It's not quite how General Manager David Poile and head coach John Hynes pictured it going down, but the Nashville Predators are being forced to embrace a youth movement that was talked about during the offseason.
With a slew of injuries and now a two-game suspension for defenseman Dante Fabbro, Predators prospects such as Rem Pitlick, Yakov Trenin, Mathieu Olivier, Jeremy Davies and Alex Carrier are all getting NHL runs — and will for the better part of the next month.
“I know we’re all very excited about the young guys that are here — but it’s a difficult league,” Predators coach John Hynes said.
“Lots of times, guys come in and there’s a jolt of emotion and they’re excited and there’s no other league in the world that plays the amount of games that we play in a short amount of time. So, sometimes when you’re a regular player and you bring in the young energy that comes in, it does invigorate players.”
Yes, being without captain Roman Josi (week-to-week), associate captain Ryan Ellis (out 4-6 weeks), center Matt Duchene (out 3-5 weeks) and forward Luke Kunin (out 2-3 weeks) is a tough pill for Nashville to swallow. But let’s be honest, the 11-14-1 Predators aren’t suddenly going to flip a switch and go on a point-collecting rampage that will earn them the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.
The team is closer to landing the No. 1 overall pick in July’s draft than making the playoffs. That's why, although the circumstances aren’t ideal, it’s a good thing the Predators are forced into a spot where they have to call on their AHL talent.
“We have guys that have great character and work really hard and they’re taking advantage of their opportunities,” center Ryan Johansen said. “You just love to see the compete and the effort and guys trying to do the right things over and over. That’s what I see out of our young guys, who have been in some key roles to make some differences in the game. I feel like they’re doing everything they can to help this hockey club win. It’s fun to watch them grow."
The timetable for Josi’s return isn’t currently known. But with Ellis, Duchene and Kunin out through early- to mid-April, Poile is getting an extended look as exactly what is in his cupboard.
If the Predators continue on their current trajectory — 52.5 total points and a likely lottery pick — the next month could go a long way toward shaping what their 2021 roster could look like.
Eeli Tolvanen has all but assured himself a top-six role on the team moving forward. Rem Pitlick has only played in two games, but he’s playing on the second line and averaging 12:52 of ice time and 2:45 on the power play.
Alex Carrier has had a rough go of things through three games but he has averaged 17:01 of ice time and shown he could be a dependable third-pair defenseman. Jeremy Davies had an impressive NHL debut against Carolina, registering three shots in 14:02 of ice time and tying Johansen for the most power play minutes (5:17).
“Right now, we feel like we have a good mix (of veterans and youth),” Hynes said. “There’s a lot of young energy on the team right now, and they’ve done a good job. But I also like that the veteran guys in the lineup have embraced those guys and I think they’ve upped their game and been good leaders. Right now, there’s really good chemistry in the room, on the ice, on the bench… When younger guys can make the lineup decisions more difficult, I think you have a good situation on your hands.”
Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter @MGsports_
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Hynes: Younger guys making lineup decisions difficult - Nashville Post
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