Nashville Predators trim a dozen from training camp

by Dirk Hoag on Sep 25, 2010 11:21 PM EDT

Which hurts more? Blocking a shot, or getting cut loose from an NHL training camp? Taylor Beck will be back to make some noise next fall, though.

The Nashville Predators sent a few of their younger players back from training camp, including junior hockey star Taylor Beck, along with a host of players headed to Milwaukee of the AHL. Surviving this round of cuts are Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk (who scored tonight against Washington), and Ryan Ellis.

An excerpt from the presser from the Preds follows with all the details...

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced tonight that the club has assigned forwards Gabriel Bourque, Ryan Flynn, Mark Santorelli and Ryan Thang; defensemen Jonathon Blum and Roman Josi; and goaltender Jeremy Smith to Milwaukee (AHL). The Predators also sent forward Taylor Beck back to his junior team (Guelph, OHL) and released forwards Chris Mueller and Mark Van Guilder, and defensemen Scott Ford and Scott Lehman from Professional Tryout Agreements (PTOs).

The transactions leave Nashville's Training Camp roster at 35 players - 21 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders. Players by position currently participating in camp are as follows:

FORWARDS (22): Jonas Andersson, Wade Belak, J.P. Dumont, Martin Erat, Blake Geoffrion, Marcel Goc, Matt Halischuk, Patric Hornqvist, Linus Klasen, Sergei Kostitsyn, David Legwand, Matthew Lombardi, Jamie Lundmark, Cal O'Reilly, Jerred Smithson, Nick Spaling, Steve Sullivan, Andreas Thuresson, Jordin Tootoo, Joel Ward, Colin Wilson and Kelsey Wilson.

DEFENSEMEN (12): Francis Bouillon, Ryan Ellis, Cody Franson, Aaron Johnson, Kevin Klein, Teemu Laakso, Grant Lewis, Brett Palin, Ryan Parent, Alexander Sulzer, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.

GOALTENDERS (4): Mark Dekanich, Anders Lindback, Chet Pickard and Pekka Rinne.

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Comments

My biggest surprises: Beck and Blum going back down. Laasko and Palin staying up. Then again, I didn’t personally see what they did mostly.

Also kinda weird: Josi goes down with his injury but Klasen stays up with his. Hmmm. Klasen must’ve impressed.

by DonBorvio on Sep 26, 2010 12:54 AM EDT reply actions

I'm really surprised

That Laakso and Kelsey Wilson didn’t get bounced yet. I figured they would be out and Beck/Blum would hang around. Must be trying to get those guys some more time for experience’s sake, I guess. Can’t imagine they make the Preds roster to start the season.

"This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."

by MinnesotaRoyal on Sep 26, 2010 8:37 AM EDT reply actions

Maybe they wanted Klasen to have more time with the team doctors and trainers for his injury.
No way Beck was going to start up this year. Blum was good, but Palin played very well in last nights game. He will be going down, though. Laasko? I’ve got nothing, there. I didn’t see much out of him.

by cisar on Sep 26, 2010 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

On Palin

Maybe Pred’s captain and Palin’s former teammate Shea F. Weber had some say in the decision. Defense-wise, I would say it is Weber, Suter, Klein, Boullion, Franson, Parent with Sulzer hanging around for the alternate spot and Johnson and Palin right on his heels.

by cisar on Sep 26, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

And another thing...

I think Halischuk stays up. I would start Blake up just for the P.R. then send him to the Ads. I also think Jonas Andersson gets his shot this year, maybe not starting out, but he is nearing thirty and it is time to see if he has it.

by cisar on Sep 26, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

14 forwards

Is all you can keep to start the year with the traditional 14 F, 7 D, 2 G roster.

Halischuk has played well, but has a two-way contract and is waiver exempt this season so he automatically heads to Milwaukee to start the year.

Geoffrion needs time to develop his offensive game and it would be a serious disservice to his career to keep him up in a limited 4th line role for any reason.

