Nashville Predators: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
The Nashville Predators are in a bit of an odd spot as a franchise.
For quite a few years, the Nashville Predators were one of the most dominant teams in the Western Conference, and fell just two games short of winning the Stanley Cup in 2017. However, if their window to winning a Stanley Cup with their current roster hasn’t shut yet, it is extremely close. They have been forced to move many great players the past few years and are seeing other ones, such as Pekka Rinne, begin to decline.
Still, they have some very talented players on their team and should continue to be a Playoff team in the near future. Though they struggled in the goaltending department last year, their biggest struggle as a team has been creating offense, something they have had a tough time doing for a number of seasons now.
Thankfully, they do have some pretty intriguing prospects who may be able to help out in that regard, some even in the very near future.
As mentioned in every other Top 8 Prospects articles throughout this series, any player who has played in more NHL games than any other league in a season, regardless of the season, will not be included. With that being said, here are the Top 8 Prospects in the Nashville Predators organization.
8. Yakov Trenin
The first prospect to kick this list off is Yakov Trenin, who also happens to be the oldest. The 23-year-old, who was taken in the Second Round (No. 55 overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, took some time to develop, but appears to finally be ready for a full-time NHL role heading into the 2020-21 season.
After his first two seasons of posting underwhelming numbers in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, Trenin was much improved during the 2019-20 season, putting up 20 goals and 35 points in just 32 games.
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Due to his great play, he earned his first ever NHL promotion, appearing in 21 games with the Predators. In those 21 games he managed two goals and four assists. Trenin is currently playing in the KHL while waiting for the start of the 2020-21 NHL season. With the recent announcement that the season will begin on January 13, he will soon head back to Nashville to prepare for camp.
He has a great chance to earn a full-time roster spot with the Predators this season.
7. Egor Afanasyev
Another Second Round pick (No. 45 overall in 2019) who has become a very intriguing prospect for the Nashville Predators is Egor Afanasyev. At the time the 19-year-old was drafted, he had just wrapped up his second season in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks where he put up 27 goals and 62 points in 58 games.
The 2019-20 season saw him leave the USHL to play for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, where his stellar numbers continued. In 62 games with the Spitfires, Afanasyev had 31 goals and 67 points, both of which led his team. The young Russian has appeared in four KHL games this season with CSKA Moskva, and hasn’t looked out of place at all with three points. The six-foot-three forward will likely be seen later this month representing Team Russia at the World Juniors in Edmonton.
6. Marc Del Gaizo
One prospect who seems to fly under the radar for the Nashville Predators is defenseman Marc Del Gaizo. The 21-year-old was taken in the Fourth Round (No. 109 overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft after a 13 goal, 29-point season as a freshman for the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
While he was limited to just 22 games last season due to a high ankle sprain, he still impressed with four goals and 15 points. Gaizo and his teammates have recently started their 2020-21 season, and all signs early on point to him having a huge year. In four games so far, he is tied for the team lead with four assists.
The one concern on Gaizo is his size, as he is listed at just five-foot-ten and 188 pounds. This is quite small for a defenseman, particularly at the NHL level. However, small players, including blueliners, are beginning to get their opportunities in the NHL and are proving themselves worthy.
Look no further than Vancouver Canucks stud Quinn Hughes, who is only five-foot-10 and 170 pounds, yet was a Calder Trophy finalist this past season. While it remains unknown how Gaizo will adjust to the pro game when the time comes, he clearly has the skill. For the time being, the Preds have to focus on getting him signed to an Entry-Level Contract.
5. Eeli Tolvanen
Just a few seasons ago, Eeli Tolvanen was regarded as one of the better prospects throughout the entire league. Despite him dropping off considerably since then, he is still an intriguing piece for the Predators. The 21-year-old was selected with the 30th pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft after a 54-point season in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers. Those were solid numbers, but it was the following season where hype around him began to really pick up.
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Tolvanen spent the 2017-18 season in the KHL, playing for Jokerit Helsinki. In 49 games, he was able to put up 19 goals and 36 points at just 18-years-old. His 19 goals tied Nicklas Jensen for the team lead, while his 36 points where just one shy.
