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Nashville Predators Recall Mark Jankowski

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After Kiefer Sherwood cleared waivers, the Nashville Predators made an interesting roster swap. Mark Jankowski has been recalled from the AHL, with Sherwood going down in his place.

Jankowski, 28, was once a regular in the NHL, scoring 31 goals and 57 points over his first two seasons with the Calgary Flames. The first-round pick appeared to be a solid middle-six forward that could chip in offensively and use his 6’4″ frame to add some physicality.

It’s been several years since that was the case though, and Jankowski spent more time last season in the minor leagues than in the NHL. This year he settled for a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators that came with a huge minor league guarantee, suggesting that he would be spending most of his time with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Now, after scoring five goals and nine points in his first seven AHL games, Jankowski will join the big club as an extra forward. Whether he gets another chance to get his NHL career back on track remains to be seen but he couldn’t have done much more for Milwaukee to begin his year.

Kiefer Sherwood Clears Waivers

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Nov 3: Sherwood has cleared, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Nov 2: Not every NHL season will have two Kief(f)ers placed on waivers. After Kieffer Bellows was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this year, Nashville Predators forward Kiefer Sherwood now finds himself on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Sherwood, 27, made the Predators roster rather unexpectedly out of training camp and has played in five games so far with the team. He has one goal (the first goal of the NHL season) and two points, but had found his way to the press box recently. After being re-inserted into the lineup yesterday and receiving just 9:18 of ice time, it appears as though he’s headed for the minor leagues.

Undrafted, Sherwood has 92 NHL games under his belt and was one of the AHL’s most dangerous players a year ago. He set new career highs with 36 goals and 75 points in 57 games for the Colorado Eagles, and appeared to be in the mix for full-time NHL minutes.

If someone claims him, that could still be possible, but given the face that he cleared twice last season, he’s probably headed to the minors.

Nashville Predators Recall Jordan Gross

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The Nashville Predators have recalled defenseman Jordan Gross from the AHL, giving them an extra body as they head out on a five-game road trip. To make room, the team has moved Mark Borowiecki to injured reserve.

Borowiecki last played on October 22, when he suffered a scary injury that saw him stretchered off the ice. He was discharged from the hospital later that night and was deemed to have “no major issues.” Given that his IR placement will be retroactive to that game, he can be activated whenever he is healthy enough to return.

Gross, meanwhile, comes up as an emergency option that likely isn’t going to get much playing time. The Predators still have six other defensemen on the roster, and the 27-year-old doesn’t have much experience at the NHL level. Undrafted, Gross was a free agent signing in 2018 by the Arizona Coyotes and has played ten games in the NHL, recording four points.

Still, he did win the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman last season, after putting up 65 points in 61 games. The Predators also rewarded him with a two-year contract that will be one-way in 2023-24, suggesting that they see him as a legitimate depth piece that could play games if necessary.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2022-23 season and beyond.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $80,873,601 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None

Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level

D Mark Borowiecki ($900K, UFA)
D Alexandre Carrier ($733K, RFA)
D Dante Fabbro ($2.4MM, RFA)
F Cody Glass ($874K, RFA)
F Tanner Jeannot ($800K, RFA)
G Kevin Lankinen ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Michael McCarron ($750K, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($850K, UFA)
F Kiefer Sherwood ($750K, UFA)
F Cole Smith ($750K, UFA)

It feels like Glass is in a make-or-break year.  After spending most of last season in the minors, he broke camp with Nashville and has been a regular early on.  Young centers with size get long leashes and simply holding down a regular role will earn him another opportunity, albeit at one that isn’t much higher priced than this.  But if he can’t do that, they could look to move on.  That won’t be the case for Jeannot who became an impact power forward last season and is off to a strong start this year.  If he tops the 20-goal mark again, comparable contracts elsewhere could push him past the $5MM mark, especially with arbitration eligibility.

As for the pending UFAs, Sanford didn’t have a particularly strong market this summer and quickly settled for this contract with the hopes of rebuilding his value.  With limited minutes early on, that’s unlikely to happen and accordingly, his next deal should come in close to this one.  Smith has held a regular role early but with limited NHL experience prior to this season, he’d be hard-pressed to pass the $1MM mark unless he picks things up offensively.  McCarron and Sherwood have bounced between the NHL and the minors in recent years and are likely heading for contracts at or near the minimum again.

Fabbro was once viewed as a future top-four piece but his average ice time is down considerably this season and is fifth among Nashville defenders.  A $2.4MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights is a bit on the high side for a fifth blueliner and if he doesn’t recover from his slow start, he could be a candidate for a change of scenery.  If he rebounds and gets back to the 19-minute ATOI mark, a small raise to the $3MM range could be doable.  Borowiecki is best utilized as a seventh defender at this point of his career and players like that aren’t likely to surpass $1MM on their contracts.  If he sticks around next year, it’ll be at a similar price point.  Carrier has worked his way into a regular role and logged nearly 21 minutes a game last season.  With one year of RFA eligibility remaining, the Preds will likely want to work out a multi-year deal that could push his cost into the $3MM range.

