Milwaukee Admirals and all other Nashville Predators Prospects discussion

[pilldoc]

All discussion regarding the Nashville Predators and their prospects go here please.

Edited May 27, 2018 by pilldoc

[CreaseAndAssist]

Nashville is laying low after making some more deals; most notably the trade for Kyle Turris.  Yet even though they gave up a lot to get him; they still have Eeli Tolvanen on the way.  Dante Fabbro and David Farrance look very serviceable.  The Predators are still in great shape, prospect-wise.  Tyler Moy is a darkhorse.  The truth is, the Predators draft and develop very well and its pretty rare when they completely strike out in any draft year.  

[Keep Your Stick on the Ice]

What the hell is going on with Tolvanen?

[Brewin Flames]

PREDATORS AFFILIATE MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS SIGN YAROSLAV ASKAROV TO TRYOUT

The AHL's Milwaukee Admirals have signed top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov to a tryout contract.

• STEVEN ELLIS
• 1 HOUR AGO

The AHL's Milwaukee Admirals have signed top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov to a tryout contract.

 

Askarov, 19, was drafted 11th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2020. Askarov made a name for himself early on thanks to many successful appearances with Russia's junior team and has generally impressed during his KHL career. 

 

The 6-foot-4 goaltender has an 8-5-2 record with SKA St. Petersburg and posted a 5-2-2 record in the VHL, the second top men's league in Russia.

 

Askarov was Russia's starting goalie in the short-lived World Junior Championship, but will not take part in the return of the event after Russia was removed due to the invasion on Ukraine.

 

Currently unsigned in the KHL, Askarov is expected to sign an NHL entry-level contract in the near future with Nashville, with the potential to serve as Juuse Saros' backup next season.

[Brewin Flames]

A post-trade deadline look at the Preds’ top prospects

Forwards make up eight of the top 10 spots in the organizational rankings

• MICHAEL GALLAGHER
•  
  • MAR 9, 2023
  •  
    •  

 

Yaroslav Askarov (left) poke checks Joakim Kemell on a penalty shot during the Predators future stars game over the summer

Casey Gower/Nashville Post

 

In David Poile’s final trade deadline as Nashville Predators general manager, the 73-year-old executive did his best to stockpile an exorbitant amount of draft capital for GM-in-waiting Barry Trotz.

The prospect war chest Poile left Trotz isn’t too shabby either, as the Predators had the No. 10 farm system in the NHL per The Athletic, and added at the deadline forward Reid Schaefer, the Edmonton Oilers No. 4-ranked prospect.

Below is a post-deadline look at Nashville’s farm system, including a 1-10 ranking of the top prospects according to the Nashville Post.

 

1.     Yaroslav Askarov, G, Milwaukee Admirals

The 20-year-old former first-round pick has impressive in his first season playing in North America. Askarov got his first NHL start early in the season, and although he took the loss, he had a strong showing on short notice.

In the AHL, however, he’s been one of the top goalies in the league, ranking fifth in wins (20), 13th in goals-against average (2.60) and 15th in save percentage (.910) with a league-high four assists and tied for the third-most shutouts (3). The 6-foot-3 Russian, who was an AHL All-Star in his first season as the Admirals' starting goalie, has earned rave reviews from many inside the organization and out, and it’s clear that he’s the future of the franchise between the pipes.

2.     Joakim Kemell, LW, JYP (Liiga)

Kemell has all the offensive tools the Predators have been lacking from their group of highly drafted forwards. He has quick hands and a top-notch hockey IQ, he can create shots with ease, he can skate in and out of defensive coverages, and he has finishing ability with a sneaky good wrist shot.

His numbers in Liiga this year are a little underwhelming — 12 goals, 15 points in 43 games — and he’s still likely two years away from being NHL ready. However, Kemell has all the makings of a dangerous scoring top-six forward with potential to be a difference maker on the power play.

3.     Phil Tomasino, C, Nashville Predators

While not many (myself included) understood the decision to start Tomasino in Milwaukee this season after he played 76 NHL games the season before, the move seemed to do the 21-year-old some good. He was a near-point-per-game player with the Admirals, tallying 12 goals and 32 points in 38 games, and that success has carried over during his brief stint with the Preds.

Tomasino had two goals and six points in 10 games since being recalled last month before suffering an injury that’s kept him out of the lineup recently. He’s shown he can still be a force on the power play, and he’s looked a lot better playing in Nashville’s top six than he did last season playing mostly on the fourth line. Tomasino could be looking at regular top-six NHL minutes in 2023.

4.     Luke Evangelista, LW, Nashville Predators

Evangelista had a meteoric rise through Nashville’s farm system following his 55-goal, 111-point season with the London Knights of the OHL last year. Following a promotion to Milwaukee, Evangelista didn’t miss a beat, totaling nine goals and 41 points in 49 AHL games before being called up by the Predators.

