Nashville Predators | CollegeHockeyPlayers

Tagged: Nashville Predators

23Jul

Triston Grant(23) Grand Rapids Griffins

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

9th year right wing Triston Grant(23) won a Calder Cup Championship with Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013 and re-signs to start the title defense.

Last season he played in a career high 75 games with a best +15. He’s always good for 10-15 points and triple digit penalty minutes. Almost ironically his best point scoring season was also he’s first over 200 pims.

He had 17 fighting majors in 2012/2013, which almost surprisingly doesn’t even land him in the top ten of the category.

The 6’1″ 218 lbs. forward was originally a Philadelphia Flyers‘ 9th round pick in 2004 (#286 overall) and has skated in 11 NHL games registering one assist and three fights.

He’s appeared in 510 AHL games posting 54 goals and 57 assists with 1462 minutes in the box and a strong combined +32 rating.

At 29-years old, he still seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank and has helped every team he’s played for with lots of hard on ice work and determination.

Original story: 8/12-13

He would increase his point totals from the previous season in far less games to 6 goals and 10 assists, while getting into far less scraps, but unfortunately the team that won the league title last year was a quick exit from the 2014 playoffs.

Heading into 2014/2015, he decided to return to Milwaukee Admirals on an AHL contract and ended up having his best campaign yet scoring a new high 13 goals and 26 points with a career tying 13 assists.

For his 11th pro season the 31-year old elected to go back to Grand Rapid Griffins signing for 2015/2016 very early into free agency like the decision was a no-brainer.

15Jul

Brian McGrattan(22) Anaheim Ducks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

For his 14th pro season Brian McGrattan(22) signed a one-year two-way deal with Anaheim Ducks and could find himself playing a decent amount of NHL for the first time in a couple of campaigns to protect all the players in that deep pool of talent in California.

He’ll turn 34-years old before the new season starts.

The huge force, who’s obviously in great shape and last had 11 fights playing for Calgary Flames in 2013/2014, just keeps on ticking.

Original story below 3/15-15:

Calgary Flames‘ 13th year right wing Brian McGrattan(22) was reassigned to the minors for the first time in a couple of seasons, joining affiliate Adirondack Flames .

He last played six games on a conditioning loan with Milwaukee Admirals while under contract to Nashville Predators but returned to Calgary (he spent 2009/2010 with the team) via trade.

The larger than life 6’4″ 240 lbs. rugged forward skated only 8 games (no points) with the parent club and was listed as a healthy scratch all too often, so the parent club ultimately decided it was best to see if some more ice time could get him back into the lineup on what had become a much speedier squad.

In 2013/2014, he achieved career highs for games played (76), goals (4) and assists (4) while keeping the peace on ice.

The big man was originally a Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th round pick in the 1999 draft (#104 overall) but first signed with Ottawa Senators, who he spent his first six seasons with, scoring his first NHL goal.

After a trade to then Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, he bounced around from team-to-team on one-year deals and even spent the full 2010/2011 with a pair of farm clubs.

A veteran of 278 AHL games he has the record for the most penalty minutes and fighting majors in one season (2004/2005) with Binghamton Senators, when he drop the mitts 39 times and recorded 551 minutes in the sin bin.

The 33-year old enforcer has skated in 317 big league contests but is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

He may either decide to take his game overseas for a year as he’s yet to explore the landscape outside of North America or hang up those skates and continue to help players with substance abuse problems, an issue of close importance to him.

See related: 11/1-10, 1/19-11, 2/17-11, 9/18-11,

07Jul

Kyle Wilson(7) MODO

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

After 7 seasons of pro hockey in North America, 28-year old center Kyle Wilson(7) opts for a 1-year contract to join 2012 and 2013 KHL champs Dinamo Riga.

He was most recently signed to a two-year deal by Nashville Predators with the second year of the deal on a one-way contract.

The 6’2″ 200 lbs. forward was moved in the off season to Tampa Bay Lightning, playing only 22 games for their minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch but was once again on the chopping block after scoring only 5 goals.

He was traded to Anaheim Ducks, where he was reassigned to Norfolk Admirals and seemed to regain some of his scoring touch with 3 goals and 9 assists in 16 games.

In 427 AHL games, he has amassed an impressive 319 points (149 goals and 170 assists) with an outstanding +48 rating and won back-to-back Calder Cup Championships with Hershey Bears.

Originally a Minnesota Wild 9th round pick in the 2004 draft (#272 overall), he has skated in 39 NHL games with 3 different teams recording a modest 4 goals and 9 assists.

