Nashville Predators Recall Three Players
After trading away three players in the last few days, the Nashville Predators have begun to turn over their roster towards younger players. The team announced today that they have recalled center Fedor Svechkov, winger Reid Schaefer, and defenseman Ryan Ufko from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
Each recalled player corresponds with a veteran the Predators have dealt away this week. The Predators traded big center Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild, and in doing so, lost their regular fourth-line center and a player who ranked No. 1 among team forwards in short-handed ice time per game. 
Svechkov, 22, is a 2021 first-round pick whose game has long been built around a foundation of strong two-way play. While he has only played spot duty on the penalty kill at the NHL level, he’s seen more regular short-handed time at the AHL level. It’s possible the move of McCarron is what opens the door for Svechkov to get a longer look in that role with the Predators.
Svechkov got into 52 NHL games for the Predators last season, and had some impressive moments. He finished with 17 points in 52 games, but looked the part as an NHL player.
Finding a rhythm early this season was a challenge for Svechkov, but the more consistent role afforded by McCarron’s departure could aid in his development at the game’s highest level. Worth noting is the fact that his three-year entry-level contract is set to expire this summer.
By clearing the way for Svechkov to play a more regular NHL role, the Predators will be able to enter negotiations on Svechkov’s next deal with a stronger sense of where he is in his development. Adding a second-round pick from the Wild in the process certainly doesn’t hurt, as well.
The recall of Schaefer, a winger, more directly corresponds with the trade of Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights. Like McCarron, Smith was a fixture on the Nashville penalty kill. And like Svechkov, Schaefer has gotten some regular time on the Milwaukee penalty kill. It’s possible he earns some of Smith’s vacated short-handed minutes, though some of that time could also go to the energetic Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has averaged 0:34 time on ice per game on the penalty kill this season.
Originally a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Schaefer landed in Nashville as part of the 2023 Mattias Ekholm trade, late in the tenure of Hall of Fame GM David Poile. Schaefer may have more offense to give than Smith did, as he has 15 goals and 28 points in 31 AHL games this season, to go along with six points in 27 NHL games. Smith’s career-high in terms of offensive production came in 2023-24, when he scored nine goals and 23 points in 80 games.
Finally, the recall of Ufko corresponds with the team’s trade of Nick Blankenburg to the Colorado Avalanche. Ufko has arguably been the biggest riser in Nashville’s system this season. A bit undersized, like Blankenburg, Ufko leads the Admirals in scoring this season with 44 points in 50 games, a notable uptick from the 30 points in 72 games he managed last year. He quarterbacks the top power play unit in Milwaukee, and could fill Blankenburg’s vacated role as the quarterback of Nashville’s second power play unit. Veteran Brady Skjei could also see time there, though the Predators may be more inclined to test their younger players in that role.
While some Predators fans may have been discouraged by the Predators’ move to sell off veteran talent in the midst of a playoff race, the reality is their recent moves could very well be in the service of building a contending team in the long-term.
By turning over some key roles, especially on special teams, to promising young talents, the team can more confidently chart its course into the future. Despite the fact that he has announced his upcoming retirement, Predators GM Barry Trotz appears to be focused on investing in the Predators’ future, stocking the team with additional draft picks and providing greater opportunity for key prospects.
Photos courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Minor Transactions: 4/16/25
The NHL season has come to an end, or soon will, for teams around the league that missed out on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. That fact has driven many to begin the process of assigning their waiver-exempt players to more successful teams in the minor leagues. We’ll cover the bulk of those assignments here:
- In a rare move with playoff implications, the St. Louis Blues have assigned top forward prospect Dalibor Dvorsky to the minor leagues. Dvorsky hasn’t played since April 9th, when he made his second career appearance in the NHL. He has no points and an average of nine minutes in ice time over his first two games. This move will return him to a star role in the minor leagues, where his 20 goals and 44 points in 59 games rank third and fourth on the Springfield Thunderbirds respectively. Springfield have squeaked into the Calder Cup playoffs with 74 points in 70 games this season. Dvorsky will be a major boost to their postseason roster, unless the Blues opt to include him in their inevitable wave of Black Ace recalls.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned top defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov to the AHL after the end of their season, per a release from the Rockford IceHogs. Both players have manned dominant roles in the IceHogs lineup this season – Korchinski looking to find his comfort after a hard NHL role last season, and Levshunov looking to vindicate his second-overall selection in last year’s draft. They lead the Rockford blue-line in scoring, with Korchinski netting 27 points in 54 games and Levshunov scoring 22 points in 50 games. Levshunov proved the more productive in all three zones at the NHL level. He recorded six assists, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-13 in his first 18 games in the NHL. Korchisnki only scored two points in 16 NHL games this season, though his minus-five was the fourth-best on the Chicago defense. The duo will offer a well-rounded impact to Rockford’s playoff push – Korchinski bringing strong offense and Levshunov showing strong two-way play.
