What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators
With American Thanksgiving now behind us and the holiday season coming up, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Nashville Predators.
Who are the Predators thankful for?
There isn’t much that instantly stands out from this Predators season for the franchise to be thankful for. While the Predators seemed to cruise to another playoff spot last year, powered by the heroics of Juuse Saros, the early part of this year has been more of a challenge. The Predators are 12-10-2 with 26 points, just a single point behind the Minnesota Wild for the Central Division’s third playoff spot.
That on its own isn’t a bad spot for the Predators to be, but it’s the way they’ve gotten there that’s raised eyebrows. Outside of a core four players who are lugging the Predators to wins each night (Forsberg, Matt Duchene, Roman Josi, and Mikael Granlund), the number of players on the Predators roster who are playing to or above expectations is decidedly slim. Due to those circumstances, then, it gives the Predators all the more reason to be thankful for their leading scorer.
The Predators made a major investment in Forsberg last summer, committing $8.5MM against the cap per year until the summer of 2030. Some questioned that investment in Forsberg seeing that in his platform year he flew past his career highs in production, raising the issue of if his brilliant 2021-22 performance was the exception rather than the rule.
So far this year, Forsberg has been exactly what the Predators wanted him to be when they signed him to that major extension. In 24 games Forsberg leads the team with 23 points, and if he does end up finishing the season around a point-per-game mark, the Predators will surely consider that $8.5MM cap hit money well spent.
What are the Predators thankful for?
Struggling Central Division teams.
While the Predators have had a bit of a slower start than they’d likely have hoped to have, they remain just a single point out of the Central Division’s last playoff spot. Thankfully for Nashville, other teams expected to be their major competition for a Central Division playoff spot have had their own struggles to start the season.
The Minnesota Wild, the current owners of that last playoff spot, have seen major regression from important centers such as Ryan Hartman and Frederick Gaudreau. That, combined with lackluster play from starting netminder Marc-Andre Fleury and some other underperformances have led to their regression from their 2021-22 form, where they were one of the more dominant teams in the NHL.
The St. Louis Blues were also expected to be a Central Division contender, but their season has been a disaster so far. The Blues are 3-7 in their last ten games and have been giving up goals at an alarmingly high rate. The Colorado Avalanche, the defending Stanley Cup champions, were rightly expected to be a powerhouse team but have thus far seen injuries lay waste to their hopes for a dominant regular season.
So while the Predators haven’t had the start they’ve wanted, their competitors have left them room to still find their way to Stanley Cup contention. That’s definitely something to be thankful for.
What would the Predators be even more thankful for?
Better play from Saros.
As previously mentioned, a major factor in the Predators’ run to the playoffs last season was the stellar play they received from Saros, their starting netminder.
In 67 games played Saros had a 38-25-3 record with a .918 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against-average, a performance that made him a Vezina Trophy finalist.
This season, Saros’ play has been more uneven. In 18 games Saros has a 9-7-2 record, a .905 save percentage, and a 3.05 goals-against-average.
The Predators are still treading water in the Western Conference’s playoff race, but in order to really build positive momentum they’ll need Saros to play a bit better than he’s done so far this year.
What should be on the Predators’ holiday wishlist?
A productive top-six center.
In the press conference announcing Ryan Johansen‘s eight-year, $64MM extension in 2017, Predators general manager David Poile referenced the rarity of number-one centers across the league and the difficulty associated with acquiring one as a major part of the justification for Johansen’s hefty extension. At that point, Johansen was coming off of a season where he scored 61 points, and the Predators had just made a run to the Stanley Cup Final.
A few years later, though, it became clear that Johansen was more of a second-line center than a true top-of-the-lineup pivot. Johansen hasn’t crossed the 70-point mark since 2014-15, and recognizing his team’s need for a truly dynamic center, Poile signed Matt Duchene to a seven-year deal with an AAV identical to Johansen’s.
While Duchene has undoubtedly been productive (he scored 43 goals and 86 points last season) he’s been largely shifted away from the center position in recent years. So, the Predators’ longstanding need for a top-of-the-lineup center has persisted into this year as well. As things currently stand, rookie Juuso Parssinen, with a grand total of ten NHL games to his name, is the Predators’ first-line center.