He was set to become an unrestricted free agent upon deciding to take his game overseas.

Original story: 6/12-13

He had an exceptional first season with Dinamo Riga scoring close to point-per-game numbers (17-27-44) in 49 games but was sidelined late in the campaign with a back injury.

The Oakville, ON native would switch KHL teams in the offseason on a pair of occasions and start 2014/2015 with Traktor Chelyabinsk but returned to Dinamo Riga after 22 contests.

His production suffered greatly, as he was possibly still recovering from surgery, only connecting for 2 goals and 13 assists.

Heading into his 9th season the 30-year old moves on to join MODO of the SHL for 2015/2016 and should be able to get his mojo back.

See related: 3/8-11, 3/12-13

19Jun

Brandon Yip (18)

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | 1 Comment

5th year right wing Brandon Yip(32) appeared in his first NHL game of the 2013/2014 with his new team, Phoenix Coyotes.

The unrestricted free agent signed a one-year, two-way deal after spending a season and a half with Nashville Predators.

He was originally a Colorado Avalanche 8th round pick in the 2004 draft (#239 overall) and inked a one-year entry level deal and extended for another two seasons.

After posting no points in 10 games he was dispatched to their minor league affiliate Lake Erie Monsters but never made it before getting claimed off waivers by the Predators.

The 6’1″ 198 lbs. forward was able to pick up his scoring pace but still fell short of the even modest numbers he notched in his first two campaigns.

The 28-year old has already been reassigned and recalled 6 times in the early going and skated in his first AHL games since 2009 with the parent club’s farm team Portland Pirates.

In 2 appearances he has a quick 2 assists to his credit.

Original story: 10/23-13

After a pair of games with Phoenix, he was reassigned back to the farm team and spent the entire season in the minors scoring 14 goals and 20 assists with a -22 rating.

Heading into 2014/2015 he was an invite to Anaheim Ducks‘ training camp but released and inked a contract with affiliate Norfolk Admirals, where he skated 31 games getting 3 goals, 9 assists and a -11 rating.

He was reassigned for the first time in his pro career down to Utah Grizzlies and stuck around for 7 ECHL games before seeking to be released from his contract.

Within a couple of days he signed with Adler Mannheim, finished out the regular season and skated the entire playoffs of 14 games recording 4 assists to help the team to a DEL Championship.

They liked what they saw, because the 30-year old will be back for more in 2015/2016, his 7th year pro.

05Mar

Chase Balisy(13) Portland Pirates

Posted in AHL | Leave a comment

Winnipeg Jets invited unrestricted free agent left wing Chase Balisy(13) to their training camps after encouraging him to sign a minor league deal with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.

Originally a Nashville Predators‘ 6th round pick in the 2011 draft (#170 overall), he was left unsigned and free to roam after a successful 4-year campaign with Western Michigan University, where he was captain in his senior year and won the 2012 NCAA/CCHA Championship.

The 5’11” 180 lbs. forward is having an eye-opening rookie campaign.

After being a healthy scratch to start the season, in 56 AHL games he is tied on the team for second with 14 goals, his 19 assists has him sitting at third and is also third with 33 points, which has him very much in the lead for as the top scorer amongst first year players.

The irony of his stats is he is close to surpassing the numbers he put up in a single season in college and already better than his two in US juniors.

He has also done it without unloading a whole lot of shots on net, only 82.

The recently turned 23-year old California native is putting himself into a position where the parent club has to give him a look for an entry level contract.

He’s easily well-deserving of one.

07Nov

Zack Stortini(26) Norfolk Admirals

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Mammoth 6’4″ 234 lbs., 9th year right wing Zack Stortini(26) is in familiar playing territory leading the AHL in penalty minutes with 66 and 8 fighting majors, currently skating for a good squad in Norfolk Admirals this season. In 12 games he also has a goal and an assist.

He signed a 1-year, 2-way contract with Anaheim Ducks for 2013/2014 early in free agency. He was coming off a pair of single campaigns with Hamilton Bulldogs and Nashville Predators, all but one game in the minors, after spending the first 6 years in Edmonton Oilers‘ system.

Originally an Oilers‘ 2003 3rd round pick (#94 overall), he appeared in 256 NHL games with the team scoring 14 goals and 27 assists while amassing 718 pims.

It may be a little late in the 28-year old’s pro career to change up his playing style, especially considering he looks poised to lead the league in time spent in the box and fisticuffs’ battles, but he has shown some skill to be a power forward.

He did put up a point in every other game through four years of OHL juniors and was captain for Sudbury Wolves in three of those years but also learned how to battle ferociously in his early playing days.

