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Fedor Svechkov

Central Notes: Rantanen, Wallstedt, Svechkov

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Mikko Rantanen’s reaction to being traded from the Colorado Avalanche was noticeable on the ice. He scored two goals and six points in 13 games with the Carolina Hurricanes and appeared as uninterested in an extension as he did during the games. Since joining the Dallas Stars, Rantanen is enjoying hockey again.

That’s evidenced by Rantanen’s torrid start in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He’s the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite, scoring nine goals and 19 points in 11 games. In a recent article, Peter Baugh of The Athletic explored Rantanen’s pathway to the Stars organization this season.

Baugh even spoke to one of Rantanen’s family friends, Sauli Mattila, who said, “We’re getting back to ‘same old Mikko’ in his face. The smile is coming back.” The Stars are happy to reap the rewards of Rantanen’s new spark, as he may become the first player to be acquired at the trade deadline to become the postseason’s MVP.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Now that Marc-Andre Fleury has shut the door on his playing career, Minnesota Wild netminder prospect Jesper Wallstedt has a clear pathway toward NHL minutes. Still, he’s not coming off a promising season, as injuries limited him to 27 games in the AHL, leading Wallstedt to a 9-14-5 record with a .879 SV% and a 3.59 GAA. In an interview with Joe Smith of The Athletic, Wallstedt reaffirmed his confidence in himself, saying, “I know I’m a great goalie. I know I can save the puck. I’ve done it for so many years. I’ve done it at so many different levels. I’ve done it at the AHL. So it’s more that I’m asking myself, ‘Why am I not doing it right now? What has changed?’ I just need to get a clean slate.”
  • In an interview with Dave Kallmann of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nashville Predators prospect Fedor Svechkov spoke about transitioning back to AHL hockey for the Milwaukee Admirals’ pursuit of the Calder Cup. Svechkov, the team’s first-line center, is second on Milwaukee in postseason scoring with two goals and five points in five games. When pressed on re-joining the Admirals roster, Svechkov said, “It was so easy because I knew almost all the guys, and I’ve been here last year, start of this year, and I know the coaches, know all the stuff. And it was pretty easy, like I just came back to my family.“

Predators Reassign Marc Del Gaizo, Fedor Svechkov

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The Predators reassigned defenseman Marc Del Gaizo and center Fedor Svechkov to AHL Milwaukee on Monday, according to a team release. The pair will aid the Admirals in their Calder Cup quest after logging significant NHL ice time in 2024-25.

Del Gaizo was eligible for reassignment after clearing waivers last week. He split the season rather evenly between Nashville and Milwaukee and spent three distinct stints on the NHL roster, including from Feb. 27 onward to the end of the year aside from a brief demotion to the Admirals on March 7 to make him eligible to suit up for them in the postseason. It’s his first season requiring waivers after signing a two-way deal last September ($775K NHL/$125K AHL) following a lengthy stint on the restricted free agent market. Nashville won’t have the opportunity to retain his signing rights via a qualifying offer this summer because he’s eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency as a player with at least three professional seasons and fewer than 80 career NHL games while also being 25 years old.

Whether Del Gaizo stays with the Predators next season remains to be seen. It’s looking unlikely after they extended Andreas Englund last week, meaning Del Gaizo is the only Nashville defenseman who ended the season on IR or the active roster who’s not signed for 2025-26. The 2019 fourth-round pick made a career-high 46 appearances for the Preds this year, posting two goals and seven assists for nine points and a minus-three rating while averaging 16:45 per game. Down in the minors, the 5’11” lefty posted 8-4–12 and a +10 rating in 30 regular-season games.