Poile signed his team’s core to extensions with the idea that the Predators would be trying to compete for the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup championship. Unless Parssinen manages to author a rookie season for the ages, the Predators will be in the position of needing to win a Stanley Cup without a true top-line center. That’s an extremely challenging prospect, and the lack of a top centerman is something that has doomed many a Stanley Cup hopeful.
Picture courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minnesota Wild Recall Sammy Walker
The Minnesota Wild have announced that forward Sammy Walker has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. In a corresponding move, forward Joseph Cramarossa has been sent down.
Walker, 23, has been in the midst of an extremely impressive professional debut this season. After a four-year collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, Walker signed an entry-level contract with the Wild in August.
A 2017 seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Walker leads AHL Iowa in scoring with 22 points in 21 games, seven points clear of the next-highest scorer, defenseman Joe Hicketts. Walker’s recall puts him in a position to make his NHL debut after just over 20 games of professional action.
It’s a recall that indicates that coach Dean Evason wants to inject some more offensive flair into his team than what Cramarossa is able to provide.
The 30-year-old veteran depth player has scored a goal in four games so far this season but has just 13 points in 68 career NHL games. He’ll head back to Iowa where he has seven points in 15 games.
As the Wild look to increase their separation in the standings from the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues, they’ll hope that Walker can add to an offense that has been on fire in recent games.
Philadelphia Flyers To Scratch Tony DeAngelo
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to get Cam York into the lineup to the joy of many fans. The way they are doing it, though, will cause some eyebrows to raise around the league. Tony DeAngelo will be a healthy scratch tonight.
DeAngelo, 27, has recorded points in each of his last four games and played nearly 22 minutes on Wednesday night. That is actually much lower than his average on the year, which still sits over 24 minutes, after a number of huge totals earlier on. Twice this year already, DeAngelo has played more than 31 minutes in a game, as head coach John Tortorella tried desperately to find a way to spark his team’s offense.
Now, though, he’ll sit down the veteran defenseman in favor of York, who will be playing in his first NHL game of the season. The 21-year-old has 13 points in 20 minor league games and is one of the team’s top prospects. Selected 14th overall in 2019, he has ten points in 33 career games with the Flyers – nearly all of them coming during the 2021-22 season.
Meanwhile, DeAngelo was signed to a two-year, $10MM contract by the Flyers after sending three draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire him (they received a seventh-round pick as well). Moving a second, third, and fourth for a defenseman in his mid-twenties isn’t exactly the kind of deal that a rebuilding club usually pulls off, showing how little interest the front office had in a full teardown in the offseason.
While this almost certainly won’t be the last we see of DeAngelo in the lineup, it does indicate just how hard Tortorella is trying to instill some responsibility in the Flyers group. The high-risk defenseman has never been known for contributing much in his own end, and he has been on for 29 goals again at even strength already this year. That is third worst on the club, behind only Hayes (34) and Ivan Provorov (30).
Calgary Flames Recall Radim Zohorna
Moments after Kevin Rooney cleared waivers, the Calgary Flames announced a recall of another minor league forward. This time it’s Radim Zohorna coming up, with Rooney assigned to the AHL to make room.
Zohorna, 26, follows linemate Matthew Phillips to the NHL, who was recalled yesterday after an incredible start to the year. While the 6’6″ Zorhorna hasn’t been quite as effective, his 16 points in 20 games with the Calgary Wranglers were also impressive enough to earn a chance with the Flames. Claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in October, the Flames managed to sneak him through a few days later when teams were finishing their final roster cuts. That was rather surprising, given the big Czech’s encouraging performance with Pittsburgh last season, which resulted in six points during his 17 NHL games.
Head coach Darryl Sutter has always employed size on his fourth line, and while Phillips is the opposite of that, Zohorna can more than make up for his 5’7″ teammate. The more diminutive of the two was skating with Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis today, but it remains to be seen whether Sutter will insert Zohorna into that group should they continue to struggle.
Lucic has yet to score a single goal this season and is averaging just over ten minutes a game, while Rooney had just one point in 17 appearances. With a back-to-back situation (and three road games in four nights) starting this evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets, there may be a chance to move pieces in and out, trying different combinations.