- The San Jose Sharks have assigned defenseman Luca Cagnoni back to the minor leagues after recalling him to play in their latest game, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Cagnoni recorded an assist and two penalties in roughly 18 minutes of Monday’s overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The score was his second assist in six NHL games this season, on top of eight penalty minutes and a minus-four. Cagnoni was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team on Wednesday – high praise after he led all rookie defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 49 points in 62 games this season. Cagnoni had a breakout season in his first professional campaign, and already seems to be outperforming his fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He will look to keep a good year going as the San Jose Barracuda prepare for a playoff push.
- Winger Kailer Yamamoto represents the first veteran on this list. He’s headed back to the Tucson Roadrunners alongside goaltender Matt Villalta, after the end of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Yamamoto has been a force in the minor leagues. He leads Tucson in scoring this season with 53 points in 52 games. It’s been a valiant performance that earned the depth forward 12 appearances in the NHL. He scored three points in those games. Villalta has stood tall as Tucson’s starting goaltender as well, with a team-leading .906 save percentage in 41 games this season. He played in just the third NHL game of his career this season and recorded a win, with 28 saves on 31 shots. Yamamoto will return to Tucson’s top-line, while Villalta will likely return to the starter’s role ahead of Jaxson Stauber.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Ryan Ufko back to the minor leagues, per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Ufko made his NHL debut on Monday. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in 15:37 of ice time. Ufko has emerged as a top-four defender for the Milwaukee Admirals this season. His eight goals and 29 points in 71 games lead the Admirals blue-line in scoring. Ufko is still rounding out the physical and two-way aspects of his game, but his emergence as an AHL rookie has proven promising on a Preadtors team well capable of honing defenders into NHL talents.
Predators’ Ryan Ufko Recalled, Set To Make NHL Debut
The Nashville Predators have recalled defense prospect Ryan Ufko and are expected to award him his NHL debut on Monday per Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game. It is the first call-up of Ufko’s pro career.
Nashville drafted Ufko with in the fourth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a standout year with the USHL’s Clark Cup Championship-winning Chicago Steel. Ufko followed a breakout juniors performance and draft selection with three seasons playing for the University of Massachusetts. He carried over his red-hot play right away, netting 31 points in 37 appearances – just two points shy of Scott Morrow’s mark for the lead in scoring among Minutemen defensemen. Alongside Morrow, Ufko served in a top role for UMass as they chased a Hockey East championship.
Ufko’s scoring pace took a slight dip in his sophomore season – when he tallied just 24 points in 32 games – though he did manage to grow from five goals to eight goals. He continued that growth while finding a new gear in his junior year, ending the season with 10 goals and 26 points in 37 games. That scoring coincided with a noticeable full-ice impact and helped Ufko push his squad to a conference semi-final exit. His game was noticeably more energetic, confident, and – above all else for the five-foot-10 defender – physical than in years prior. Nashville opted to strike while the iron was hot, signing Ufko to his entry-level contract and assigning him to the AHL at the end of the UMass season.
That decision proved immediately fruitful. Ufko has found another step in the pro ranks, with six points in nine regular season games and 10 points in 15 playoff games to close out the AHL’s 2023-24 season. He’s continued to grow into form this season, netting eight goals and 29 points in 71 games while earning more-and-more ice time as the year has gone on. Ufko certainly doesn’t have the explosive scoring of some top defense prospects, but the momentum he’s gained in Milwaukee has been admirable. With their season effectively lost, Nashville will give Ufko a chance to continue his momentum into the top flight. He becomes the seventh rookie to make his NHL debut with Nashville this season.
Predators Sign Ryan Ufko To Entry-Level Contract
After being eliminated by Denver University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Nashville Predators quickly signed one of their prospects from the University of Massachusetts. The organization announced they have signed defenseman Ryan Ufko to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin at the start of next season.
Ufko was originally the 115th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, coming out of the popular Chicago Steel program in the USHL. Nevertheless, Ufko decided to continue his playing experience in the NCAA, joining the University of Massachusetts the following season.
Over a three-year collegiate career, Ufko scored a total of 23 goals and 81 points in 106 games, showing off legitimate two-way potential as a defenseman. Not only did his on-ice play improve over the last three years, but his leadership qualities developed nicely as well, leading to his captaincy during the 2023-24 season.
It is more than likely that Ufko will spend the next year and a half at least with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, but the intangibles are there for him to become a common presence in Nashville’s defensive core. Ufko has shown a keen ability to predict the play before it happens during his time in the NCAA, allowing the Predators organization to work on other teachable areas of his game.