As for Svechkov, the Preds hope he’ll remain in Nashville for years to come. The 2021 No. 19 overall pick somewhat unexpectedly saw significant NHL usage this year after a strong start to the campaign in Milwaukee, posting 12 points in 13 games while spending the vast majority of the season up with the Predators. The 6’0″, 187-lb pivot played third-line minutes, scoring 8-9–17 while averaging 12:53 per game across 52 appearances. He needs some work in the faceoff dot, winning just 36.7% of his 335 draws, and had underwhelming possession impacts for his offensively sheltered usage at even strength (50.0 CF%, 47.0 xGF%). There’s no guarantee he’s on Nashville’s opening night roster in the fall, but a strong playoff run with Milwaukee could boost his chances.

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.

Predators Reassign Fedor Svechkov

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The Predators announced today that they have reassigned center Fedor Svechkov to AHL Milwaukee. The move frees up a roster spot, indicating that one of their IR-bound defensemen, Alexandre Carrier and Jeremy Lauzon, could be close to returning. According to Robby Stanley of NHL.com, neither will play tonight against the Rangers but skated this morning.

It’s not an unexpected result for Svechkov, who made his NHL debut earlier in his development than most expected. Nashville selected the 21-year-old in the first round of the 2021 draft, and he’s in his second season in North America after coming over from Russia in the 2023 offseason. He got off to a hot start with AHL Milwaukee, posting five goals and eight points in seven games, earning himself a performance-based recall with the Preds struggling to generate offense.

After scoring two goals and posting a -1 rating through his first nine NHL games, he’s returned to the minors for further development. He won’t require waivers to head to the AHL until the 2026-27 campaign or until he reaches 160 career games, whichever comes first.

Over the past few weeks, Svechkov has averaged nearly 12 minutes per game. He has won 46.2% of his faceoffs and recorded four blocks and 10 hits. He’s averaged a shot on goal per game and logged underwhelming possession numbers. He only controls 49.5% of shot attempts at even strength despite starting 73.1% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Predators To Recall Fedor Svechkov, Assign Adam Wilsby

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The Nashville Predators have reportedly recalled forward Fedor Svechkov and returned defender Adam Wilsby to the AHL, per the AHL Transactions Log. It’s the first NHL call-up of Svechkov’s young career, coming after he started the season with eight points in seven AHL games. He’s one of three Milwaukee Admirals still scoring above a point-per-game pace, alongside Vinny Hinostroza (19 points in 13 games) and Zachary L’Heureux (five points in four games).

Nashville general manager Barry Trotz has been vocal about wanting to lean into the many top prospects playing in Milwaukee amid the team’s struggles. He said earlier this month that he’s responsible for buying his prospects time to develop at the NHL level – and now brings up another youngster to join L’Heureux, who has four points in his first 15 NHL games.

Svechkov has planted his feet as a strong play-driver, bringing plenty of tenacity and speed to the middle lane. Those traits helped him reach 16 goals and 39 points in 57 games as an AHL rookie last season. He looked sharp, upholding his strong production in a move from Russia to Wisconsin. The 2021 19th-overall pick will now look to maintain it through an even tougher step, likely to challenge Colton Sissons or Michael McCarron for minutes centering the team’s bottom six.

Meanwhile, Wilsby will return to the minors just one day after being recalled. He’s bounced between the two rosters all month, spending as much as a week in the NHL – though Wilsby hasn’t cracked the lineup just yet. That might be a bit of a disappointment for the 24-year-old defender, who’s yet to make his NHL debut despite three seasons of serviceable play in Milwaukee. He has three points in 11 AHL games this season, bringing him to 42 points in 144 career AHL games. Wilsby was a fourth-round pick in 2020, and spent two years after his draft selection honing his traits in Sweden’s SHL. He’ll return to the minors with an assured role, and likely another depth call-up, awaiting him.

Injury Notes: Celebrini, Karlsson, Svechkov

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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.

Latest On Alex DeBrincat

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The trade market will only heat up over the next few weeks, and Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat is expected to be high on the list of most trade bait boards. Reports late last week suggested Ottawa will want to get a move in place by next week’s draft, as the 25-year-old sniper isn’t willing to sign a long-term extension with the Sens after heading to the Canadian capital via trade at this time last year. Today, we have some more clarity on where DeBrincat could end up by the end of the month: the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Detroit Red Wings are on his preferred list of teams where he’d sign a long-term extension, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports.

Ottawa acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks just before the first round of last year’s draft, conceding the seventh overall pick (used on Kevin Korchinski), the 39th overall pick (used on Paul Ludwinski), and a third-round pick in 2024. How much of that value Ottawa can recoup in a secondary trade remains to be seen.

Garrioch mentioned last year’s Kevin Fiala trade between the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings as a comparable, with the Kings sending high-end defense prospect Brock Faber and the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft in return for Fiala’s RFA rights (he then signed a long-term extension). Garrioch argues that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion should be in a position to get a better return, given DeBrincat is a two-time 40-goal scorer at the time of the deal.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli seemed to pour cold water on that today, however, suggesting an offer from the Detroit Red Wings of winger Filip Zadina (whose time to develop into a full-time NHLer is quickly running out) and futures as a likely return in terms of value for DeBrincat. What does seem clear is that Ottawa likely won’t be receiving a significant roster player in this deal – nor will they be getting the value of picks they gave up for DeBrincat in the first place.

If Ottawa is able to get a prospect closer to Faber’s caliber in return for DeBrincat, though, they should be aiming for a winger who could replace DeBrincat’s spot long-term. The team’s gamble on Tyler Boucher at 10th overall in 2021 doesn’t look like it will pay off, and the team is quickly running out of forward prospects with top-six ceilings with Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig graduating to full-time NHL roles. That could be someone like Mavrik Bourque from Dallas, Fedor Svechkov from Nashville, Mackie Samoskevich from Florida, or Brendan Brisson from Vegas.

Expecting a first-round pick along with Brisson from Vegas may be too much to ask, but the team is slated to pick with the last selection of the first round after winning the Stanley Cup, so it doesn’t quite hold as much value. Dallas and Florida do not have their first-round picks in this year’s draft, while Detroit holds the ninth overall selection, and Nashville holds the 15th and 24th overall picks.

Nashville Predators Sign Fedor Svechkov To ELC

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The Nashville Predators have signed one of their top prospects, inking 2021 19th overall pick Fedor Svechkov to a three-year entry-level deal. The financial terms of the contract were not included in the official announcement.

Svechkov, who turned 20 last month, is a Russian center who has thus far spent his entire hockey career in his home country. Up until his first season as a Nashville prospect, Svechkov played for Lada Togliatti in his home city of Tolyatti. In his draft season, he scored 15 points in 15 games at Russia’s junior level and potted an impressive 15 points in 38 games playing against men in the VHL, Russia’s second-highest level of hockey.

Svechkov’s positive traits (namely his polished two-way game) made him a highly-touted prospect at that year’s draft, and he was ranked sixth among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting. After he was selected 19th overall, Svechkov was traded to SKA St. Petersburg, where he made his KHL debut and scored 31 points in 30 VHL games.

In a move that helped him see more regular time in the KHL, Svechkov was traded last summer to Spartak Moscow in a major trade that landed top Carolina Hurricanes prospect Alexander Nikishin in St. Petersburg. The move allowed Svechkov to play in 27 KHL games this past season, and although he registered just four points it’s worth noting that Svechkov’s role steadily increased as the year went on.

Now with this entry-level deal signed, Svechkov will begin his career with the Predators’ organization and begin to acclimate himself to North American ice. While he’ll in all likelihood get a chance to compete for a roster spot in Nashville, it seems the most prudent choice for his development would be to get some experience under his belt beforehand in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Regardless of where he ultimately begins his season in the fall, this signing brings a talented player into the fold for a re-tooling Predators team and could give AHL fans in Milwaukee the chance to watch one of Nashville’s top prospects in action.

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