Predators' Fedor Svechkov Out Week-To-Week
Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that San Jose Sharks rookie phenom Macklin Celebrini left practice today with a lower-body issue. No specifics were given to the media as the Sharks coaching staff referred to the issue as a “Little bit of everything” and they believe that the 18-year-old will practice tomorrow with the team.
The first overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft had a strong preseason debut on Sunday night against the Vegas Golden Knights scoring a goal and adding an assist. No word on whether or not the issue popped up from something that happened in the game or during training camp. The Sharks aren’t expected to compete for the playoffs this season, but it will be an important season nonetheless as they try to develop their young core.
In other injury notes from around the league:
- Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson took a maintenance day today and did not practice with the team (as per SinBin.Vegas). Karlsson’s absence is injury-related, although the ailment is being kept out of the media at this time. The 31-year-old won’t play tomorrow but Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t rule him out beyond tomorrow. Karlsson has been relatively durable throughout his career but dealt with a lower-body injury in the second half of last season that kept him out of action for over a month.
- Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean writes that Nashville Predators forward Fedor Svechkov will be out of action week-to-week with what appears to be a lower-body injury. The 2021 first-round pick has yet to see NHL action after he came over to North America last season and spent the year in the AHL. He appeared to be injured in the Predators preseason game against the Florida Panthers on Sunday after he took a hit from Tobias Bjornfot. Svechkov couldn’t put weight on his left leg as he headed off the ice and down the tunnel.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/24
Training camp cuts continue Monday across the league, mostly involving fringe prospects being returned to their junior teams. As always, we’re keeping track of today’s moves with this article, which will be updated throughout the day.
Colorado Avalanche (per team announcement)
F Chad Hillebrand (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
D Devante Stephens (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
D Saige Weinstein (to WHL Spokane)
Los Angeles Kings (per team announcement)
F Cole Davis (released from ATO to OHL Windsor)
F Ethan Neutens (released from ATO to WHL Kelowna)
F Oliver Tulk (released from ATO to WHL Calgary)
D Corbin Vaughan (released from ATO to WHL Regina)
F Luke Woodworth (released from ATO to QMJHL Drummondville)
Nashville Predators (per team announcement)
F Kalan Lind (to WHL Red Deer)
D Dylan MacKinnon (to QMJHL Moncton)
F Miguel Marques (to WHL Lethbridge)
G Jakub Milota (to QMJHL Cape Breton)
F Joey Willis (to OHL Saginaw)
New York Rangers (per team announcement)
G Hugo Ollas (to AHL Hartford)
Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)
D Matthew Andonovski (to OHL Kitchener)
F Lucas Ellinas (to OHL Kitchener)
D Gabriel Eliasson (to SHL HV71)
D Filip Nordberg (to USHL Sioux Falls)
San Jose Sharks (per Max Miller of The Hockey News/NHL.com)
D Jérémie Bucheler (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
F Nolan Burke (to AHL San Jose)
F Joe Carroll (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
G Dawson Cowan (released from ATO to WHL Spokane)
G Aaron Dell (released from PTO to AHL San Jose) – per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group
F Luke Grainger (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
D Gannon Laroque (to AHL San Jose)
F Ivan Lodnia (released from PTO)
D Nate Misskey (to WHL Victoria)
F Nathan Pilling (released from ATO to WHL Victoria)
D Colton Roberts (to WHL Vancouver)
F Donavan Villeneuve-Houle (released from PTO to AHL San Jose)
F Carson Wetsch (to WHL Calgary)
Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)
D Alexis Bernier (to QMJHL Baie-Comeau)
F Clarke Caswell (to WHL Swift Current)
D Lukas Dragicevic (to WHL Prince Albert)
D Jakub Fibigr (to OHL Brampton)
D Kaden Hammell (to WHL Everett)
F Ollie Josephson (to WHL Red Deer)
D Tyson Jugnauth (to WHL Portland)
F Andrei Loshko (to OHL Niagara)
F Julius Miettinen (to WHL Everett)
D Caden Price (to WHL Kelowna)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team announcement)
F Mikael Huchette (to USports Concordia)
D Viliam Kmec (to WHL Prince George)
D Mazden Leslie (to WHL Vancouver)
F Jacob Mathieu (to QMJHL Rimouski)
F Shane Smith (to WHL Medicine Hat)
F Tuomas Uronen (to OHL Kingston)
Predators Sign Hiroki Gojsic To Entry-Level Deal
The Predators have signed forward prospect Hiroki Gojsic to a three-year, entry-level contract, general manager Barry Trotz announced Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
It’s a nice reward for Gojsic, who will now likely receive a signing bonus this season after making his preseason debut for Nashville against the Panthers on Sunday. The Predators selected the 18-year-old right winger in the third round of this year’s draft (No. 94 overall).