Given that he was able to post such outstanding numbers in one of the top leagues in the world, many believed he was a superstar in the making. Unfortunately, the past two seasons, which he has spent the majority of in the AHL for the Milwaukee Admirals, have been much less exciting.
The 2019-20 season saw him put up 21 goals and 36 points in 63 games. Though that total is disappointing, it is too early to count him out yet. Another season like that however could see him drop off this list completely.
4. Connor Ingram
The Nashville Predators made what appears to be a very underrated trade in June of 2019 when they acquired goaltender Connor Ingram for just a Seventh Round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. At the time of the trade, Ingram, who was taken in the Third Round (No. 88 overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, was in the midst of an odd season.
He had appeared in 22 AHL games and was off to a great start with a 2.26 Goals Against Average and a .922 Save Percentage. As a result of his great play, he was rewarded by being named to the 2019 AHL All-Star Game. Despite this however, he was surprisingly sent down to the ECHL.
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Rumors have since come out that it was due to attitude and work-ethic issues, which is likely why the Predators were able to acquire him for next to nothing. It is working out great for them to this point as Ingram had a phenomenal 2019-20 season with the Admirals, posting a stunning 1.92 GAA along with a .933 SV% and a 21-5-5 record. Assuming he has gotten his attitude in check, he appears to have a very bright future ahead of him.
3. David Farrance
The top prospect the Predators have on the blueline is David Farrance, who was taken No. 92 in the Third Round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. It was pretty evident at the time that he had raw offensive talent, as he was coming off a season in the USHL with the U.S. National U-18 Team in which he had 17 points in 25 games. That was his second and final year in the USHL, as he had committed to Boston University for the upcoming season.
Farrance’s first season of College Hockey was somewhat of letdown, as he posted an uninspiring nine points in 31 games. Thankfully, he was able to find his footing more in his sophomore season, upping his total to 20 points. Those numbers still wouldn’t blow anyone away, but it was still a solid improvement nonetheless.
This past season, however, he really popped off, scoring 14 goals and 43 points in just 34 games. Thanks to the great year, he has shot way up the Predators prospects chart and looks like a very promising player. Like Marc Del Gaizo, Farrance has not yet signed an Entry-Level Contract, something General Manager David Poile needs to work on getting done as soon as possible.
2. Philip Tomasino
Though it is still very early, the Nashville Predators look like they have a potential First Round steal in Philip Tomasino, who they grabbed with the 24th pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward has improved a great deal throughout his three seasons to this point in the OHL.
During his rookie season, he had five goals and 24 points in 61 games with the Niagara IceDogs. The following season, which was his Draft year, he showed his true talent, registering 34 goals and 72 points in 67 games.
Tomasino started his 2019-20 season out fantastically with the IceDogs, with 22 goals and 57 points in 36 games. After that start, he was dealt to the Oshawa Generals, where his great totals continued with another 18 goals and 43 points in 26 games. The 100-point season caught the attention of many, including the coaching staff of Team Canada for the upcoming World Juniors.
Barring an absolute shocker, Tomasino will make the team and will likely play a huge role for them down the stretch, while he could be a real compelling prospect to keep an eye on for the Nashville Predators down the line.
1. Yaroslav Askarov
With their long-time franchise goaltender Pekka Rinne on the back nine of his career, the Nashville Predators decided to use their 11th overall pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft on what they hope to be their goalie of the future in Yaroslav Askarov.
The 18-year-old netminder comes in with a ton of hype, as many have said he is the best goalie taken in the first-round since Carey Price, who went fifth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. While that is a lot of pressure, Askarov seems more than ready to live up to those lofty expectations.
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This season, Askarov has appeared in seven KHL games with St. Petersburg SKA and has been absolutely lights out, posting a 0.96 GAA along with a .962 SV%. Those numbers obviously aren’t sustainable, but it goes to show how talented Askarov is.
He will get the chance to represent Team Russia for the second year in a row at the World Juniors, and will be looking for revenge after losing in the Gold Medal game to Team Canada in last year’s tournament. Regardless of how the tournament goes for him, he looks like he has the potential to become a truly elite NHL goalie in the future.
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If the Nashville Predators can right the ship and maximise the plethora of offensive talent they have, then they could re-open their Stanley Cup window in a few years once Yaroslav Askarov is ready to take the NHL by storm.