With Belak likely locked into the 14th forward spot and Kostitsyn showing chemistry with Hornqvist, I think there’s only one forward spot available and that likely comes down to a battle between Andersson, Lundmark, and O’Reilly with only one avoiding waivers to start the year.

The losers go through waivers. The winner stays in Nashville waiting their turn in the press box, and everyone else heads to Milwaukee to play for what should be a loaded Admirals roster.

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by Seth Lake on Sep 26, 2010 6:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Seth…you think Kostitsyn is more of a lock than Andersson at this point? Spaling and Thuresson not mentioned so they don’t have a chance to stay.

by wrandsw on Sep 26, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Kostitsyn vs. Andersson

Yes, while I was very high on Andersson after team intersquad scrimmages, I think he’s disappeared since then, while Kostitsyn has had two pretty solid exhibition games.

With Dumont looking good and battling for a top six spot and Wilson playing wing this season instead of center there is really tremedous depth on the wings that will force out a guy or two.

Everyone else (Spaling, Thuresson, Halischuk) are all caught in a numbers game. Only Thuresson among that group is waiver eligible, but it’s a low risk to send him through…

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by Seth Lake on Sep 26, 2010 11:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Palin's up because...

Shea Weber has nothing to do with why Brett Palin is still in Nashville. Palin is still here because he is on a two-way contract and is a potential recall candidate this season taking the place of Nolan Yonkman on the depth charts.

Palin has looked pretty good thus far in camp and has been surprisingly physical while playing a simple defensive game. He got overwhelmed with the speed of the game a couple times last night, but overall showed some potential for a recall.

Palin is still in camp so that he can continue to be evaluated as a new member of the organization. He will start the year in Milwaukee though, no doubt about it…

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by Seth Lake on Sep 26, 2010 6:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

7th defenseman

Parent has lapped the field several times over. He will be in the top-six on opening night.

Sulzer has been disappointing. Johnson was brought in to challenge Sulzer to reach the next level in his game and provide depth if he didn’t. Alex has not risen to the challenge as of yet and right now in my book Aaron Johnson is clearly in the lead for the No. 7 spot.

Still a week of preseason games left to sort it all out, but that’s where I think it stands right now…

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by Seth Lake on Sep 26, 2010 6:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

A little curious

Wonder why not keep Beck and Flynn up so that you can roll 8 forward lines and 6 d pairings?

I can also see keeping 22 forwards when one is Belak, but to me it seems strange to have 7 lines of forwards.

Does this team really need the PR stunt with all they have done this off season? If this was a normal quiet off season then I could see keeping Geoffrion up, but way to much happened. Blake making the roster does not make a large enough dent in the football obsession to warrant losing another guy to waivers.

Who gets traded this week? Smithson, Thuresson, Sulzer, Johnson, Laasko, Ward, Toots? Have a hard time believing Ward or Toots are going anywhere, but never thought Poile could sucker another GM into taking Arnott either.

by wrandsw on Sep 26, 2010 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

Nobody gets traded.

by Chris Burton on Sep 26, 2010 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions

trade Toots or Ward?

Not likely. Neither of them take a shift off like Arnie had the propensity to do.

by Tim P on Sep 26, 2010 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I was not in any way trying to imply I wanted either Toots or Ward traded. I was simply trying to say that the decision on forwards seems to be which grinders to keep. All 7 names (yes, I know 3 are d-men) I mentioned would have to clear waivers if they are don’t make the team. IMO I would rather see a trade made to add draft picks rather than hope that they clear waivers.

Personally I would hate to lose Thuresson to waivers when Smithson and a d-man could bring back a pick(s). Thuresson possibly has a future in Nashville. Smithson while a key contributor in the past is not likely to be re-signed.

by wrandsw on Sep 26, 2010 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s very difficult to make trades at this time of year, because so many players will hit the waiver wire, why would a GM give anything up of value for a particular asset?

At best Poile may be able to move a player like whoever loses out on the D spot for a late-round draft pick.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Sep 26, 2010 11:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions