Speculation: Training camp talk

[BigFatCat999]

This is how I see the team. Who do you think stays? I have KK as the 3rd goalie because Ingram is waivers exempt. With the added grit I think Tinordi goes to Milwaukee. Davies would be perfect for the taxi. Waivers exempt. But what do you think?

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[Porter Stoutheart]

The vision I've been trying to describe in way-too-wordy posts that would be better served with a spreadsheet is like this:

Basically, maximize your 23+6 slots while there is no AHL with a priority on finding spots for our best prospects/most NHL-ready guys.

But then when the AHL comes back, the Taxi Squad can be more just for NHL-ready spares, and you want the prospects playing games in the AHL. The Taxi Squad becomes a little less meaningful then, because you could also recall players from the AHL if long-term injuries really stack up. Could just run 22+4 at that point.

And then it's just how much do injuries mess with all this, and would there be an exception to allow juniors to play in the AHL this year without burning an ELC year. I think that part of things hasn't really been clarified yet, not anywhere I've seen. I'd play them if I could. But let them skate elsewhere outside the system if it was going to cost an ELC year.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Predators training camp schedule is as follows (all times CT):
Sunday, Jan. 3
- 1 p.m. Team meeting
Monday, Jan. 4
- 10 a.m. Practice
Tuesday, Jan. 5
- 10 a.m. Practice
Wednesday, Jan. 6
- 10 a.m. Practice
Thursday, Jan. 7
- Day off
Friday, Jan. 8
- 10 a.m. Blue Team morning skate
- 11:15 a.m. Gold Team morning skate
- 7 p.m. Blue vs. Gold Scrimmage
Saturday, Jan. 9
- 11 a.m. Practice
Sunday, Jan. 10
- 10 a.m. Gold Team morning skate
- 11:15 a.m. Blue Team morning skate
- 7 p.m. Blue vs. Gold Scrimmage
Monday, Jan. 11
- Day off
Tuesday, Jan. 12
- 11 a.m. Practice
Wednesday, Jan. 13
- 11 a.m. Practice
*All events will be held at Bridgestone Arena and will be closed to the public.
*All events and times are subject to change.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Quite a few guys missing today. Gotta love the vagueness of "unfit to practice".

 

[triggrman]

How many are quarantined?

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Have gotten to watch at least some training camp or rookie camp every season for at least 10 years. Doesn't really feel like the year is starting.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Milwaukee has opted out of the AHL season.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Milwaukee has opted out of the AHL season.

Well that makes our Taxi Squad and player assignment predictions pretty much hopeless. Who knows where they'll be able to find homes for guys. The 5 guys who were in Florida presumably go back to the ECHL. We keep a full 23-man roster and 6-man taxi squad. No other juniors are coming to the AHL. If we send a handful of guys to Chicago to play with the Carolina prospects, there won't be enough room for everybody. Kaskisuoo's vlog should be interesting. Who knows where he'll wander around to this year!

 

[BigFatCat999]

Well that makes our Taxi Squad and player assignment predictions pretty much hopeless. Who knows where they'll be able to find homes for guys. The 5 guys who were in Florida presumably go back to the ECHL. We keep a full 23-man roster and 6-man taxi squad. No other juniors are coming to the AHL. If we send a handful of guys to Chicago to play with the Carolina prospects, there won't be enough room for everybody. Kaskisuoo's vlog should be interesting. Who knows where he'll wander around to this year!

Or, teams that are hit with injuries/COVID/opt outs will ask for loaned players. As for the vlog, KK was waiting to move to Nashville or Milwaukee....now he knows! Also, what if some of these guys took over adult leagues? The team JP Dumont plays for is damn good why not add more?

 

[herzausstein]

Well that makes our Taxi Squad and player assignment predictions pretty much hopeless. Who knows where they'll be able to find homes for guys. The 5 guys who were in Florida presumably go back to the ECHL. We keep a full 23-man roster and 6-man taxi squad. No other juniors are coming to the AHL. If we send a handful of guys to Chicago to play with the Carolina prospects, there won't be enough room for everybody. Kaskisuoo's vlog should be interesting. Who knows where he'll wander around to this year!

If we can’t find a place for all the players we need to just keep the best players with the taxi squad and fill out the nhl roster (23 players) with a player or two that doesn’t need to pass through waivers or will easily pass through waivers

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I guess they could just keep them all skating locally. It's probably not going to make a huge developmental difference at this point to play an extra 30 games skipping around on loan to some other franchise's AHL affiliate. Games are good, but it might not be the best environment with much attention given to them.

But assuming we already know our starting 13F/8D/2G, then my Taxi Squad (as of today, subject to change 5 minutes from now) would be:

F - Tolvanen (waiver exempt)
F - Pitlick (waiver exempt)
F - McCarron vs. Tomasino vs. Richard vs. Olivier
D - Davies (waiver exempt)
D - Weber vs. Lewington vs. Harpur
G - Ingram (waiver exempt)

i.e. I'd keep our top prospects Tolvanen, Pitlick, Davies, Ingram around and available all season, and practising in the NHL the whole way.

