The Nashville Predators have a pool of prospects that they have methodically built up, and these prospects are shining for the Admirals.
Despite the fact that players Tommy Novak, Cody Glass, and Alexandre Carrier are back in the starting lineup following injuries and that the lineup is returning to “normal,” a lot can change over the course of the remaining games of the season, and some Milwaukee players will undoubtedly need to step up and demonstrate the depth of this team.
Denis Gurianov Getting the Most Out of His Milwaukee Stay, Denis Gurianov has undoubtedly elevated himself to become one of the Admirals’ primary point producers. Gurianov leads the team in points with eight goals and twelve assists in 20 games. Gurianov can drive to the net before any defenseman can see what he is going to do, which is a testament to his speed and puck handling abilities.
Gurianov, who is a member of the Dallas Stars organization, has not played in the AHL since the 2019–20 regular season. He is trying to make his way back into being a regular NHL starter after being selected by Dallas with the 12th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Mark Jankowski is the Preds Forward Corps’ next big thing. Mark Jankowski, who we recently saw play two games with the Predators before being sent back down, is right behind Gurianov in points for the Admirals.
Jankowski managed one goal in his time with the Predators and truly demonstrated his offensive prowess with his ability to set up fast plays. When he is called upon, his strong two-way game helps the Predators’ bottom six.
With Glass and Novak back and available for the Predators lineup, Jankowski was replaced. After a brief stint in Nashville, Jankowski returned to the Admirals, where he now has five goals and twelve assists. It wouldn’t surprise me if we saw him in gold again soon. Del Gaizo and Stastney are the Predators’ defensive prospects.
We’ve also recently seen defensemen Marc Del Gaizo and Spencer Stastney in Nashville. Both demonstrated how important they could be to the Predators’ defense when they were called up to Nashville at different points during the Predators’ injuries.
In his five Predators games, Del Gaizo was able to record three assists, but his play was noteworthy for more reasons than just his scoring. His style of thinking about the game was very helpful to the team’s new, fast-paced style of play, and this ability made him an excellent teammate for the forwards.
As soon as Stastney was called up, he immediately became a valuable member of the team, so it was shocking when Brunette sent him back to Milwaukee. Despite his lone goal, he was excellent on both wings, producing plays near the goal even when it appeared the team would be losing steam.
Supporters and staff alike acknowledged Stastney’s seamless integration into the team, and even Brunette hinted that we’ll probably be seeing him again soon.
Admirals Trail Afanasyev in Goals Scored, Last but not least, Egor Afanasyev, the team’s top goal scorer, cannot be overlooked when assessing the offensive potential of the Admirals. In his 21 games with the Admirals so far, he has 10 goals and 5 assists. He also stands out physically on the ice. If forward injuries in Nashville start to pile up during the season, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Afanasyev called up.
Ever since joining the AHL, Afanasyev has never finished a season with more than 13 goals scored. He’s already at ten, so he ought to easily surpass his own record. At 15.9%, his shooting percentage is particularly noteworthy.
Additional Promising Prospects Outside of Milwaukee, But the Nashville Predators’ depth doesn’t end in Milwaukee; their newly selected players are also having great success with their respective clubs.
. With nine goals and fourteen assists in just 19 games for Penn State, Aiden Fink is currently ranked fourth among all freshmen in the NCAA. He can score from any angle, and goalies will be killed by his wrist shot or slap shot just as much. He skates in both zones with great energy.
2023 Draft Prospects This year’s World Juniors selection camp for Hockey Canada will be attended by Tanner Molendyk and Matthew Wood. Molendyck has been excellent for the Saskatoon Blades, scoring 28 points in 24 games despite recently dealing with some injuries.
With 12 points in 17 games, Wood has been outstanding for UConn lately as well. He has truly demonstrated how bold he is in the offensive zone when creating scoring opportunities.
In just 28 games, Graham Sward of the Wenatchee WHL team has an incredible 41 points. For the Predators, the 2022 fifth round draft pick is turning out to be a real steal, and the next few years should be exciting to watch.
With prospects and a wealth of offensive and defensive talent already signed by the team, the Predators have a bright future overall.