Although some consider him undersized at 6-foot, 183 pounds, Evangelista has held his own in the NHL, notching two goals and three points in four games, underscored by a highlight reel hit on Evgeni Malkin in his NHL debut. It’s unclear if Evangelista has a full-time role in the NHL next season, but he’s made it clear over the last few weeks that it’s going to be hard to keep him in the AHL for very long.

5.     Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

L’Heureux’s recent suspension definitely shines a negative light on the 19-year-old forward, but it also could serve as a wakeup call for the former first rounder who’s been suspended nine times over the last three years.

Behavioral issues aside, L’Heureux was having a strong season for Halifax to the tune of 18 goals and 37 points in 24 games. Best-case scenario for all involved is L’Heureux continues that scoring pace post-suspension, and he keeps his nose clean the rest of the year.

6.     Fedor Svechkov, C, Spartak Moskva (KHL)

Of Nashville’s top prospects, Svechkov is probably talked about the least. He has two goals and four points in 27 games in the KHL this season, and he’s added another goal and seven points in the VHL (the KHL’s minor league).

He’s an everyday player in the KHL after moving from SKA Saint Petersburg to Spartak Moskva, averaging nearly 14 minutes per game and working on rounding out his two-way play. Not know as much of a scorer, Svechkov is one of the smarter defensive forwards in the KHL. He could be the ideal future anchor of the third line.

7.     Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

 

The strength of Schaefer’s game is his willingness to drive the net — something the Predators, frankly, could use more of. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Schaefer could be a nice mix of James Neal and Patric Hornqvist as a power forward, crashing the net and chipping in the goals in the dirty areas that nobody on the current roster likes to go.

Schaefer has 26 goals and 52 points in 48 games in the WHL, but he also plays on a loaded Thunderbirds team that is projected to make a run in the postseason. He has the ability to play up and down the lineup, but likely settles in on the second or third line in Nashville.

8.     Juuso Parssinen, C, Nashville Predators

The reviews have been nothing but positive for Parssinen, who seemingly come out of nowhere to shoot up from seventh-round draft pick to one of the first call ups by Nashville this year. 

The 22-year-old center had two goals and nine points in 10 games with the Admirals before being recalled by Nashville in mid-November. In the 42 games since, he’s totaled five goals and 23 points while proving he can center a line in the top six just as well as he can anywhere else. Filip Forsberg said it best: “He looks like he’s been doing this for 10 years.”

9.     Egor Afanasyev, LW, Milwaukee Admirals

Afanasyev appears to be on the doorstep of earning a call up by the Predators sometime in the near future. The 22-year-old Russian was told by the Admirals coaching staff last season to learn to play with more of an edge. He did just that, rolling out a faster, more aggressive style of play for much of the 2021-22 season.

This year, Afanasyev has focused more on rounding out the offensive part of his game, which he’s done a solid job of, tallying 13 goals and 26 points in 55 games. At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Afanasyev is a true two-way power forward. He could be playing in Nashville’s bottom six next season.

10.  Ryan Ufko, D, University of Massachusetts

Although Nashville doesn’t have a true blue-chip defensive prospect as it normally does, Ufko is the best of the farm system’s blueline depth. Built in the mold of the stereotypical offensive defenseman the Predators are known for, Ufko has eight goals and 24 points in 32 games this season at UMass, and he’s tallied 13 goals and 55 points across 69 games in two years in the NCAA.

Aside from the point production, Ufko sees the game in a way few defensemen do. He excels at both reading plays and puck possession. He makes quick decisions but is calculated and fluid in what he does with the puck and why he does it. His ceiling is likely as a second-pairing defenseman but it’s more realistic he becomes a Ryan Ellis type on the third pairing.

Best of the rest:

11. Semyon Chistyakov, D, Avangard Omsk (KHL)

12. Adam Ingram, C, St. Cloud State University

13. Spencer Stastney, D, Milwaukee Admirals

14. Marc Del Gaizo, D, Milwaukee Admirals 

15. Alexander Campbell, C, Clarkson University 

16. Kasper Kulonummi, D, Tapparra (Liiga)

17. Jack Matier, D, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

18. Anton Olsson, D, Skelleftea AIK (SHL)

[Brewin Flames]

Preds Prospect Report...

 

• by

   Eric D
• January 8, 2024

The second half of the 2023-24 campaign has begun, which means it’s crunch time for several Preds prospects playing for entry-level contracts and more. Here’s a look at who in the Nashville pipeline stood out in December.

