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Prospects coming, plus some random playoff notes

May 21, 2018, 10:52 AM ET [3 Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Looking forward to next season, let’s take a look at the prospect pool that may end up wearing Predator Gold or, at the very least, may help supplement Milwaukee for awhile…

First up… Eeli Tovanen. No need to break down everything that went on in the KHL… that is known. His quick cup of coffee at the end of the season showed that the youngster has some development left… especially on the smaller ice surface in the NHL, he once again showed what he can do in the four games he played for Finland in the recently concluded IIHF Worlds… 4 games, 4 points (2g,2a) and a +2. A solid performance for the just recently turned 19-year-old. The question for Tolvanen is can he adapt his game to the smaller surface… his experience in the USHL for Sioux City will be helpful here. This is a player that needs a bit more muscle and a little maturity… he gets that and watch out…

Tolvanen is probably the closest to NHL ready prospect in the Predators system, however… the cupboard isn’t exactly bare. There are a few familiar names in the Preds system that have been developing in Milwaukee… the biggest name?

Frederick Gaudreau… the surprise start of the Predators 2017 playoff run who stepped up big in the later rounds as injuries decimated the Nashville lineup. Gaudreau was a numbers victim this season, on a two way contract, the 25 year old saw just 20 games in Nashville and was not really a factor in the games he played. Gaudreau is on the second year of a three year deal in which the first two years are two-way. He needs to deliver more of what we saw in the 2017 playoff run if he hopes to capture a spot on the 18/19 team.

Looking at the blueline… two prospects jump out… one that spent last season in Milwaukee and one that spent last season in division I NCAA.

After finishing his second season in Milwaukee, 21 year old Alexandre Carrier is hoping to break through the blueline logjam in Nashville. With seven defensemen already signed, the youngster will have to beat out a veteran like Matt Irwin or Yannick Weber in order to make the 18/19 squad. Carrier is a tad undersized at 5’11’ and 174 lbs. but is creative offensively, creative and unpredictable as he is just a likely to uncork a blast as he is to find the open man. A potential Ryan Ellis replacement if the Predators cannot come to an agreement with the defenseman. Ellis hits free agency after the 18/19 season if he does not get extended this summer.

Heading into his junior season at Boston University, Predators 2016 1st round pick Dante Fabbro continues to round out his game. His NCAA experience, coupled with his experience representing Canada in the last two World Junior tournaments has the almost 20 year old on the right path to an NHL career. Fabbro contributes on both sides of the puck… offensively he has a quick release of his accurate shot and has the potential to be a high production power play quarterback. Defensively he makes smart decisions quickly and is rarely caught out of position, but when he is he has the speed to recover. Fabbro will have a place on this team as the Predators reputation for defensive development shows itself again. In a rather transparent attempt to keep the prospect at BU, he has been awarded the “C” for next season, however… it appears that his head coach is headed to the NHL as BU bench boss David Quinn is being reported as the next head coach of the Broadway Blueshirts. It is no secret that Nashville does not want a repeat of the Jimmy Vesey debacle, don’t be surprised if Fabbro is signed this summer.

The Predators have a little work to do this summer with three RFA’s to get signed in Juuse Saros, Miikka Salomaki and Ryan Hartman. There is plenty of cap space to get that done, even without a raise in the $75 million current cap.

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The Playoff Tracker … a daily update of the Stanley Cup Playoffs brought to you by Mark Lonsway - THE real estate professional for hockey fans!



No… you are not dreaming… the Vegas Golden Knights are in the cup final.

Eastern Conference Final
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals – TBL leads 3-2 – Game six is tonight in WSH

Western Conference Final
Winnipeg Jets vs. Vegas Golden Knights – Vegas wins 4-1

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Random Notes

- Congratulations to Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg as they won gold in the IIHF Worlds. Forsberg captured the medal in a shootout for Sweden.

- Congratulation to Nick Bonino and Team USA on capturing bronze with a 4-1 win over Canada.

- Two more Preds captured medals at the IIHF Worlds, Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala won silver as Switzerland lost to Sweden in the final.

- Certainly wasn’t the shade of gold I was expecting to win the West, but congrats to the Vegas Golden Knights on pummeling the Winnipeg Jets. We know how the Jets feel as the hockey gods may have forgotten Nashville in the second round, they certainly abandoned Winnipeg in the third.

- Ryan Reeves with the game winner yesterday… really??? That’s how you know the hockey gods are with you… Reeves scored his first goal as a Golden Knight and man it was a big one.

- Try to figure out these Washington Capitals… I dare you. World beaters in games one and two… not so much in games 3,4 and 5. Now their back is against the wall if they hope to get to a game seven back in Tampa. They have to do something they haven’t done often in these playoffs, win a home game.

- The Capitals home record in the 2018 playoffs is an anemic 3-5…

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