Lankinen is another free agent signing that is looking to rebuild his value after a tough year in Chicago.  A bounce-back year could make him one of the more intriguing UFAs next summer as he’ll only be 28.  A strong showing might be enough to push him closer to the $2.5MM AAV range on a multi-year deal.

Signed Through 2023-24

F Nino Niederreiter ($4MM, UFA)
F Eeli Tolvanen ($1.45MM, RFA)
F Yakov Trenin ($1.7MM, UFA)

Niederreiter’s first trip through unrestricted free agency wasn’t as successful as he likely hoped as he had to settle for a pay cut.  The market for secondary wingers isn’t as strong as it was a few years ago but in 2024, there should be a higher jump in the salary cap which could give him a chance to get closer to the $5MM mark if he’s productive with the Preds.  Trenin only has had one full season under his belt but had 17 goals in that year which gave him a bit of leverage this summer.  This is basically another bridge deal to see if he can repeat that type of production.  If so, he could add another million in free agency but if not, he’s likely looking at a small dip.  Tolvanen has shown flashes of upside over the last couple of seasons but hasn’t been able to put together a consistently productive season yet.  If he can get to the 20-goal mark and cement himself as part of Nashville’s future core, he could more than double this contract.  If not, his last RFA year should be closer to $2MM.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Mikael Granlund ($5MM, UFA)
F Ryan Johansen ($8MM, UFA)
G Juuse Saros ($5MM, UFA)

Johansen had some tough seasons but last year was arguably his best, at least in his time with the Predators.  He still didn’t put up top-line production but he played a big role in Nashville having two strong scoring lines.  He’ll be 33 when this deal is up and at this point, it still seems safe to forecast a dip in his salary, even if he remains around the 60-point mark.  Granlund had by far his best season with Nashville last year and is off to a similar start this year.  He doesn’t score very often anymore but as an all-situations veteran that is spending more time at center than he used to, he’s filling an important role.  He’ll also be 33 when this contract is up and if he’s still logging 20 minutes a night, he could get a little more at that time as long as his production doesn’t go back to what it was a couple of years ago.

Saros has certainly established himself as a quality starter after playing more than 40 games for the first time last season.  He’s undersized which scares a lot of teams off but if he has three more seasons like last year (one that saw him finish third in Vezina Trophy voting), he should have a strong market that could push his AAV past the $7MM mark.

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Latest On Mark Borowiecki

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10/23/22: The Predators have issued an update on Borowiecki’s status. Per the team, Borowiecki was discharged from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and is currently restring at home. Thankfully, the team states that Borowiecki has “no major injuries,” although they do state that his return to the ice is “subject to further rest, observation, and testing.” While this is undoubtedly an unfortunate development overall for the veteran defenseman, the news that he has seemingly avoided any major injuries is definitely welcome.

10/22/22: A scary scene tonight in Nashville as Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was injured and taken off the ice via stretcher halfway through the second period. The injury happened as Borowiecki was hit by Philadelphia Flyers forward Morgan Frost behind the Predators net. The defenseman’s head appeared to make contact with the glass during the hit before he fell to the ice. After several moments receiving medical attention, Borowiecki was taken by stretcher off the ice.

Of course, nobody wants to see any player injured in a game, especially one that involves leaving the ice via stretcher or any sort of head injury, and the same can be said about Borowiecki. Unfortunately, Borowiecki is also someone who has a history of concussions and has missed significant time dealing with not only those injuries, but mental health struggles, which he had opened up about publicly in the summer of 2021.

A longtime member of the Ottawa Senators, Borowiecki joined the Predators prior to the 2020-21 season. The defenseman has been considered one of the toughest players in hockey and twice lead the NHL in penalty minutes, including last season. No update has been made immediately available, but concern towards Borowiecki’s overall health is paramount.

3,000th Game For David Poile Who Is Unsure How Much Longer He'll Stay As GM

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Today’s game is a milestone one for Predators GM David Poile as NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika notes that their contest against Philadelphia will be Poile’s 3,000th as an NHL general manager.  He is the first to ever get to that milestone.  The 72-year-old has been at the helm in Nashville since 1997, joining the team a year before their inaugural season in 1998-99.  Poile acknowledged that he has been going year-to-year on contracts for more than a decade now and isn’t sure how much longer he’ll be staying in his current role.  Whenever he does step aside, he’s going to be the record-holder in games managed for a very long time.

