The Predators announced yesterday that they have signed defenseman Johan Alm to a two year entry-level deal. The team expects that he will be heading across the pond next season, but wouldn’t say if he’ll be starting in Nashville or Milwaukee.
If he is jumping straight to the big-time, it won’t be his first time playing with men. Alm, 22, has spent time in the Swedish Hockey League (the top level of hockey in Sweden) over the past four years. He was a part of back-to-back championship winning teams in the SHL and has finished either as a champion or runner-up in the last six seasons at the under-18, junior, and SHL levels. Last season he tallied seven points in 30 games with Skelleftea.
Alm adds some size to the Preds blueline, standing at 6’3″ and 209 lbs. and becomes another bright spot on a strong Shea Weber led Nashville defensive core. If he does start in Milwaukee, he’d immediately be the best defensive prospect in the fold. Nashville will have some decisions to make with their defensemen in Milwaukee this off-season, as Joonas Jarvinen, Anthony Bitetto, Charles-Olivier Roussel, Scott Valentine, Bryan Rodney, and Joe Piskula are all free agents.