Gojsic, a British Columbia native, checks in at 6’3″ and 198 lbs. He made his major junior debut for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets last season, finishing fifth on the team in scoring with 50 points (21 G, 29 A) in 68 games with 51 PIMs and a +5 rating.
Elite Prospects called Gojsic a “powerful winger with an NHL shot” in their 2024 draft guide. While that’s true, his overall defensive awareness and skating don’t yet match the profile of an NHL-projectable power forward. His early showings this season are decent, though – he had two goals and two assists in three games during Nashville’s rookie camp tournament earlier this month.
Gojsic will likely be cut from the Preds’ training camp roster in the next few days and returned to the Rockets, where he’ll likely play the next two seasons in full before turning pro in the Preds organization in 2026. He’s a May birthday, so his deal is eligible for an entry-level slide twice. As long as he plays fewer than 10 NHL games in each of the next two seasons, his ELC won’t go into effect until 2026-27, making him a restricted free agent after the 2028-29 campaign.
Evening Notes: Marchessault, Lambert, Peterka, Puljujarvi
Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault had his number retired by the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts today, becoming the ninth player in franchise history to receive the honor.
Marchessault, now 33, appeared in 254 games for the Remparts in parts of four seasons from 2007 to 2011. He’s top 10 in franchise history in games played, goals (98, t-ninth), assists (141, sixth), and points (239, eighth). He and Marc-Édouard Vlasic are the only active NHLers to have their numbers retired by the Remparts.
The honor comes just over a year after Marchessault hoisted the Conn Smythe Trophy, helping the Golden Knights to their first championship in franchise history with a league-leading 13 goals and a +17 rating in 22 playoff games. He landed a five-year, $27.5MM deal with Nashville in free agency this summer.
Elsewhere from around the league this evening:
- A strong showing early on in training camp has Brad Lambert primed to make a real run at starting the regular season as the Jets’ second-line center, writes Sportsnet’s Jacob Stoller. Lambert, 20, was a consensus top-five pick entering his draft year but fell to Winnipeg at 30th overall in 2022 after a disappointing showing. He got fully back on track in his first pro season last year, leading the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in scoring with 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 64 games. “I think I’ve improved on my attention to detail,” he told Stoller. “Being able to play on the defensive side of the puck, being reliable and being able to react quicker. I’ve tried to evolve every aspect of my game.”
- Televised hockey is back with the first few preseason games taking place Saturday night. There’s a blowout going on in Buffalo with the Sabres’ mostly NHL roster dressed against some fringe Penguins talent, leading to some wide-open play. Buffalo’s John-Jason Peterka and Pittsburgh’s Jesse Puljujärvi have dueling hat-tricks, marking an especially important early showing for the latter. Puljujärvi, the fourth overall pick in 2016, had just four points in 22 games with Pittsburgh last season and needs a strong preseason showing to avoid landing on waivers.
Stastney (Personal) Not At Training Camp
- Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is not with the team in training camp for personal reasons and there is no word yet on when he’ll return, relays Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The blueliner split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, getting into 20 games with the big club where he had two goals and two assists in just under 16 minutes a night. Somewhat surprisingly, the two sides went to salary arbitration this summer with the 24-year-old being awarded a two-year, $1.625MM contract, the second season of which is a one-way salary.
Predators To Sign Lucas Johansen To PTO
Defenseman Lucas Johansen will join the Nashville Predators in training camp on a professional tryout agreement as reported by Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game. The younger brother of former Predator Ryan Johansen has spent the better part of the last decade with the Washington Capitals organization.
Johansen was previously thought to be one of the better two-way defensive prospects in the Capitals pipeline after being selected by the organization with the 28th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. He came from a Kelowna Rockets program in the WHL that became known for churning out quality defensive prospects. Johansen got off to a quick start with the Capitals’ organization in the 2017-18 season scoring six goals and 27 points in 74 games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Injuries quickly began to pile up for the young defenseman who only mustered 59 games for the Bears from 2018-2021. The injury concerns negatively impacted his value as a prospect as Washington pivoted to other options on the blue line. Johansen only managed to skate in six games for the Capitals from 2021-24 with only two points to show. There is little to no chance of Johansen cracking Nashville’s blue line for the upcoming season out of camp. Still, he could prove valuable with the organization’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.