11Oct

Aaron Johnson(44) New York Rangers

Posted in AHL, NHL | 1 Comment

11th year defenseman Aaron Johnson(44) signs a 1-year, 1-way contract with New York Rangers, his 7th NHL team.

He was made their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack team captain to start the season and there could be similar thoughts like what Nashville Predators did when signing him to a one-year deal, ship him to their minor league affiliate, Milwaukee Admirals for the season. But the parent club’s slow out of the gate and may need to switch things up even further, which would open the door for the 30-year defenseman to get some more games in the show on his stat sheet.

He’s played 297 big league games scoring 17 times with 45 assists and a nifty little +1 rating.

In the AHL his numbers are sort of phantomly similar with 26 goals and 86 helpers but he has a -5 plus/minus.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2001 draft (#85 overall) still has some left in the tank.

A couple of seasons ago, back with the team that drafted him, he put up a career tying 3 goals and a high mark 13 assists.

We think it’s likely he gets to the 300 NHL game club this season.

23Sep

Marc-Andre Cliche(22) Colorado Avalanche

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Colorado Avalanche claimed 7th year center Marc-Andre Cliche(22) off waivers from Los Angeles Kings.

He’s on the 2nd year of his current contract which pays him a one-way salary regardless of getting reassigned to a minor league affiliate.

The seemingly under-sized 6′ 205 lbs. forward was Manchester Monarchs‘ captain for the last three seasons and has skated in 341 AHL games with the team scoring 68 goals and 83 assists. He also owns a highly accountable +19 rating.

In his last two years of junior hockey with Lewiston Maineiacs, he was also team captain leading them to the 2007 QMJHL Championship.

He’s only been recalled for a single NHL game but could find his way to becoming a regular in the parent club’s lineup like former teammate Richard Clune did once Nashville Predators pulled him out from the Kings‘ prospect system.

The 26-year old former New York Rangers‘ 2nd round pick in the 2005 draft (#56 overall) will definitely be looking to getting into his new training camp and prove he’s ready to become a full-time member in the big league. His tenacious, never-say-quit playing style and endless ability to stick up for teammates will definitely help his case.

See related: 10/11-11

18Apr

Michael Latta (15)

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

2nd year center Michael Latta(15) was originally a Nashville Predators‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#72 overall) and spent all of his first season and a half with their minor league affiliate Milwaukee Admirals racking up some fairly impressive numbers.

He scored 14 goals and 14 assists in 51 games in his rookie campaign and although his production hitting the back of the net went down to 9 in his sophomore season his helpers total almost doubled to 26.

The 5’11” 209 lbs. forward also saw a marked increase in penalty minutes going from 100 to 184.

He also put up triple digits in pims the last two seasons of juniors with Guelph Storm.

Recently involved in a trade that brought him to Washington Capitals‘ organization for the final year of his three-year NHL entry level deal, he was reassigned to their AHL team Hershey Bears.

In 6 games he has one assist and has spent 12 minutes in the box.

He’s also has a -5 rating, a first in the negative column for the 25-year old.

His style of play is very tenacious, in-your-face and there seems to be little doubt that he will be able to impact the scoresheet as he fits in with team chemistry.

12Mar

Kyle Wilson(25) Norfolk Admirals

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | 1 Comment

7th year center Kyle Wilson(25) joins his 5th NHL team as he was involved in a recent trade that sent him from Tampa Bay Lightning to Anaheim Ducks‘ organization.

He never suited up for the Lightning in his short time with the team after an offseason deal with Nashville Predators.

Signed in 2011 for two years (1-way in the 2nd year), he spent almost his entire first campaign with minor league affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, where the 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward had an AHL career high 32 assists in 68 games. He did suit up for 5 games with the Preds but registered no points.

As the lockout loomed to put off the start of 2012/2013 season, the 28-year old sat out until it was resolved, reporting to Tampa Bay training camp but reassigned to Syracuse Crunch, where he stumbled with only 5 goals in 22 games.

A former Minnesota Wild 9th round pick in the 2004 draft (#272 overall), he spent the first 4 seasons of his pro career with Washington Capitals but only appeared in 2 games (2 assists) with them.

He won back-to-back Calder Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010 with farm club Hershey Bears.

Looking for renewed opportunity, he reports to a streaking Norfolk Admirals to play out the remainder of his contract unless recalled by the equally hot Ducks.

Where the unrestricted free agent ends up from here is another puzzle piece but we’re guessing he heads to Europe to see what’s left in the tank.

« Older posts