The Ekholm Diaries: A Rookie's Blog

It would be interesting as a fan to see what the life of a rookie in the NHL is like, especially one that has traveled half way around the world to try to make an NHL club. Imagine the excitement, the stress, and the challenge of assimilating into a new culture while all the time competing for a roster spot.

Readers of the View From 111 will have the opportunity to do just that over the next few weeks. Mattias Ekholm has been blogging back to his home town newspaper, Dalarnas Tidningar, about his life in the NHL. He and the Predators have graciously agreed to share the blog with me to provide a glimpse into the life of an NHL hopeful.

A special stick tap goes to my friend Patricia Blair, a major league Predators fan, who translated the blog for me. Her translations are faithful to Mattias' native language, but as one can imagine, there is some disjointedness as the language switches from Swedish to English. Nevertheless, Patricia has done a marvelous job of getting the sense of what Mattias is trying to convey. As you look at these entries, I have used editorial license to excerpt the most relevant parts of what Mattias has to say. The excerpts are verbatim from the translation of his blog. 

So you want to travel across the globe and play in the NHL at age 21? Let's find out what that is like. In this segment, we are going to view the blog entries from Mattias that begin with his departure from home until the start of rookie camp.

9/3/2011

My name is Mattias Ekholm. I am 21. And I live with my girlfriend Amanda (floorball player for IBF Falun). I live in Gävle, for now. However, in three days, I will go to the US and the “Country Music City”, Nashville. (Good music) There I will (try to) take a spot with the NHL team, the Nashville Predators. A little American self-confidence we get there, also!

That is, well, all you need to know about me for now, you will probably come to get a clearer picture as the blogging goes forward. So, here in the blog through short summaries, you will follow my daily life as an ice hockey player in the US, get a little peek at how different it can be to play at home in “secure” Mora compared to fighting for a spot on an NHL team. Believe me when I say the difference can be enormous sometimes, even if, in the end, it is only hockey.



So, I hope now you will follow my exploits “over there” and I will try to share a number of days. (Depending on internet availability) The plane leaves early Monday morning, 9:15, so, I have a little time today to pack my suitcase! I am thankful for all possible comments/views/critiques you have, so we see that this becomes a success or two!

9/4/2011

We begin the last day in Sweden for an unknown time with a double entry. I don’t really know how the possibilities look for an update tomorrow, but I will do my best. The bags are 95% packed, it feels good, I don’t believe I could have forgotten anything, in fact! Anyway, I should be able to buy most things in the States, I hope! So now, I think I will search for the bed, since we have an early morning in front of us! And sign out from, presumably, the last entry on Swedish soil!

9/6/2011

Arrived at last! Hampton Inn and Suites is the name of my home for the upcoming weeks (months?). Cool surprise that they have renovated the hotel, lived here every summer camp and much fresher looking than usual! But otherwise no big surprises, so far! The trip, all things considered, went well, no delays, little boring, but my Playstation portable is a very good pastime up in the air!



Met by a prolonged cloudburst here in Nashville, evidently there will be some “storm” which wrecks havoc nearby. Hope we avoid it! The weather should be around 30 degrees C and sunny this time of year, must have a little patience it appears . . .


Otherwise, since arriving, I have only settled in my room, gone out and eaten a little lunch and now lie in bed and watch some old golf film on TV! Not so much to report on. It will be nice to go on the ice tomorrow. The first time in 4 days (begin to feel it in the legs). Then we will see what happens tomorrow, perhaps a little movie if the rainy weather continues! Now, I shall at last go to sleep.


9/7/2011


The day begins dealing with being awake by 6, stupid jet lag (good word choice?) and the clock rings first at 8 . . . Then down to the rink for a little practice. Little by little, scratched together 3 hours! First, one hour in the gym and then two on ice! Very nice to be back on the ice again, feels surprisingly good today, I must say! Must see to it that it stays that way. Was fairly calm with some drills the first hour, then match play the last hour! Light new sticks and other equipment felt good. So, we have a positive feeling, so far!



Then my “buddies” and I spent the afternoon at a shopping mall here in the neighborhood, very pleasant! We also went to the movies and saw a fairly strange but entertaining film named, “Shark Night”. Worth seeing, a little “The Shark” series feel about it. I give it 3.5 on a 5 scale! Completely okay grade from me, usually I am stingy with 5. After the film we ate dinner at “The Cheesecake Factory”. Absolutely enormous restaurant. Really good food. I only had a salad. but it was really good! Little different size if you compare with Kaffetstugan in Mora, three times bigger at least! It’s just the way they live over here; everything should be as big as possible!