The Admirals have been one of the AHL’s best regular season teams over the last few years finishing third or higher in the Central Division in seven out of the previous eight seasons. The team has failed to deliver in the playoffs despite the regular season success losing the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back campaigns against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Johansen may be the missing piece to finally get the Admirals over the hump, however, as he recently won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with Hershey.
Nashville Predators Re-Sign Philip Tomasino
The Nashville Predators have signed their final remaining restricted free agent one day before the team is set to participate in their first on-ice session of training camp. According to a team announcement, Nashville has agreed to a one-year, $825K contract with forward Philip Tomasino.
It’s been a difficult few years for the former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino became a full-time member of the Predators’ roster relatively quickly after securing a point-per-game season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2020-21.
He was a promising depth scorer for the Predators during his rookie season in 2021-22, with 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games while averaging 11:32 minutes of ice time per night. Tomasino’s versatility up front allowed Nashville to move him from his natural position at center, which took some pressure off the young forward. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and was looking for more responsibility in his sophomore season.
In a somewhat confusing decision by the Predators, Tomasino did not make the team out of training camp for the 2022-23 NHL season and wasn’t recalled until February 13th of that year. He was nearly a point-per-game player with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, with 12 goals and 32 points in 38 contests, but he received little interest in Nashville despite the team struggling on offense. Tomasino finished the 2022-23 regular season with five goals and 18 points in 31 games averaging nearly four minutes more ice time than his rookie year.
Despite the Predators becoming one of the league’s better offensive teams under new head coach Andrew Brunette; Tomasino’s output plummeted. He scored seven goals and 20 points through 41 games for Nashville while posting 11 goals and 18 points in 21 games with Milwaukee. In early May, Brunette publicly called out Tomasino when he said, “If he continues to have the skill without the work, I don’t think he has a chance to play with us next year“.
One would reasonably assume from that quote that Tomasino has an outside chance of making Nashville’s roster this season unless his work ethic has dramatically improved. The team had a busy offseason and has expectations for the Stanley Cup playoffs this year so they are not in a position to have any slack on offense. It may be much of the same for Tomasino by starting the year in Milwaukee and trying to force Nashville’s hand on a call-up.
Predators Expect Stamkos To Be A Leader This Season
- Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is most excited to see Steven Stamkos’ leadership at work when the veteran begins his first training camp with his new team (as per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean). Stamkos joined Nashville via free agency and brings a large skillset to the team, but it is his reputation and leadership that has Brunette excited. Brunette told reporters that he will have Stamkos play with a pile of players early on to see how things go and to try and find the right mix. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him paired up with youngsters Thomas Novak or Luke Evangelista, given that Brunette sees leadership as Stamkos’s biggest asset.
Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators were one of, if not the busiest team in the NHL this summer. Most pundits believe that the Predators won the summer, which means precious little if the team doesn’t gel and deliver on the ice. It’s hard to argue with the assessment that Nashville won out the summer as the team added multiple Stanley Cup champions and locked up their franchise goaltender. However, with all the big-money deals, the Predators have assumed a great deal of risk, and it isn’t unheard of for teams to load up in the summer, only to have it not work out on the ice.
Draft
1-22: C Yegor Surin, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-55: F Teddy Stiga, USA U18 (NTDP)
3-77: D Viggo Gustafsson, HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-87: F Miguel Marques, Lethbridge (WHL)
3-94: F Hiroki Gojsic, Kelowna (WHL)
4-99: G Jakub Milota, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
4-127: F Viktor Nörringer, Frölunda HC (SHL)
7-213: F Erik Påhlsson, Dubuque (USHL)
The Predators’ first-round selection Surin played most of last season in the MHL posting 22 goals and 30 assists in 42 games. He was also heavily penalized with 108 PIM during that time. He is a solid puck handler and is quick and agile, however, many scouts viewed him as a later first-round pick so Nashville might have reached when selecting him 22 overall.
In the second round, Nashville selected Stiga who was actually projected to go higher in the draft. He is slated to go to Boston College next year and has been described by scouts as being cerebral, as his playmaking and offensive instincts are highly acclaimed.
In the third round, Nashville selected defensive defenseman Gustafsson who doesn’t put up much offense but has a good reach and is a stabilizing presence in the defensive zone. Some scouts felt that Gustafsson was a reach in the third round due to his limited offensive abilities.
Many scouts view Marques as a steal in the third round as he is considered a well-rounded offensive player with a high skill level and very good offensive instincts. Last season, he posted 28 goals and 46 assists in 67 WHL games and should see a bump in those numbers this upcoming season.
