Predators Sign Dante Fabbro, Two Others To Extensions
Predators GM Barry Trotz has announced the signings of defenseman Dante Fabbro and forward Mark Jankowski to one-year and two-year extensions, respectively (via Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). Fabbro’s deal sees him earn $2.5MM next season, per a team release, and is paid entirely in base salary. Jankowski’s deal will pay him $775K in 2024-25 and $825K in 2025-26, per the team, translating to an $800K cap hit. Additionally, the team has signed undrafted free agent goaltender Gustavs Grigals to a one-year, two-way deal for the remainder of the season, worth $775K at the NHL level.
Fabbro and Jankowski will be UFAs at the end of their respective deals. Nashville was set for a potential arbitration hearing with Fabbro if he did not re-sign before the summer, while Jankowski was a pending UFA upon completion of the one-year, $775K extension he signed nearly a year ago.
The Predators drafted Fabbro, 25, with the 17th overall pick in 2016. He turned pro at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and has since appeared in 304 games for the Preds, recording 71 points and a +11 rating while averaging 18:10 per game. He’s slipped to a more limited role this year, averaging only 16:34, but he’s been effective in that sheltered even-strength role with 12 points, a +11 rating, and career-best possession numbers in 51 games.
Oddly enough, that career-best-showing hasn’t earned him the full trust of head coach Andrew Brunette. Fabbro was a healthy scratch for Nashville’s season opener and has been on 12 other occasions this season as part of a rotation with Tyson Barrie, Alexandre Carrier, Jeremy Lauzon, and Luke Schenn for depth minutes.
Jankowski, 29, has spent the last two seasons in the Predators organization. The 2012 first-round pick stayed mostly in the NHL in 2022-23, recording seven goals and 12 points in 50 games, but has spent most of this year on assignment to AHL Milwaukee. He’s been a top performer there, notching 47 points and a +29 rating in 40 games, which has earned him some more NHL ice as of late. Aside from a few paper transactions, he’s stayed on the roster since Feb. 12 and has two goals and an assist in 14 NHL contests.
A one-way deal indicates the Predators envision Jankowski on next season’s opening night roster, but if he doesn’t make the cut, he’d have to clear waivers. The Hamilton, Ontario, native has also spent time with the Flames, Penguins and Sabres over his eight-year, 336-game NHL career.
By inking Grigals to an NHL contract, the Predators add a potential Black Ace for the postseason and give themselves the option to retain his exclusive signing rights with a qualifying offer this summer. The 25-year-old Latvian has spent most of the season with their ECHL affiliate, the Atlanta Gladiators, where he has a 3.68 GAA, .898 SV%, 7-15-0 record, and one shutout in 26 games. He fared poorly in his lone AHL showing with Milwaukee on New Year’s Eve, posting a .846 SV% in a 4-3 loss to the Rockford IceHogs. He’s in his first professional season after four seasons with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and a graduate transfer season with UMass-Lowell last year.
Central Notes: Vejmelka, Blackhawks, Landeskog, Jankowski
Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s name has come up in trade speculation in each of the last two trade deadlines. It doesn’t appear as if that will be the case this time around as Pierre LeBrun wrote in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that Arizona GM Bill Armstrong doesn’t intend to break up his current tandem of Vejmelka and Connor Ingram. Their netminders have played to a combined .902 SV% this season, a number that’s around the league average which isn’t bad for a rebuilding team. However, Vejmelka’s rate is a career-low .891 so even if Armstrong was looking to move him, Vejmelka’s value wouldn’t be at its highest.
More from the Central Division:
- With the Blackhawks locking up most of their notable pending UFAs to extensions already, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times posits that their cap space might be their best asset before the March 8th trade deadline. Doing so could allow them to act as a third-party retainer to pick up an extra draft pick while they could also take on a bad contract as they did last season with Nikita Zaitsev to also add draft capital. However, Pope notes that Chicago won’t be willing to take on a contract that runs past next season, similar to Zaitsev last season with his contract set to expire this summer.
- Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog has become a regular participant in team skates as he works his way back from a knee cartilage transplant procedure back in January, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted on the latest TSN Insider Trading segment. The 31-year-old last played in June 2022 but a return at some point in the playoffs this season hasn’t been ruled out yet. If the team feels that there’s a good chance that he’ll be able to suit up in the postseason, that could affect their trade deadline approach.
- A day after being sent down, Mark Jankowski is back up with the Predators, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 29-year-old is one of the top scorers in the minors this season, notching 47 points in 40 games with Milwaukee while also chipping in with a pair of goals in seven games with Nashville while averaging a little less than 12 minutes a night of playing time.
Afternoon Notes: Pouliot, Jankowski, Johnson
The Dallas Stars made a move today as they’ve assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. Pouliot was called up earlier in the week and dressed in three games for Dallas, posting no points while averaging 13:15 of ice time per game. Pouliot’s demotion could mean that one of Jani Hakanpää or Nils Lundkvist is set to return.
The 30-year-old Pouliot was the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and has never been able to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. At this point in his career, he continues to be a productive AHL defenseman and a good depth option for NHL teams. Pouliot has eight goals and 23 assists in 44 AHL games this season.