Five Players Clear Waivers
Dec 9: All five players have cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Rooney, Benson, Kaut, and Carpenter can now be assigned to the minor leagues, while Berglund’s contract will be terminated.
Dec 8: It’s a busy Thursday on the waiver wire, as Kevin Rooney of the Calgary Flames, Tyler Benson of the Edmonton Oilers, Martin Kaut of the Colorado Avalanche, and Ryan Carpenter of the New York Rangers are all available for claim, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Boston Bruins defenseman Victor Berglund has also been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Rooney, 29, has not worked out quite as well as the Flames had hoped when they signed him to a two-year, $2.6MM contract in July. After scoring six goals and 12 points in 61 games last season for the New York Rangers, the depth forward has just a single assist in 17 matches for Calgary.
With today’s recall of Matthew Phillips, it appears as though the Flames will go in a different direction for their bottom six. Rooney’s contract will likely keep him from being claimed, though, meaning he can stay with the organization and try to get his game back on track. By moving him to the minor leagues, $1.125MM of his $1.3MM cap hit would come off the books.
For Benson, it’s not quite so rosy. The 24-year-old has played two games with the Oilers this season, barely seen the ice during them, and has no contract security past this year. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has never been able to stick in the NHL despite strong numbers in the minor leagues, and appears to be a potential non-tender candidate next summer as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.
Kaut, 23, already cleared waivers at the beginning of this season, but had landed a regular spot in the Colorado lineup since and needed them again to go back to the minor leagues. The 2018 first-round pick has three points in 18 games this year, and was on the ice for multiple goals against in last night’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins.
The Avalanche haven’t been able to find any mix of depth forwards they are happy with, and continue to make changes on a near-daily basis. Kaut’s waiver placement doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed back down, given all of the injuries they have. He also could be claimed, given his relatively young age and draft pedigree.
Carpenter, like Rooney, hasn’t been able to find the same level of play he had last season with his new team. The Rangers forward has just three points in 21 games and has become a fringe option, moving in and out of the lineup. Even with his familiarity with head coach Gerrard Galant, the Rangers can’t keep putting Carpenter out there without some more consistent play.
Berglund, 23, was picked 195th overall in 2017 and signed his entry-level deal in 2020. It is set to expire at the end of the year and he has barely played this season, meaning the two sides are just splitting a little early so he can chase a job somewhere else. The Swedish defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent and is likely headed back to Europe.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Brad Hunt
The Colorado Avalanche continue their daily roster changes, recalling Brad Hunt from the minor leagues. The veteran defenseman (who is no relation to Avalanche forward Dryden Hunt) will slot in on defense while Jacob MacDonald moves back to forward. After clearing waivers, Martin Kaut was sent down to make room.
Hunt, 34, has shown he’s still too good for the minor leagues this year, racking up six goals and 20 points in 22 games. This is his first time playing in the AHL since 2016-17, when he forced his way up to the NHL despite being an undersized, undrafted defenseman. There was no stopping Hunt in the minors; he has 229 career points in 309 AHL games, including 63 goals. Last season with the Vancouver Canucks, he added 17 points in 50 games, showing he could still be a capable offensive piece at the highest level.
This likely won’t be a long-term fix, though, as the Avalanche are close to getting two impact forwards back. Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin are both very close to getting back into the lineup, with the latter even being a game-time decision this evening. The defending champs are just 13-10-1 this season thanks to a huge number of injuries, and will try to start turning the corner as they get players back.
Alexandar Georgiev will get the start against his former team.
David Booth Re-Signs In Norway
If they want to, an NHL player’s professional career can continue long after he leaves the league. David Booth, who has played just 28 NHL games since 2014-15, has signed another contract in Norway for the rest of the season. He’ll move to Storhamar, after suiting up for Manglerud in 2019-20 and Valerenga in 2021-22.
Booth, 38, was once a solid top-six player in the NHL, scoring 31 goals in the 2008-09 season for the Florida Panthers and totaling 236 points in his career. In 2015, he left for the KHL, before making a short comeback with the Detroit Red Wings in 2017-18.
