Predators Release Phase 3 Camp Roster

Late this morning, Robby Stanley of NHL.com released the Nashville Predators’ training camp roster for Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play (RTP) protocol:

Here’s your #Preds training camp roster. pic.twitter.com/8nEJsb1ROl

— Robby Stanley (@RStanleyNHL) July 13, 2020

Forwards (players who were on the active roster when the season was suspended are italicized):

• Viktor Arvidsson
• Colin Blackwell
• Nick Bonino
• Daniel Carr
• Matt Duchene
• Filip Forsberg
• Mikael Granlund
• Rocco Grimaldi
• Calle Järnkrok
• Ryan Johansen
• Michael McCarron
• Rem Pitlick
• Colton Sissons
• Craig Smith
• Eeli Tolvanen
• Philip Tomasino
• Yakov Trenin (Trenin has been designated unfit to play)
• Kyle Turris
• Austin Watson/

Defenders:

• Alexandre Carrier
• Jérémy Davies
• Mattias Ekholm
• Ryan Ellis
• Dante Fabbro
• Dan Hamhuis
• Ben Harpur
• Korbinian Holzer
• Roman Josi
• Steven Santini
• Jarred Tinordi
• Yannick Weber/

Goaltenders:

• Troy Grosenick
• Connor Ingram
• Pekka Rinne
• Juuse Saros/

Quick Reactions:

• Tomasino’s inclusion is a pleasant surprise—it appears it took Trenin’s unfortunate unavailability to make it happen, but the Oshawa Generals 100-point scorer and Preds 2019 first-round pick has wowed Nashville’s coaches and looks to make a mark in camp and get a chance to make the Phase 4 roster that goes to Edmonton.  He has been extremely effective in Oshawa on the power play, and both he and Tolvanen could provide a spark to the second PP unit.
• Ben Harpur’s inclusion over Frédéric Allard baffles me.  I know they may be going for experience, but Harpur has been consistently below-average and really doesn’t feel like he’d be able to make any contributions in the playoffs.
• Colin Blackwell had an extremely strong showing in the NHL games he played in this season.  I’m fully expecting him to make the roster for Game 1 vs Arizona on August 2nd.  The line of Blackwell-Turris-Trenin may return in the form of Blackwell-Turris-Tomasino or Blackwell-Turris-Tolvanen.
• It appears Dan Hamhuis is ready to return from the injury he suffered towards the end of the (abbreviated) season.
• The Phase 4 rosters are mostly the same, where the limit goes from 30 skaters to 28 skaters plus “unlimited goaltenders” (which sounds like a very, very good Olive Garden promotion).  I’d expect to see Harpur and McCarron as the two left out, although McCarron is a very strong player in his own right./

• If it were up to me, here’s what my Game 1 roster would look like:/

Tomasino-Johansen-Arvidsson

Forsberg-Duchene-Granlund

Smith-Bonino-Grimaldi

Blackwell-Turris-Sissons

Ellis-Josi

Ekholm-Fabbro

Hamhuis-Carrier

Saros

Stay tuned for more training camp coverage as the Predators enter Phase 3.  Let us know what you think about the roster below!