2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Eighteenth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
5th Overall: Erik Karlsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (15)
6th Overall: John Carlson, Columbus Blue Jackets (27)
7th Overall: Jacob Markstrom, Nashville Predators (31)
8th Overall: Braden Holtby, Phoenix Coyotes (93)
9th Overall: Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders (22)
10th Overall: Jared Spurgeon, Vancouver Canucks (156)
11th Overall: Cam Atkinson, Chicago Blackhawks (157)
12th Overall: T.J. Brodie, Buffalo Sabres (114)
13th Overall: Josh Bailey, Los Angeles Kings (9)
14th Overall: Adam Henrique, Carolina Hurricanes (82)
15th Overall: Tyler Myers, Ottawa Senators (12)
16th Overall: Gustav Nyquist, Boston Bruins (121)
17th Overall: Derek Stepan, Anaheim Ducks (51)

There aren’t too many players that represent the New York Rangers of the 2010’s better than Derek Stepan. A regular in their top-six, good for at least 50 points on a yearly basis, the center played a big role on teams that were regularly in the mix for the Stanley Cup. Of course, those dreams never came true for Stepan or the Rangers, at least not yet, but there’s no doubt the franchise was thrilled with what they received with their 51st overall selection in 2008.

In our redraft, Stepan now climbs all the way up to 17th overall, this time to the Anaheim Ducks. The team had originally used this slot to take defenseman Jake Gardiner, who ultimately never suited up for a game with them, traded to the Maple Leafs while he was still in college. Whether they would, in hindsight, prefer Gardiner or Stepan could be an interesting debate, however the results of the redraft show Stepan would be the choice.

Now, we turn our attention to the eighteenth overall pick, which belonged to the Nashville Predators. With that pick, the team looked to solidify their future in net by selecting goaltender Chet Pickard. Little did they know, another netminder in their system would burst onto the scene the following season and never look back, becoming one of the best players in the franchise’s history. Unfortunately for Pickard, not everyone can have the same career as Pekka Rinne.

Pickard was a standout for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, spending three years in net there, his first season as the full-time starter coming in 2007-08. After becoming the first goaltender selected in the 2008 draft, Pickard returned to Tri-City for another stellar season before turning pro for the 2009-10 campaign. The goaltender struggled in his first season, playing 36 games in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, but things wouldn’t get much better from there. He would spend parts of three more seasons bouncing between the ECHL and AHL, but never found much success or momentum.

Following the 2013-14 season, his last in North America, Pickard headed to Denmark for a year before moving onto the DEL in Germany for 2015-16. There, Pickard finally found success as a reliable goalie for Iserlohn, Manheim, and Wolfsburg. Pickard finally finding a consistent role as a reliable goaltender is surely good news, but having to do it over agin, its unlikely Nashville would take him in the 18th spot in the draft. Rinne aside, there are two goaltenders already taken in the re-draft with considerable success, and a few still on the board with solid NHL resumes. So, in this redraft, who would go 18th overall to the Predators?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Coyotes Claim Connor Ingram

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For the second time this preseason, the Coyotes have added to their goaltending depth as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed Connor Ingram off waivers from Nashville.

The 25-year-old saw his first NHL action last season, getting into three games during the regular season with the Predators, posting a 3.71 GAA along with a .879 SV%.  However, after David Rittich struggled in the opening game of the playoffs (with Juuse Saros out of the lineup), Nashville turned to Ingram for the rest of their series against Colorado and he held his own with a .913 SV% in the three games he suited up in.

Ingram has a much better track record of success in the minors which is likely what prompted the Coyotes to put in a claim.  He has a save percentage of .919 over parts of six seasons in the AHL, spanning 149 games.  He’s in the final season of a three-year minimum contract that carries a $733K AAV so he’s certainly a low-cost option for them to try.

Karel Vejmelka is set to enter the season as the starter while Ingram will be battling fellow waiver claim Jonas Johansson for the second-string role.  Meanwhile, Jon Gillies, who entered camp as the potential backup, cleared waivers today and will be on his way to Tucson of the AHL.

Prospect Simon Knak Signs Three-Year Extension In Switzerland

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  • The Predators will be waiting a while to sign prospect Simon Knak as HC Davos of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed the winger to a three-year extension that runs through the 2025-26 season. Nashville selected the 20-year-old in the sixth round in 2021 (179th overall) on the heels of a season split between Davos and Portland of the WHL.  Knak is off to a solid start this season with four points in his first seven games but he’ll be staying in Switzerland for the foreseeable future.

Snapshots: Czechia, Columbus, Landeskog

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The Czech Foreign Ministry has told the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators that they will not welcome Russian-born players into the country for the Global Series games, scheduled to be held on October 7 and 8 in Prague. A report from the Associated Press confirms that a letter has been sent to the NHL explaining that visas are not to be issued to Russian players because of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

However, deputy commissioner Bill Daly has expressed “no concern” to the AP about players traveling to Czechia, and Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters including Corey Masisak of The Athletic that the NHL is handling the situation. Grier also explained that his position is “we all go or we don’t go,” suggesting he will not take the Sharks to Prague if Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov, the team’s two healthy Russian players, are not allowed to participate.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have made several changes in their hockey operations department, naming Trevor Timmins assistant director of amateur scouting, and hiring Marshall Davidson, Dale Derkatch, and Roman Polak (previously reported) as scouts. Zac Urback has been promoted to director of hockey analytics, and Mike Eaves, formerly the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, will now serve as a pro scout.
  • Gabriel Landeskog “won’t skate anytime soon” according to Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, who told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that the captain is still dealing with an injury from last season. Landeskog is expected to miss the start of the year.

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