Trade Acquisitions
G Magnus Chrona (San Jose)
C David Edstrom (San Jose)
F Jordan Frasca (Pittsburgh)
D Andrew Gibson (Detroit)
F Ozzy Wiesblatt (San Jose)
Edstrom was acquired in the Askarov trade with the San Jose Sharks and has been traded twice since being drafted by Vegas in the first round back in 2023. The 19-year-old spent last season in Sweden posting seven goals and 12 assists in 44 games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. While those numbers look pedestrian, the young center tied for first among skaters under the age of 20 in assists and tied for fourth in points amongst players his age or younger.
23-year-old Chrona played up and down the Sharks organization last season seeing action in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. Most of his playing time was in the AHL where his numbers weren’t pretty. Chrona posted a 3.49 goals-against average with an .894 save percentage and a 6-17-6 record. While his numbers weren’t great in the AHL, it was his first season as a pro, and he has great size at 6’4” and 209 pounds.
Gibson is probably the most intriguing of all of Nashville’s trade acquisitions this summer. The 19-year-old is a big, mobile defenseman who can take care of his own end and get around the ice with relative ease. He likely will project as a bottom-pairing defenseman, however, if he can develop better offensive instincts and puck skills, he could slide into a top-four role in the future.
UFA Signings
F Kieffer Bellows (one-year, $775K)*
D Nick Blankenburg (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Vinnie Hinostroza (two-year, $1.55MM)*
C Jake Lucchini (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Jonathan Marchessault (five-year, $27.5MM)
G Matthew Murray (one-year, $775K)*
D Brady Skjei (seven-year, $49MM)
C Steven Stamkos (four-year, $32MM)
D Spencer Stastney (two-year, $1.65MM)*
G Scott Wedgewood (two-year, $3MM)
* denotes a two-way contract
There were no bigger winners than Nashville in this year’s free agency window. Brand new general manager Barry Trotz put the team on an entirely new
course with the signing of future Hall Of Famer Steven Stamkos, bolstered by the additions of solid #2’s Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault. Nashville will host the first change of scenery of Stamkos’ evergreen career. He continues to score at a top rate, recording the seventh 40-goal season of his career last season and breaking the 100-point mark as recent as two seasons ago. His supporting cast in Nashville’s top-six are all coming off defining years of their own, with both Marchessault (42) and Filip Forsberg (48) recording career-high goals, and Ryan O’Reilly once again reaching 69 points for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
That may be one of the few top-sixes better than what Stamkos was working with in Tampa Bay, and Nashville continues the excitement into the bottom-six. Every single role, save for Tomas Novak’s spot as third-line center, seems up for grabs – which could make for good training camp competition between veterans like Hinostroza and Cole Smith, and promising youngsters like Luke Evangelista and Juuso Parssinen.
Meanwhile Skjei should bring relief to Roman Josi, finally bringing another elite talent to a Predators blue-line in need. The pair will work with fellow UFA signee Stastney to man the left-side, while Dante Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, and Luke Schenn will fight out for ice time on the right-side. They’ll look to protect franchise goaltender Juuse Saros and one of Murray or Wedgewood at backup.
RFA Re-Signings
D Marc Del Gaizo (one-year, $775K)*
C Juuso Parssinen (one-year, $775K)
* denotes a two-way contract
Nashville wasn’t as exciting in handling their RFAs, so far only inking Del Gaizo and Parssinen to league-minimum contracts. Both players will join the long list of depth players fighting for a roster spot out of training camp, though their chances of earning ice time vary. Del Gaizo earned the first nine NHL games of his career last season, after posting routine scoring and strong defense in the minor leagues. He recorded three assists with the Predators, though ultimately closed the year in the minors once Nashville’s blue-line got healthy. Parssinen has carved out a much more consistent role, splitting his time nearly perfectly between the NHL and AHL lineups over the last two seasons. He’s managed a commendable 14 goals and 37 points in 89 career games with the Predators, and could be a favorite to sneak his way into a minor role to start the year.
Parssinen’s chances could hinge on when Nashville’s only remaining RFA, Philip Tomasino, decides to sign. Tomasino’s role in the lineup has been debated since he made his debut in 2021, and while his 70 points in 148 career games isn’t anything to scoff at, it also fails to vindicate his first-round selection in 2019. Next season will need to come with an improved role for Tomasino, though whether it will be a chance to become an everday lineup piece, or a final chance before the team moves on, could be dictated by his next contract.