---

Graham Sward

Ahead of the WHL trade deadline on Thursday, Graham Sward continues his hot season for the Wenatchee Wild. Since the start of December, Sward has scored 18 points in 13 games, including a three-assist night on Saturday when he became the first WHL defender to hit 50 points on the year.

 

Sward is 13th among all WHL skaters in scoring with nine goals and 52 points in 38 games. The Wild appear to be sellers this year, shipping NHL prospects Conor Geekie and Matt Savoie off to Swift Current and Moose Jaw, respectively.

 

As of today, I don’t have any indication Sward will be moved as well, but a Memorial Cup contender could step up sometime this week. A long playoff run could benefit the 2022 fifth-round pick, who needs a deal from Nashville this summer, or else he becomes a free agent.

 

Luke Reid

Luke Reid is making progress in his senior year at the University of New Hampshire. The 2020 sixth-round draft pick has notched a career-high ten points in just 17 games this year; he scored 21 points in his first three seasons combined.^{Luke Reid (#16, blue) records a primary as}

^{sist for the New Hampshire Wildcats.}

Much of the defender’s value comes on the power play, and right now, he’s playing for an entry-level deal from Nashville next summer (something I’m not sure he’ll get).

 

Juha Jatkola

 

Over the weekend, Preds goalie prospect Juha Jatkola did the improbable, scoring a goal to ice KalPa’s 5-1 win. On top of that, Jatkola picked up an assist in the victory, bringing his points total this season to five (one goal, four assists)—an astonishing number for a goalie who’s played 19 games.

^{Juha Jatkola (#32, yellow) scores a goalie goal for KalPa.}

Jatkola, a 2023 draft pick, got off to a horrendous start this season, losing his starting job amidst several sub-0.900 outings. But he’s rebounded lately, stopping 62 of 64 shots in his last three Liiga starts and slowly rebuilding his season save percentage. One trend that you hope we’ll change: Jatkola is facing just more than 21 shots per night.

 

Jesse Kiiskinen

 

In a surprise move, Jesse Kiiskinen was the last cut from Team Finland’s World Junior Championship (WJC) camp last month; at the U18 WJC last season, Kiiskinen notched three goals and five points in five games.

^{Jesse Kiiskinen #23, blue) scores his second goal of the season.}

But since returning to his Liiga club, the Pelicans, Kiiskinen has scored twice in four games, bringing his season total to three goals and seven points in 31 games; that puts him tied for eighth among U20 skaters league-wide. Five of those points were primary ones scored at even strength, and Kiiskinen’s average ice time has increased to the 12 to 13-minute range. Despite a setback or two, I think he’s putting together a solid post-draft campaign.

 

Kalan Lind

 

Kalan Lind has had a rough go of things lately. The 2023 second-round pick missed a ton of time with injury in his draft year, and that continues for the Red Deer Rebels’ winger this season. He’s missed 19 games with injury and illness but has scored five goals and 18 points in the 19 games he has played, keeping him on course for a career-best season.

 

Unlike Graham Sward’s Wenatchee Wild, the Rebels look to be staying quiet at the WHL trade deadline, but they remain firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.

 

Sutter Muzzatti

 

In what continues to be a dismal season for 6-12-1 RPI, Sutter Muzzatti has been a bit of a bright spot for the Engineers. He’s scored five goals and 12 points in 19 games, including six primary points at even strength. However, the 6’5″ fifth-round pick has cooled off lately with just three points in his last ten games.

^{Sutter Muzzatti (#19, red) scores for the RPI Engineers.}

Cole O’Hara

Cole O’Hara has picked up his play in the past month, recording five points in six games since Thanksgiving. The 2022 fourth-round pick has scored two goals and seven points in 19 games this year, playing middle-six minutes with some power-play time.

 

O’Hara’s line has been decently effective for UMass as he’s sporting a 3.35 percent relative goals-for rate at even strength. But O’Hara is looking to increase his scoring pace in the second half of the year and move beyond his 5.88 percent shooting rate.

 

Austin Roest

Halfway through December, Austin Roest took a big (dirty) hit that knocked him out of the Everett Silvertips’ lineup for a couple of weeks. But the 2023 sixth-round pick is back on the ice and has scored four points in his last five games. The Silvertips’ captain is first on his team in goals with 20 and fourth in scoring with 37 points in 35 games.

 

Isak Walther

 

Out of the lineup since early November, Isak Walther suited up for just his seventh game of the season on Saturday in a loss for the Vermont Catamounts. Walther scored his 3rd goal and fourth point of the year, continuing his impressive production rate of 1.88 goals per 60 minutes.

[CreaseAndAssist]

Kemell has looked impressive by what I've seen.  He looks like he could be a pretty good scorer in the future for that club.  L'Hereaux is a decent pest player the Predators have always been good at utilizing going back to the Jordin Tootoo days.