Sorrowful day 9/8/2011

I must devote a few lines of this entry to the terrible event in Russia today. One has difficulty to find words for what has happened. Especially, when I had the chance to meet and play with Stefan, as you certainly read everywhere, there are only positive words to describe his personality and nature. I cannot say that I was particularly close to him or such, but still, it is a huge sorrow. Rest in Peace Stefan Liv and all who were lost in the plane crash.



Today has been a day like all other days in the big view, began with morning practice (yeap, 3 hours today, again!) then lunch at a fine place that I forgot the name of, but it was good! I had some type of chicken and salad, a big difference from home! I don’t believe there are many restaurants in Sweden which would serve half a grilled chicken with a little salad, no rice/pasta/potatoes whatever! Here it is proteins one wants to eat! After this, most of the day was spent looking around on the net to follow the developments from the tragic event!

I must say that I am very thankful that we only needed to be here five days before camp begins, easy to become right long and tough days. Then with a half bad internet there is not too much to find on, I try to catch all the tv-series from home, in any case. Have watched a little Idol, Adam Live, Single mamma seeks, etc. Intend, in fact, to give the new series on 5, “Swedish Millionaires” a chance this evening, will come with a grade on it tomorrow!

Hotel boredom! 9/9/2011

Today has really been a day like many others. As usual, I wake two hours before the clock rings, (Yeap, jet lag sits in!) Breakfast and then down to the rink for the day’s practice! Little calmer today, as a matter of fact, real nice when you think about the big test the week has been! Little gym – 30 minutes, then on ice - one hour, ended with a little relaxed small team play - appreciate it!

I’m lucky that there are some really nice guys here to hang out with, think I will make a little, quick introduction of those who I spend the most time with! First we have a guy from Switzerland named Roman Josi and then we have two Canadians named Mike Latta and Taylor Beck. I have gotten to know them during the summer camps I have been to here. Terribly nice to have some who you already know well and don’t need to get to know everyone from scratch to have someone you can hang out with. I should probably say those three are my best buddies here, but about 10 guys live on one hall here in the hotel, so we do the most together. I will ask the boys if they will take a picture for tomorrow’s blog!

Speaking of tomorrow, the serious work starts for real tomorrow, no practice, but rookie camp starts with physicals and a group dinner. Real nice that it begins, finally, so we get to compete a little. The practices we have had here are clearly a tough tempo, but it never is really the same thing, in the physical play, for example. Then I believe we have practice on the weekend and early Monday we go to Florida for 2 matches! Not a bad place we must go to. It means a lot. Have heard that it will be a pretty scrubby ice hall, but it is only two matches, so it will probably work!

21 years of age and a stranger in a new town, trying to make an NHL roster. No pressure there, eh? What jumps out to me is his poise and calmness about the entire adventure.  The American personification of doing everything on a grand scale is picked up as he describes the Cheesecake Factory as "absolutely enormous" and "it's just the way they live over here".

It was amusing to see the Panthers practice ice called a "scrubby ice hall", as I'm sure the staff in Sunrise would beg to differ. Again, interesting perceptions from this young man as he makes the journey from his home to the States and tries to make the roster.

In the next installment, we will pick up his view of some of his rookie teammates and how he feels about his effort in rookie camp.

Predators Bounce the Blues 4-2

The Nashville Predators ran their record to 2-0 with their second consecutive road win over a division rival, topping the St. Louis Blues by a score of 4-2 at the ScottTrade Center.

The Predators relied on their usual formula- outstanding goaltending by Pekka Rinne; a tenacious defense; and opportunistic scoring.

Quickly emerging as an offensive force for the Predators is Craig Smith, who had a goal and an assist in this contest. Smith is playing relaxed and with confidence, and his game reflects those traits. Combined with David Legwand and Colin Wilson, Smith has contributed to a potent offensive line for the Predators.

Patrick Bergland opened the scoring for the Blues at 7:44 of the first with an even strength goal. The crowd for the Blues home opener was in full throat and once again, the Predators would need to swing momentum back to their side.

Enter Craig Smith.

With the Predators on a power play, Shea Weber blasted a shot that Jaroslav Halak could not handle. Smith, lurking around the net, used his quick hands to backhand the puck past Halak to tie the game at 1.

There was no scoring in the second period, but not for lack of effort, especially by the Blues. Rinne made numerous saves as the Blues outshot the Predators 10-4 in the period.

In the third period, David Legwand gave the Predators a 2-1 lead on what can best be described as a fluke goal. Legwand got the puck at the side of the net with the Predators on the power play. He attempted to slip the puck to Colin Wilson, who was driving the net. Instead, the puck caromed off the skate of Blues defenseman Nikita Nikitin and slid past Halak to make it 2-1.

