With the Milwaukee Admirals currently competing in the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators have several promising young prospects striving to make an impact and win their first professional championship. Here, we will review how these top prospects are performing and what their performances mean for their chances of making the Preds’ roster next season.
Zachary L’Heureux
L’Heureux has been the star of the Admirals’ playoff run so far. The fiery forward leads the team in goals scored (six) and total points (10) and has been unstoppable on offense. His production isn’t just coming on the offensive end, as he has also become a staple on the penalty kill and power play units. L’Heureux had a breakout 2023-24 American Hockey League (AHL) season, and if he can keep up his current playoff form, he will be pushing for an opening-day roster spot with the Predators next season.
Philip Tomasino
After getting some less-than-encouraging words from Preds’ head coach Andrew Burnette, Philip Tomasino has been lighting it up in the AHL playoffs. In his six playoff games, he is second on the team with four goals and has been bringing a relentless energy to the ice.
After being sent down from the Predators late in the season, Tomasino went on a tear, putting up 18 points in just 22 games and showing why he deserves a second chance on the NHL roster next season. The consensus in Nashville is that he will need more impressive and consistent performances to get another opportunity, and he is well on his way to accomplishing that goal.
Fyodor Svechkov
Svechkov is having an outstanding playoff run so far. In his first season playing North American hockey, he put up 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 57 games and has been at nearly a point per game in the playoffs (five points in six games). With this being Svechkov’s first season in the AHL and still being 21 years old, I could see the Predators’ front office keeping him in Milwaukee for the next season or two to get him more accustomed to the North-American play style. With him being the top center prospect in the pipeline, there are a lot of expectations on Svechkov to keep performing at a high level throughout the playoffs and push for an NHL roster spot over the next two seasons.
Juuso Pärssinen
Pärssinen has been one of the Admirals’ best players during this playoff run. He is second on the team in total points (seven points in five games) and has been the most consistent playmaker in Milwaukee since the Preds sent him down halfway through the season, dishing out 24 assists in 41 games.
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Pärssinen has played 89 games for the Predators over the last two seasons and has had his fair share of ups and downs. He’s only 23 and still has room for growth. This playoff run will do a lot for him in terms of his chances of making an impression on the coaching staff and earning an opportunity to make the opening-day roster once again next season.
Ryan Ufko
One of the late-season surprises in the Preds’ prospect pipeline has been Ryan Ufko. His addition to the Admirals nine games before the playoffs after his college season at UMass was cut short led many to believe he wasn’t in Milwaukee’s playoff plans. In those nine games, he recoreded six points and added a much-needed offensive spark on the blue line, earning himself a spot in the starting lineup for the playoffs.
During this playoff run, he has shown his offensive and playmaking toolkit, getting three assists in six games, but has also been a liability at times on the defensive end of the ice. He is still adjusting to the physicality and speed of professional hockey and has routinely been caught out of position or muscled off the puck. Ufko has undeniable talent, but he might need more time to develop in the AHL before he is competing for a roster spot in the NHL.
Joakim Kemell
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the playoffs so far has been Joakim Kemell. The sharpshooting 20-year-old was lighting it up all regular season for Milwaukee, putting up an impressive 41 points in 67 games. When you look at his output in the playoffs, it has been lackluster at best. He has two assists, no goals, and a minus-3 rating, tied for the second-worst on the team. With Kemell being so young, I don’t expect him to be pushing for a roster spot next season, but I would expect him to be a participant in the Predators’ training camp as they look to get him as much experience as possible in hopes of him turning into a top six sniper.
Yegor Afanasyev
Afanasyev is another player putting up some disappointing numbers in the playoffs. During the regular season, he was the Admirals’ top scorer, netting 27 goals and even being called up to the Predators due to his dominant play in Milwaukee. From a points perspective, this playoff run has been particularly disappointing, as Afanasyev has put up just two assists and no goals in six playoff games.
If he is going to push for a role in the NHL next season, the Preds’ front office is going to need to be convinced he can produce in the big moments against serious competition, which he has failed to do so far in his career, either in the few chances he has received in the NHL or in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Yaroslav Askarov
The biggest shock of all is Yaroslav Askarov’s performance. The top prospect in the Predators’ pipeline, who many consider the best goalie prospect in the world, had an absolutely abysmal start to the playoffs. After starting the first two games and having a save percentage (SV%) of just .840 and a goals-against average of 4.13, Admirals head coach Karl Taylor decided to send him to the bench in favor of AHL veteran Troy Grosenick.
This comes just one year after Askarov got benched in last year’s playoffs. While he had a brilliant regular season with a .911 (SV%) he has been unable to get it going in the playoffs. It seems the plan is for Askarov to join the Predators’ in a full-time capacity next season, but with this recent playoff underachievement, I am not sure how the Preds’ front office is going to feel about handing him the reins as a starter in the NHL.
Looking Ahead
As the Admirals continue their Calder Cup playoff run, the performance of Nashville’s prospects has provided valuable insights into the future of the Predators’ roster. While some players have exceeded expectations and others have faced challenges, the pipeline’s overall depth and talent remain impressive. The experiences gained during these playoffs will be crucial for their development and undoubtedly impact the Predators’ decisions for the upcoming season.
