smith had a career year last season, tallying nine goals and 14 assists in 80 games, but has seen his offensive output dry up this year with just two goals and three assists in 34 games. Although that is a dramatic drop-off in production, it is likely due to his deployment which has seen him start just 20.7% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone compared to 35.1% last season.

Deployment aside, Smith has also seen his PDO (shooting percentage + save percentage) drop a full five points and his CF% has also dipped from 48% down to 45.8%.

Predators Activate Roman Josi Off Injured Reserve

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While Predators defenseman Roman Josi landed on IR earlier this week, he wasn’t there for long.  Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean relays (Twitter link) that the team has activated the blueliner, making him available to play today versus Los Angeles.

The 34-year-old missed the last week and a half due to a lower-body injury.  As has been the case for many of the Predators’ top players this season, Josi has struggled a bit offensively, at least relative to his production from 2023-24.  He had 85 points in 82 games a year ago, making him the Norris Trophy runner-up along the way.

This season, he has produced seven goals and 16 assists through 29 games; he sits second on the team to Filip Forsberg in points while leading the way in ATOI at 24:59 per game so he certainly hasn’t been a primary reason for their surprising struggles.  Suffice it to say, his return will certainly be a key upgrade on the blueline as they look to get back on track before the holiday break.

The Preds sent blueliners Marc Del Gaizo and Kevin Gravel down to the minors yesterday so they had ample roster space to activate Josi.  Following this move, they’re back at 22 players on their active roster.

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