Nashville Predators send Jeremy Smith to Milwaukee Admirals
by Dirk Hoag on Sep 28, 2011 11:14 PM EDT
in Nashville Predators News
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The Nashville Predators trimmed their training camp roster to 31 after tonight's 4-1 win over Washington by sending goaltender Jeremy Smith to Milwaukee.
Smith appears primed for a major role with the Admirals this season, and has come on strongly over the last year or so. The intrigue likely turns to a battle between former 1st-round draft pick Chet Pickard and Atte Engren to see who gets the backup job in Milwaukee, and who heads to Cincinnati of the ECHL (or perhaps elsewhere?).
The Predators also seem to be settling into more of a regular-season routine, with Pekka Rinne playing the full 60 minutes tonight, and Anders Lindback set to back him up. With back-to-back games coming up Friday and Saturday, expect to see each of them get a full game's work in this weekend.
The Preds' press release follows after the jump...
Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has assigned goaltender Jeremy Smith to Milwaukee (AHL).
Smith, 22 (4/13/89), appeared in three preseason games with the Predators, posting a 1-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage.
The transactions leave Nashville's Training Camp roster at 31 players - 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and two goaltenders. Players by position currently participating in camp are as follows:
FORWARDS (18): Niclas Bergfors, Gabriel Bourque, Martin Erat, Mike Fisher, Blake Geoffrion, Matt Halischuk, Patric Hornqvist, Sergei Kostitsyn, David Legwand, Chris Mueller, Cal O'Reilly, Craig Smith, Jerred Smithson, Nick Spaling, Zack Stortini, Jordin Tootoo, Colin Wilson and Kyle Wilson
DEFENSEMEN (11): Teemu Laakso, Jonathon Blum, Francis Bouillon, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Jack Hillen, Roman Josi, Kevin Klein, Tyler Sloan, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber
GOALTENDERS (2): Anders Lindback and Pekka Rinne.
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Looks like the opening defensive players are just about set:
With Ekholm’s performance or lack thereof tonight, the decisions get a little easier on D for Trotz. Also, with the Cube still out the pairings for the first few regular season games should look like this:
Weber-Suter
Blum-Klein
Hillen-Laakso
Sloan
Hopefully Ekholm will choose to go to Milwaukee to get used to the smaller rink and style of play, instead of returning to the SEL.
But.. but... but...
What about all that hype this summer about an all-rookie 3rd pair?
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of HockeyGearHQ, a site devoted to hockey equipment and accessories.
Well, Josi got hurt, Ekholm needs seasoning, Ellis is just outplayed by veterans and you rather have Sloan sit than Ellis.
Getting used to the smaller ice surface over here is a bigger adjustment than many think it to be. Not surprising that he may need some time in Milwaukee to get more acclimated to it.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 12:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I remember one play where Semin tried to blow by him on the outside and he caught up and forced him around the goal.I kinda smiled when I imagined Cody ‘Traffic Cone’ Franson frowning as Semin blows by him and buries it topshelf.
Reply fail.
Was complimenting Hillen’s speed.
Shocked by the Smith demotion……just shocked! :D
Interesting dilemma possible on the forward front. If, as I suspect, Fisher won’t be in the opening night lineup, that will leave an extra spot open up front, which likely means Smith will start the season up here. I imagine Bourque gets sent down, so that leaves 4 players battling for the last forward spot (Halischuk, Mueller, Stortini and K. Wilson). I’d say it’s either Halischuk or Mueller at this point. Kinda doubt we’ll carry an extra forward if Fisher is close to coming back.
Package up a few of those tweeners for a top 6 guy and we might have something here. ;)
What a night in baseball! Red Sox blow a 3-2 lead in the 9th and lose 4-3 to Baltimore while the Rays come back down 7-0 to the Yankees and win 8-7! Rays in the playoffs, Red Sox out! Unreal stuff.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 12:31 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Well, at least we only have one Smith to keep track of for a while. When I read the first line of your comment, I thought you meant Craig Smith at first. You need to put some initials in there.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
Stop bossing me around! :p
I had 3 baseball games I was monitoring……no time for small details. :p
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 12:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Halischuck
In addition to his goal tonight, he played 3:33 on the PK. I think Hali is pretty likely to start up here, especially since he would have to go through waivers to go back to Milwaukee.
I think the battle for the last forward spot is more between Mueller and Smith. It’s even possible they will send Geoffrion down since he missed so much of training camp due to the injury and keep both Smith and Mueller up.
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Sep 29, 2011 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
I think that’s a given with Geoffrion, which is why an extra spot is open up here.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 12:46 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, as much as it pains me, Geoffrion could use about half a season in Milwaukee on the first or second line. Hustlechuk and Mueller just seem more NHL-ready right now, not to say Geoffrion isn’t – but does he want to be a 3rd/4th liner or a 1st/2nd liner in the NHL? Geoffrion could use the experience to build his goal-scoring ability and confidence.
If Geoffrion were able to play in the pre-season it might be a different story, but he’ll need to get up to speed in Milwaukee once he’s able to start playing again.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 1:25 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I had mixed feelings about that game. As a Phillies fan, I’d rather the Braves made the playoffs instead of the Cardinals, who were the only team to have a winning record against the Phils this season. Would have been nice to see the Braves & Cards play a one game playoff tomorrow at least. :D But seeing the Phils end the Braves season was joy enough. :)
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 1:22 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m pretty confident about the D-backs chances vs Milwaukee (though I kind of like them too, because of the Nashville Sounds connection and the Ads/Preds).
Yeah, I’m picking the D-backs to beat the Brewers as well. Yankees/Tigers and Devils Rays/Rangers are two great matchups. Going with Tigers and Rangers. And Phillies, of course! :) (Cards worry me, though).
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Sep 29, 2011 1:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Can the Preds send the announcer from tonight’s game back to Milwaukee? That guy was brutal. Get back on the mike, Paul!
No kidding!
Wait was he from Milwaukee? No, the Ads in-game announcer is better. Or call up Aaron Sims, I like him.
There is one .... moment... left in the period...
I wanted to throw hot coffee in his face.
by Preds of State on Sep 29, 2011 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions
The announcer was an unpaid season ticket holder who responded to the Predators' request
…for a backup in the unlikely event Paul was not able to call a game. That has not happened in the past six years and probably will not happen in the foreseeable future. Paul has big shoes to fill. The guy did his best, as any faithful Predator fan would do. Cut some slack here.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Sep 29, 2011 9:22 AM EDT reply actions
Looking over the preseason nhl.com stats
SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
NAME GP G SOG PCT
Filppula, Valtteri, Det. 2 2 1 200.0%
Now that is even more of a fluky percentage than Kostitsyn
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Dirk Hoag is the Forechecker, churner of NHL stats & analysis, and managing editor of On the Forecheck.
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