In other afternoon notes:
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Jankowski had a goal in the Predators’ 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings last night and has two goals in seven NHL games this season. The 29-year-old was also a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and is having a terrific AHL season with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. Jankowski will rejoin a Milwaukee team that has won 18 games in a row.
- Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson missed practice this morning due to an illness. Johnson joined the likes of Victor Olofsson and Eric Comrie who have also been dealing with an illness. Johnson will not play tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will likely be replaced on the third pairing by Ryan Johnson. The Sabres will be without several regular defensemen as Owen Power also remains sidelined with a hand injury. Johnson has had his name in trade rumors as of late and will likely continue to hear that as the trade deadline nears.
Evening Notes: Tokarski, Jankowski, Barabanov
The Buffalo Sabres have loaned netminder Dustin Tokarski to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League just a few days after recalling the 34-year-old. Tokarski was recalled and reassigned last week before being recalled again over the weekend due to an illness to Sabres backup Eric Comrie.
Tokarski backed up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen‘s today in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and was nearly summoned to play as Luukkonen struggled stopping just 11 of 15 shots in the loss. Tokarski hasn’t played in an NHL game since February 18th, 2023, and is 7-7-2 with a .887 save percentage in 17 AHL games this season.
In other evening notes:
- A day after sending forward Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, the Nashville Predators have recalled the 29-year-old. Jankowski has a goal in five games this season in the NHL but is currently third in AHL scoring with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Month for January and will now re-join the Predators as they continue their five-game road trip tomorrow night in Vegas when they take on the Golden Knights.
- The San Jose Sharks healthy scratched forward Alexander Barabanov today in their 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old has seen his name in trade rumors over the last few months despite struggling through a poor offensive season with just three goals and six assists in 34 games. Barabanov has put together a couple of solid offensive seasons in San Jose but hasn’t had the same quality of teammates this year which has led to poor offensive results. Barabanov is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but it doesn’t appear he was held out of action for a pending trade. Based on reports, it seems as though Barabanov was scratched for his defensive play in a previous game.
Transaction Notes: Reichel, Jankowski, Clague, Rondbjerg
Still struggling through an unexpectedly poor season, forward Lukas Reichel has been sent down by the Chicago Blackhawks to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Reichel has yet to play in Rockford this season, but did have a highly productive outing last year, scoring 20 goals and 51 assists in 55 games.
After his recall at the end of last season, Reichel produced quite effectively for a Blackhawks team that had no hopes of contending. In 23 games, Reichel would score seven goals and 15 points at the professional level, inspiring hope that he could be a top-line player as early as this season.
Unfortunately, those hopes quickly vanished, as Reichel has only been able to put up three goals and 10 points through 50 games, producing a team-worst -28 rating. The Blackhawks will be hoping that Reichel can take the time he needs in the AHL to regain his confidence to become a long-term fixture in Chicago’s top-six.
Other transaction notes:
- The Nashville Predators have sent down forward Mark Jankowski to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, according to a team announcement. Now in his second season with the Predators organization, Jankowski was originally recalled on February 12th, going scoreless in the three games he suited up for. In Milwaukee, Jankowski has been remarkable this year, scoring 15 goals and 47 points over 40 games.
- Moving over to the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres announced they have sent down defenseman Kale Clague to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Having yet to play for the Sabres up to this point in the season, Clague has been quite productive for the Americans, scoring three goals and 23 points through 41 contests.
- With multiple injuries coming to their forward core this season, Jonas Rondbjerg has been an oft-used organizational depth piece for the Vegas Golden Knights to replace lost minutes. Once again, the team has sent him back down to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, per a team announcement. The native of Denmark has skated in 18 games for the Golden Knights this season, putting up one goal and three points in the process.
Predators Make Multiple Roster Moves
The Predators recalled forwards Egor Afanasyev and Mark Jankowski from AHL Milwaukee on Monday, per a team release. Nashville also assigned winger Philip Tomasino to Milwaukee in a corresponding transaction.
The three moves give the Predators a full 23-player roster with two extra forwards in case of injuries. They’re also another puzzling step in the development of the 22-year-old Tomasino who, despite producing at a 40-point pace, has been a healthy scratch in three of the last seven games.
Nashville’s 2019 first-round pick made the team out of camp in 2021 and churned out strong rookie numbers with 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games, but he split his sophomore season evenly between the NHL and AHL. This year’s been more consistent and more fruitful on the scoresheet for Tomasino, although he still hasn’t earned the full trust of the Predators’ coaching staff despite an expected +3.4 rating that’s tied for fourth on the team.
Tomasino is still waiver-exempt, but that won’t last for long. The pending RFA only has nine NHL games remaining before he loses that status, per CapFriendly.
For now, Tomasino will look to continue tearing it up in Milwaukee, where he had 12 goals and 32 points in 38 games last season. He notched over a point per game in his first pro campaign with AHL Chicago during the shortened 2020-21 season.
Today’s news does mean that Afanasyev, who was picked one round after Tomasino in 2019, should get his first NHL look of the season. The 23-year-old leads Milwaukee in goals with 21 and has added another 21 assists for 42 points in 42 games, ranking sixth in the AHL. In a 17-game stint with the Predators last year, the first of his career, he posted one goal and a -7 rating. Like Tomasino, he is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and he’ll require waivers to head to Milwaukee starting next season.
The veteran Jankowski has a pair of NHL showings this year, both coming in early December. The 6-foot-4 29-year-old has been the only better offensive player in Milwaukee than Afanasyev, posting 15 goals and 47 points through 40 games. It’s his second consecutive season tallying over a point per game for the Admirals. A first-round pick of the Flames in 2012, Jankowski will battle for fourth-line ice time with veterans Michael McCarron and Kiefer Sherwood. He’ll be a UFA this summer after completing a one-year, one-way $775K extension.
Predators Place Liam Foudy On Waivers, Return Mark Jankowski To AHL
The Nashville Predators have placed Liam Foudy on waivers and returned Mark Jankowski to the AHL. Foudy has appeared in 12 games with Nashville this season, while Jankowski slotted into the team’s last two games.
Nashville’s head coach, Andrew Brunette, spoke highly of Foudy in light of the news, saying, “He brings speed and I’d like to see him go [to the AHL] and get a little more finish and get a little stronger. If he clears, I’m really excited to have him in the organization.”
Nashville claimed Foudy off of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late October. The 23-year-old centerman has recorded three assists and a -2 in 13 games between Nashville and Columbus this year, after recording 14 points in 62 games as a rookie last season. Columbus drafted Foudy in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft and awarded him with his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season. He’s totaled 22 points in 102 career NHL games.
Jankowski has spent most of his season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, ranking second on the team in scoring with 14 points in 17 games. He’s in his second year in Nashville, playing in 50 games and scoring 12 points with the Predators last year. It was only the fourth time that Jankowski has played in 50 or more games in one season, scoring 25 points in 72 games in 2017-18, 32 points in 79 games in 2018-19, and seven points in 56 games in 2019-20. The 29-year-old forward was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames and has totaled 50 goals and 93 points in 324 career NHL games.
Nashville Predators Recall Mark Jankowski
The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Mark Jankowski from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
The 29-year-old 2012 first-round pick has spent the entirety of this season so far with the Admirals, and is currently second on the team in points with 14 in 17 games. The Predators played the New York Rangers last night and today play the Buffalo Sabres.
The recall of Jankowski allows the Predators to have an extra forward on their roster for depth purposes, just in case coach Andrew Brunette elects to shuffle his lineup for tonight’s game. With Jankowski recalled, the team now has the flexibility to give a forward the night off if they so choose.
A versatile six-foot-four center, Jankowski can also play along the wings and has a decent track record of secondary offensive production. Not only is he a former AHL All-Star, Jankowski also has a career-high of 17 goals in the NHL and has over 322 games of NHL experience.
If Jankowski ends up playing, he’d likely be slotted onto Nashville’s fourth line, either in the place of Michael McCarron at the 4C spot or in place of Dante Fabbro, who has been dressed as a seventh defenseman.
Waivers: 10/04/23
10/05/23: Per Sportsnets’ Elliotte Friedman, all players on the waiver wire yesterday have cleared (X Link).
10/04/23: Teams continue to trim their rosters ahead of the regular season, which starts in just six days. That means multiple players will hit the waiver wire daily until opening night rosters are due, and today is no different. Per TSN’s Chris Johnston, 12 players were waived today at 1 p.m. CT, 11 of whom have NHL experience. As a reminder, a waiver placement is a prerequisite for qualified players for assignment to the AHL but not necessarily an indication that a demotion to the minors will immediately happen. NHL teams can send a player down to the minors within 30 days or 10 games played of the date the player originally cleared waivers. After that time, their waiver clock will reset, and they will need to clear again.
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins
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F Jujhar Khaira
F Vinni Lettieri
D Dakota Mermis
F Nic Petan
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Nashville Predators
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Winnipeg Jets
Nashville Predators Sign Mark Jankowski
The Nashville Predators announced they have signed Mark Jankowski to a contract extension. The team also said it is a one-year contract with a cap hit of $775K which is a slight raise on the $750K he earns this season. Of note, the minimum salary for NHL players rises from $750K to $775K next season, so Jankowski effectively remains on a minimum contract.
The 28-year-old is in his first season with the Predators, scoring five goals and eight points in 32 games. He also added ten points in nine AHL games when he was sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals. This signing will provide a little stability for Jankowski who has played for four different organizations in the past four seasons.
The 6-foot-4 center was originally a first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012. He played four full college seasons at Providence before finally turning pro, but never lived up to the draft billing in Calgary. His best season was in 2018-19 when he scored 14 goals and 32 points. He has since played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres as well as the Predators.
With just over 300 games played in the NHL, Jankowski does provide some veteran experience for the Predators who are transitioning from perennial playoff contender to seller status. They traded Mikael Granlund, Mattias Ekholm and Nino Niederreiter at the trade deadline and appear to be entering a bit of a retooling phase.
Jankowski will provide some bottom six depth for the team for another season at a low cap hit as the Predators try to turn themselves back into a playoff team in the near future.