Last season playing in Norway he dominated, scoring 15 goals and 29 points in 15 games, before putting up a similar pace in the playoffs.
Playing in a league several levels below NHL hockey isn’t for everyone, obviously, but Booth has long been described as a “different cat” who enjoys living in more remote areas. Hamar, where the team is located, has fewer than 30,000 people and is located on the largest lake in Norway.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Joey Anderson
With Nick Robertson out with a shoulder injury and Pierre Engvall facing a potential suspension, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Joey Anderson from the minor leagues. It’s the first call-up of the season for the minor league forward, who cleared waivers at the start of the year.
Anderson, 24, does have 58 games of NHL experience under his belt, but only six of those have come since he was acquired by Toronto in 2020. A third-round selection of the New Jersey Devils, he has spent most of his time with the Toronto Marlies the last three seasons, where he continues to produce as a top-end AHL player. In 21 games this season, Anderson has 11 goals and 19 points.
A great example of a player who appears to be good enough to provide some value at the NHL level but who hasn’t received much of an opportunity, injury issues will likely be the only way Anderson finds his way into the Toronto lineup on a regular basis.
While these situations usually at least mean a bit of a pay raise for the recalled player, Anderson doesn’t have to worry about that. He is on a one-way deal, meaning he’ll earn $800K no matter which level he plays. The Maple Leafs are known for enticing a few players with the promise of NHL salaries in the minor leagues; Kyle Clifford and Adam Gaudette are two others on one-way deals in the AHL.
Tom Wilson Joins Capitals Practice
Morning skate for the Washington Capitals was rather encouraging today, as several injured players were on the ice. Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports that Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom, and Dmitry Orlov were all skating with their teammates, though none are ready to return just yet.
For Wilson, it’s the first time he’s joined the group since undergoing ACL surgery last spring. Coming off a career-best 24-goal, 52-point season, the physical winger is one of the most important players on the club, and has been sorely missed through the early part of the year. The Capitals are 12-12-4 on the year and have struggled to find much consistency from the lower half of their forward group, with Wilson, Backstrom, and Connor Brown all out.
Backstrom has joined the team a few times as he deals with his own rehab and is optimistic he will return at some point this season after hip surgery. There is no clear timeline for either player, but getting them around practice again will be sure to lift the team’s spirits, given how important a role they play on the ice and in the dressing room.
Orlov, meanwhile, has been out for more than a month with a lower-body injury. He too is coming off a career year, with 12 goals and 35 points, and had been averaging a ton of ice time through the early part of the season. If the Capitals are able to keep their head above water until they get these reinforcements back, they will still have a shot at the playoffs. As it stands right now, they are sixth in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of only the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Detroit Red Wings Activate, Re-Assign Elmer Soderblom
One of the interesting storylines for the Detroit Red Wings this season has been the emergence of Elmer Soderblom, who went directly from the SHL to the NHL and didn’t look out of place. After suffering an injury, though, he has missed the last several weeks, and will now have to face the grind of the AHL to get back on track. After activating him from injured reserve, the Red Wings have loaned Soderblom to the Grand Rapids Griffins to get back into game action.
Standing 6’8″ and towering over most of his opponents, the 21-year-old forward was part of the biggest line in the NHL earlier this year, along with Michael Rasmussen and Oskar Sundqvist. It was an impressive trio to see move around the ice, even if it failed to result in a ton of offensive production. The Swedish rookie scored just two goals in his 13 games before going down and is still looking for his first NHL assist.
Now healthy again, he’ll get his first taste of the AHL and try to replicate the scoring touch he had for Frolunda last year. In 52 games, Soderblom managed to score 21 goals at the SHL level, good enough for seventh in the league. As the rest of the hockey world marvels at a hulking, lanky forward in Buffalo that relies more on skill than physicality and is setting the NHL on fire, Red Wings fans can only dream about the flashes of potential that Soderblom has shown. While he will likely never match the kind of all-world production that Tage Thompson is providing, there should be a lesson of patience to be learned from the Sabres superstar.
Often, very large players take a little while longer to develop, as they figure out how to best utilize their massive frame against NHL opponents. Soderblom is just at the very beginning of his professional journey, and will be back with the Red Wings before long.