Wait...the Predators tallied on a power play? For the second game in a row?

Taking a cue from the Predators, the Blues scored on the power play as Jason Arnott gathered in a rebound of a David Backes shot and wristed the puck past Rinne.

Tied at 2 and the crowd back in it, Kevin Klein answered for the Predators just 57 seconds later as he made a nice move at the blue line to avoid a defender and walked the puck in toward the face off circle. Klein let go a wrist shot that beat Halak to give the Predators a 3-2 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish.

Rinne continued to make great saves as the Blues peppered the predators net with shots. The downside of the Predators effort tonight was the number of shots they gave up to the Blues. For the game, the Predators were outshot 33-16. The tendency to go into an offensive shell and rely on Rinne to bail out this team will cause them problems as the season goes on.

David Legwand iced the game with 1:02 left in the contest as he potted an empty netter to give the Predators a 4-2 lead.

Take nothing away from the effort by the Predators. They hustled and were much better in the neutral zone.

They were also lucky, as the Blues did not cash in on some glorious chances. The Predators once again took too many penalties, but were blessed with a stellar PK. Sooner or later, those man advantages will bite them. Too many puck battles were lost.

This was a solid win, and it is good to get the first two wins of the season on the road against divisional opponents.

The Predators remain a work in progress. There are areas that must be improved. There are flashes of brilliance.

This is what you get with a very young team that is learning on the fly.

Predator fans should hang on for the ride.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. David Legwand

3. Craig Smith

Youth Is Served: Predators Best the BJ's 3-2

The first game of the NHL season always brings questions about a team, questions that are answered on the ice. For the Predators, this is a season of questions. Will the young forwards gel and be able to score. How will the young blue liners perform? Will this team have chemistry?

So many questions.

The Nashville Predators faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena to try to answer some of those questions.

Pekka Rinne, bouncing back from a touch of the flu, got the start for the Predators, while Steve Mason was in net for the BJ's. Both Rinne and Mason were looking at a lot of new faces in front of them,and for the Predators, a lot of those faces were awfully young. This was going to a baptism of fire for the new Predators.

After a scoreless first period that saw both teams generate some scoring chances, the Predators finally tallied on a power play opportunity (yes, you read that correctly!) as David Legwand fed the puck to Sergei Kostitsyn who walked in alone on Steve Mason. Mason was forced to focus solely on SK74, who at the last moment slipped a nice backhand pass to a pinching Ryan Suter, who buried the puck into the open net at 5:10 of the second period..

The BJ's would answer at 14:19 of the period as a Shot by Jeff Carter was not handled cleanly by Rinne and Vinny Prospal cleaned up the loose puck as he was crashing the net. As you can imagine, the tally set the Columbus crowd off into a frenzy.

It was going to be important for the Predators to turn the momentum back in their favor and take the crowd out of it. Someone would need to step up and answer for the Predators.

That answer would come just 1:37 later, and it would come from an unlikely but welcome source. Craig Smith notched his first NHL goal at 15:56 as Mason could not handle a shot from Shea Weber. Mason was sprawled in a snow angel thinking the puck was under him. The puck, however, was lying to the side of Mason, and Smith was flying around the net and able to knock in a backhand to give the Predators a 2-1 lead. That would be all the scoring for the remainder of the period.

A 2-1 lead is tenuous, and it was going to be important for the Predators to continue to apply pressure and attempt to extend the lead. The Predators would do just that as Matt Halischuk would for a Columbus turnover in their own zone. Cal O'Reilly flipped the puck to Halischuk who was driving the net. Halischuk lifted a backhand past Mason to make it 3-1 Predators just 39 seconds into the third period.

The Jackets made it a 1 goal game again at 10:19 of the third period as the Predators failed to get the puck through the neutral zone and the Jackets made them pay as Rick Nash scored on a wrap around against Rinne. Throughout this contest, the Predators looked spotty with their neutral zone play, which has normally been a strength of this team.

The Predators killed off a Craig Smith penalty when the BJ's had momentum. Rinne made a huge save on Rick Nash. Craig Smith rang one off the pipe. The action in the late stages of the third period was going end to end.

The Predators stepped up the pressure and peppered Mason with shots. The Jackets did the same to Rinne, and both goalies were up to the task.

With the Predators nursing the one goal lead, the Jackets pulled Mason in the final minute. It was a wild scramble in the Predators goal crease in the final 10 seconds, but the Predators were able to hold off the BJ's offensive push and escape with a 3-2 win.