The last F TS spot... could be up for grabs between the "veterans" in McCarron and Richard, or "toughness" in Olivier, or Tomasino as the hot-shot prospect. On D, I guess if we sign Weber he'd clear waivers fine and be an experienced option for leadership and injury replacement. It probably would be easy to loan out Lewington or Harpur to other AHL teams, they have size and experience and would be valued around the AHL.

And I'd still keep Ingram around the whole way working with the NHL team. No point platooning him out to somebody else's farm team to play half or fewer of their games. Sorry KK.

Then Wilkins, Smith, Craggs, Harper, Jeannot, and Novak can all go back to Florida. Harper and Novak are a little too good for ECHL maybe, but what are you gonna do? Maybe send Fortunato back with them too.

Guys like McCarron, Malone, Richard, Olivier, Lewington, Harpur, Kaskisuoo I'm sure they can find loaner spots for. That's only 7 guys.

Probably not a great situation for guys like Schneider and Donovan who signed AHL deals with Milwaukee.

I mean, it's doable like that.

 

[herzausstein]

With MIL shutting down for the season, I think they’re gonna keep both the team and taxi squad at max capacity.
Taxi:
Tolvanen
Tomasino
Pitlick
Davies
Ingram
1 more tbd - carrier vs Olivier vs Richard

13 forwards
8 dmen - have y. Weber be the 8th. Pass him through waivers to bring someone up from the taxi. He will pass through unclaimed.
2 goalies

 

[Armourboy]

Do we know for sure what the CHL is doing? If they are playing at all I could see us sending anyone eligible back just to keep them playing.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Do we know for sure what the CHL is doing? If they are playing at all I could see us sending anyone eligible back just to keep them playing.

We don't know, and they don't know either, but Canada is a lot more cautious with Covid, especially with juniors involved who are underage, so I would be pretty confident that there will be no CHL season.

But for us, I think that mostly affects what we choose to do with Tomasino. With Afanaseyev, well, he could just go back to finish the season in Russia. And Evangelista and Prokop are the only other juniors we have under contract, and at 18 they aren't really candidates to play anywhere but junior... so instead they'll just keep skating wherever they are currently.

I think it just means we decide if we want Tomasino as a) 14th forward, b) Taxi Squad, c) let him go skate wherever he was before all this again. I'm partial to b)... I'd like to see him skating with the NHL team and maybe get a stray game or two if he shows well, so long as we don't burn an ELC year on him. It would be nice if the CHL did come back, though, and if the Memorial Cup did proceed... because I'd send him back for that, for sure.

 

[adsfan]

I guess they could just keep them all skating locally. It's probably not going to make a huge developmental difference at this point to play an extra 30 games skipping around on loan to some other franchise's AHL affiliate. Games are good, but it might not be the best environment with much attention given to them.

But assuming we already know our starting 13F/8D/2G, then my Taxi Squad (as of today, subject to change 5 minutes from now) would be:

F - Tolvanen (waiver exempt)
F - Pitlick (waiver exempt)
F - McCarron vs. Tomasino vs. Richard vs. Olivier
D - Davies (waiver exempt)
D - Weber vs. Lewington vs. Harpur
G - Ingram (waiver exempt)

i.e. I'd keep our top prospects Tolvanen, Pitlick, Davies, Ingram around and available all season, and practising in the NHL the whole way.

The last F TS spot... could be up for grabs between the "veterans" in McCarron and Richard, or "toughness" in Olivier, or Tomasino as the hot-shot prospect. On D, I guess if we sign Weber he'd clear waivers fine and be an experienced option for leadership and injury replacement. It probably would be easy to loan out Lewington or Harpur to other AHL teams, they have size and experience and would be valued around the AHL.

And I'd still keep Ingram around the whole way working with the NHL team. No point platooning him out to somebody else's farm team to play half or fewer of their games. Sorry KK.

Then Wilkins, Smith, Craggs, Harper, Jeannot, and Novak can all go back to Florida. Harper and Novak are a little too good for ECHL maybe, but what are you gonna do? Maybe send Fortunato back with them too.

Guys like McCarron, Malone, Richard, Olivier, Lewington, Harpur, Kaskisuoo I'm sure they can find loaner spots for. That's only 7 guys.

Probably not a great situation for guys like Schneider and Donovan who signed AHL deals with Milwaukee.

I mean, it's doable like that.

Weber? I thought we were through with him??? Does he have some blackmail on Poile? If it was Shea, I would take him back in a millisecond!

You are correct on Florida. Craggs isn't good enough for Milwaukee. Wilkins is a little better than Craggs. Novak is a quality AHL player. Olivier can score and give you some middleweight grit!