Departures
F Wade Allison (signed in Europe)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Winnipeg, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Yaroslav Askarov (traded to San Jose)
D Tyson Barrie (Edmonton, PTO)
F Anthony Beauvillier (Pittsburgh, one-year, $1.25MM)
F Nolan Burke (traded to San Jose)
C Liam Foudy (New York Islanders, one-year, $775K)*
F Cody Glass (traded to Pittsburgh)
G Troy Grosenick (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
D Jordan Gross (signed in KHL)
G Kevin Lankinen (unsigned free agent)
D Ryan McDonagh (traded to Tampa Bay)
D Roland McKeown (signed AHL contract)
F Kiefer Sherwood (Vancouver, two-year, $3MM)
F Jason Zucker (Buffalo, one-year, $5MM)
* denotes a two-way contract
Nashville managed a franchise-defining summer surprisingly unscathed. Their biggest loss only came recently, when premier goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov requested a move to a bigger role. He’s now landed in San Jose, while Matthew Murray will take on his role as third-string. The trio of Beauvillier, Barrie, and Glass each stand as more impactful lineup changes, though none of the three were able to win out much of a role last season. In fact, Sherwood may stand as a more notable loss than any of the three – after potting a career-high 27 points last season, most of anyone on this list.
The list of departees will certainly change things up at the bottom of the NHL, and top of the AHL, lineup. But the turnover offers more opportunity than hesitation, and could end up a great proving ground for Nashville’s quickly-improving prospect pool.
Salary Cap Outlook
Nashville is entering training camp with a projected $1.496MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. That should be just enough to sign Tomasino to a reasonable, short-term deal – though it may take some strategic cap logistics for Nashville to carry enough of a buffer into the new year. Nashville might need to get used to cap gymnastics, though, with four years of paying $20.5MM for their trio of Stamkos, Marchessult, and Skjei ahead.
Key Questions
How High Can Nashville Go? The impact of Nashville’s off-season additions can’t be understated. The Predators ranked 10th in the league in goals-per-game last season, and have now added one of the main faces in the fifth-ranked Lightning. It seems the wind is behind each of Stamkos, Forsberg, Marchessault, and O’Reilly – seemingly setting Nashville up with one of the best forward groups across the NHL. But questions swarm the bunch – with even simple things like Stamkos’ role on the wing versus center standing relatively unclear. The Predators will also have to balance between keeping effective linemates together – such as O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist – while injecting enough change to take the next step. That could be a lot to handle for fresh-faced head coach Andrew Brunette, though the reward for putting the pieces together correctly could be staggering.
Which Prospects Will Get A Chance? Nashville has quickly reeled in a heap of promising
prospects – with Parssinen and Tomasino flashing at the NHL level, while each of Zachary L’Heureux, Joakim Kemell, and Fyodor Svechkov plant their feet in the minors. All five are worthwhile pros capable of filling NHL ice time, likely bringing the decisions between them down to semantics – such as L’Heureux’s discipline or Tomasino’s scoring consistency. Nashville may not need to worry as much about their third-line during the regular season, thanks – frankly – to the additon of Stamkos. But they’ll need sharp depth to make a long playoff run, and have 82 games to properly bring any of their selected youngsters up to NHL speed. How ice time is disseminated among the bunch of top prospects will stand as another difficult task ahead of Brunette’s staff.
Was Saros The Right Choice? 2024-25 will be a defining year for Nashville not only because of their UFA signings, but also their firm selection of Saros over prospect Askarov. It’s hard to knock that decision – after all, Saros boasts a .917 save percentage in 350 career games, standing as one of the league’s best starter where Askarov is all potential. But Saros will now fully embrace the role of franchise starter in an organization known for their goaltending, taking the torch from mentor and Predators legend Pekka Rinne. Saros is as ironclad as they come, playing in the most games of any NHL goalie since 2021 and recording a save percentage north of .910 in every season save for last year (.906). That’s precedent worth staking your faith in – but years of heavy usage and now no contingency plan both contribute to the narrow spotlight that Saros will draw this season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NHL-CHL Agreement Could Hinder Molendyk's Chance Of Making Roster
- Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk could be hindered in his push to make the team by the NHL-CHL agreement that will prevent him from being assigned to the AHL this season, suggests Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. The 19-year-old had 56 points in 50 games with WHL Saskatoon last season, putting him in a spot where he could legitimately make a push for a roster spot in training camp. However, without an ability to recall him once returned to junior, Molendyk will have to show that he’s worthy of keeping around by his play over the next few weeks. Otherwise, his NHL debut will have to wait another year.