This was an important win for this team. It introduced a lot of young guys to the pace and the venom that comes in a regular season game against a division rival. Tonight, the young guys, and a few of the older ones, saw that it is the little things like winning face offs and puck battles that can turn the tide of a contest.

I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Craig Smith. The kid is fearless, not afraid to shoot the puck, and has a nose for the net.

In my mind, the jury is still out on the defensive pairing of Jack Hillen and Teemu Laakso. At times, they looked tentative and lacking confidence.

The Predators are the youngest team in the NHL. With youth, there is excitement but there is also mistakes. As Predator fans, we are going to have to live with these facts for a while this season.

We as fans will not lack for edge of our seat excitement.

My three stars:

1. Matt Halischuk

2. Craig Smith

3. Pekka Rinne

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...


Investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) testified at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that Medicare had been subsidizing drug abuse by recipients of the government program. According to the GAO testimony approximately 170,000 Medicare beneficiaries received drugs from 5 or more doctors. Want to guess what those drugs were? Oxycontin and Percocet, and the level of abuse was staggering. Some of the narcotics were for personal use. Most were sold on the street by the recipients. Compounding the problem was the fact that Medicare officials were slow to act and have still not fully addressed the problem. The GAO recommended that Dr. Donald Berwick, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services limit patients who have been identified as abusers to utilizing only one prescriber or pharmacy. The response to this seemingly legitimate and commonsensical recommendation? A decided reluctance to do so because it might jeopardize patient's access to health care. Sounds to me like their "access" to health care is just fine. Unfortunately, this is just another glaring example of the wastefulness and lack of oversight by these same bureaucrats that now want to to take over the entire health care system.

I was wondering if plumbers ever have pipe dreams?

Want to understand why our government can't live within its means and has grown to Brobdingnagian size? Here is an example. The Environmnetal Protection Agency (EPA) is wanting to implement new greenhouse gas regulations by its own self imposed deadline of 2016. This agency is pushing hard- REALLY hard- to get this done. Here is what you should know about this effort. The EPA has no specific authority to regulate greenhouse gases, even though it claims that mandate under the Clean Air Act. That is typical of most government bureaucracies in the overreaching of authority, but here is where it gets just silly. The EPA itself has said that their own greenhouse gas regulations are "absurd" in application and are "impossible to administer" by 2016. Doesn't matter to these bureaucrats. The EPA is asking for 230,000 NEW employees just to implement these "absurd" and "impossible to administer" rules. At a cost of $21 BILLION!. Friends, this is a microcosm of the problem that we have in Washington. Our government has become a morass of unaccountable bureaucracies that impact your life and your wallet with no accountability. Until that changes, it will be difficult to get spending at the federal level under control.

I have been reading abook about anti-gravity. It is impossible to put down.

We all love low prices, and many will vigorously shop for them in the things we buy. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, lower prices for many of the things we buy has been one of the benefits of globalization of the world's economies. What is a problem for the United States is that we have been slow to adapt to said global economy. Specifically, our schools have not kept  pace with the educational changes that are needed to turn out graduates well equipped to compete in a global environment; our companies and workforce, particularly in the manufacturing sector, were not prepared for the brutal economic competition that foreign competitors unleashed; and our corporate tax rates are some of the highest in the industrialized world, forcing many companies to off shore their operations. All of this has had an impact on our economy and our labor force, and while we have enjoyed lower prices for certain goods, there have been other costs associated with those low prices. To respond to the changing global environment, one would think that we would need to institute structural changes to address some of the factors that I just mentioned. The response from Washington? Proposed trade tariffs against China. Follow closely the debate over the bill in the Senate, which is called the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011. Tariffs will not work and could spark a trade war that will directly impact every consumer in this country as prices for many of the goods we use would rise dramatically.

Did you hear about the man who walked into a psychiatrist's office wearing only cellophane shorts. The Doctor said, "Well, I can clearly see you're nuts."

And that, my friends, is my view.

"If": The Predators Pre-Season Preview and Predictions

The pre-season games are over, the opening night roster has been set, and the puck is about to drop.

Yes, it's that glorious time of the year when the hockey season is about to get underway and the fans of all 30 teams are filled with hope and expectations for  a stellar season.

Predator Nation is no different, and the success of this franchise over the years since the lockout has only served to heighten expectations for the upcoming season.

So what can we expect?

I'm glad you asked that question, because it's time to take a look at the Predators and what they will bring to the ice and ask some realistic questions about where this team will finish the season. And any discussion of this version of the Predators centers around one word:

"If"

So as we begin our examination of the 2011 version of the Big Cats on Broadway, we will begin where it all starts for a Barry Trotz coached team, and that is in the net.