Donovan is turning 30. His hockey days are numbered. Schneider played 54 of the 63 games last season. I am sure that somebody can use his scoring ability, 46 points, even though he is also 30.

If I am trying to fill out an AHL roster, I would want Richard's speed and McCarron's size!

 

[Kat Predator]

Do we know for sure what the CHL is doing? If they are playing at all I could see us sending anyone eligible back just to keep them playing.

Not sure about CHL season. WHL meets on the 8th.

 

[weeze]

With MIL shutting down for the season, I think they’re gonna keep both the team and taxi squad at max capacity.
Taxi:
Tolvanen
Tomasino
Pitlick
Davies
Ingram
1 more tbd - carrier vs Olivier vs Richard

13 forwards
8 dmen - have y. Weber be the 8th. Pass him through waivers to bring someone up from the taxi. He will pass through unclaimed.
2 goalies

Is our 8th best D-man Y Weber? Even if one of the younger guys is close I would take the younger guy and give him a chance. We know what we got with YW and it is basically nothing. Shake his hand and say thanks then part ways, move on and give one of the young guys a shot.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Is our 8th best D-man Y Weber? Even if one of the younger guys is close I would take the younger guy and give him a chance. We know what we got with YW and it is basically nothing. Shake his hand and say thanks then part ways, move on and give one of the young guys a shot.

It's possible that Weber could look like our 7th or 8th best D in camp, depending on your perspective, depending on how he has kept himself busy during the break, vs. Tinordi and Carrier.

But I would throw that out the window. Whether Weber looks a little bit better in some instantaneous snapshot today shouldn't be the point. Weber's ceiling is known, and it's not impressive. You can play him 12 minutes a night in the NHL and he'll get boxed in and look overmatched. That's about all he can ultimately ever do, we know that already. So to me, you want to elevate Carrier and live with any mistakes or adaptation issues he faces. Carrier might be better straight off. But even if he isn't, I think you still want to make the investment in him.

To me, I would only take Weber for the Taxi Squad. In that circumstance, if you are down to calling on your 9th or 10th D on the depth chart... ok, in that scenario, calling on Weber probably works. But that's the only way I take him.

 

[herzausstein]

Is our 8th best D-man Y Weber? Even if one of the younger guys is close I would take the younger guy and give him a chance. We know what we got with YW and it is basically nothing. Shake his hand and say thanks then part ways, move on and give one of the young guys a shot.

8th dman isn't getting a shot anyways unless there are injuries. Y. Weber will get a 1 way contract. He can be the 8th dman and sit in the pressbox while the youngsters play with each other on the Taxi team collecting AHL contracts. When it comes down to play time, if the coach thinks Carrier/Davies/etc is the better option waive weber (he'll make it through) and bring up the replacement the coach wants. If we're going to sign Weber, might as well pay the youngsters the AHL salary and save some money until it's game time.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Still probably largely meaningless with how many guys are out, but interesting that Pitlick replacing Trenin on that Sissons-Jarnkrok line. Seems like maybe those two are battling it out for a spot there?

 

[Armourboy]

With that many guys out who knows who is battling for what.

Weber is essentially brought in to ride the pine and be an emergency call up I hope. Plus with his background as a player rep maybe he helps the young guys out

 

[Scoresberg]

Yeah, at max I’d take Weber on the taxi squad. Give the 7th spot for Carrier, he’s looked solid in the little time he’s had.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Yeah, at max I’d take Weber on the taxi squad. Give the 7th spot for Carrier, he’s looked solid in the little time he’s had.

So I just looked this up... Carrier has been our #1 scoring D in Milwaukee ALL FOUR YEARS HE PLAYED THERE. Even as a rookie! He's smallish - but not tiny. Then again, we've been playing Weber. I don't get the sense that he's terrible defensively or that he's slow or has any other drastic flaws. I mean, if you can't advance a guy after 4 years as your #1 D, welllll...

I'm a little surprised he signed on for 3 more years. A lot of guys would be getting seriously frustrated in his situation. I hope he extracted assurances before signing. And I hope the Preds don't take advantage of his naivete if he didn't.

 

[GoldOnGold]

So I just looked this up... Carrier has been our #1 scoring D in Milwaukee ALL FOUR YEARS HE PLAYED THERE. Even as a rookie! He's smallish - but not tiny. Then again, we've been playing Weber. I don't get the sense that he's terrible defensively or that he's slow or has any other drastic flaws. I mean, if you can't advance a guy after 4 years as your #1 D, welllll...

I'm a little surprised he signed on for 3 more years. A lot of guys would be getting seriously frustrated in his situation. I hope he extracted assurances before signing. And I hope the Preds don't take advantage of his naivete if he didn't.

It does remind me of the Taylor Aronson situation, when he was mad enough that we called up Corey Potter over him that he left for Europe.

 

[King Weber]

Kunin skating with Sissons and Jarnkrok