GOALTENDERS

The towering tandem of Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback will once again man the pipes for the Predators. Rinne is coming off a career best season, one that saw him named as a Vezina finalist and finish second in the voting for that award. At 6'5", Rinne presents an intimidating presence in the net to opposing shooters, giving them very little open areas for their shots. Remarkably, for a goalie his size, Rinne is cat-like quick in net and very athletic. He has been called upon to utilize all those skills to clean up the errors in the defensive zone, and he has done so with aplomb. Rinne was second among NHL netminders last season with a .930 Save % and was third in the League with a 2.12 GAA in 64 games. Rinne will be called upon to once again post those kinds of numbers if the Predators are to have another playoff appearance in their future as he will have a young defense corps in front of him (More on that in a moment).

Lindback appeared in 22 regular season games for the Predators, posting and 11-5-2 record with a .915 Save % and a 2.6 GAA. Lindy proved he could handle the pressure when Rinne was lost to an early season knee injury and made seven consecutive starts, posting a 6-01 record..

This is a contract year for Rinne, and I would expect the Predators to attempt to get him under a new contract before the season gets too far along.

Once again, Rinne will be a workhorse for the Predators, especially if he is healthy. I would look for Lindback to get around 15 starts this season, and most of those will come before the All-Star break, as Rinne seems to thrive on the pressure and the workload during the stretch run to the playoffs. It will be critical that Lindback give the team quality starts when he has the opportunity.

DEFENSE

Any discussion of the Predators defense always begins with Shea Weber, and rightfully so. The Norris Trophy finalist and runner up in the voting tied for fourth among NHL defensmen last season in goals with 16 and 10th in points with 48. The Captain brings a booming shot and a snarling physical presence to the ice and sets the tempo for the team with his play.

Much of the talk about Weber this off season centered around his contract negotiations and their break down. Weber was awarded a one year contract in arbitration for $7.5 million, and while I don't believe this has affected his relationship with the team or his mates in the locker room, it still looms in the background. As the season rolls on, this will become an even greater factor for the team. The hope is that this issue gets resolved well before the trade deadline and does not become a distraction for the team. The question is will GM David Poile get a deal done before the trade deadline, or, if not, would he consider trading Weber for other assets.

Ryan Suter is the other stalwart on the blue line, and in my estimation, is just as valuable as Weber is to the success of this team. A smooth puck handler, Suter is very intelligent and possesses great hockey sense. He has gotten physically stronger and is a calming presence on the ice to his teammates.

This too is a contract year for Suter, and like Weber's situation, is one that will loom large over the team. The hope again is that this is resolved before the season gets too old.

For Predator fans, this is where it gets interesting. Gone from the blue line are Shane O'Brien (contract not renewed) and Frankie Buillon (concussion). In their place is relative newcomer Jonathan Blum and and 8 year veteran Kevin Klein manning the second defense pairing. Blum appeared in 23 regular season games for the Predators last season, scoring 3 goals and adding 5 assists and recording a +8. Blum proved me wrong, as I thought he was not going to be able to handle the physical rigors of regular shifts on the blue line, but he performed very well for the team. He will be called upon to handle an even bigger workload this season as well as matching up with more capable opposing forwards.

Klein has been the target of the ire of some of the fans over the past few seasons, often for defensive gaffes that have resulted in the puck winding up in the back of our net. Some of the criticism is justified; most was not. I think Klein is mentally getting more comfortable in his role as a physical defenseman and has the ability to continue to grow into a very solid NHL blue liner. For the success of the Predators, I certainly hope this is so.

The remaining defense corp will be comprised of Jack Hillen, signed in the off season from the Islanders, and rookies Teemu Laakso and Mattias Ekholm. Hillen is solid and will be steady on the third D pairing. Laakso is getting his opportunity to prove that he belongs -permanently- on an NHL roster and will be paired with Hillen. Ekholm is an intriguing and highly talented prospect from the Swedish Elite League. The 21 year old is 6' 4" and 204 pounds who skates well and has a good shot that he is not afraid to use.

There is talent on the blue line, but there is also considerable youth. Any injuries to Weber, Suter, or Klein, would leave a very young group of blue liners to take on a potent group of Western Conference forwards. I think this group is capable of performing at a high level, a playoff contending level, but it will be critical that the young guys elevate their game quickly.

The critical question for this group will be if they can develop quickly and provide a consistent level of play on the back end.

FORWARDS

For me as a fan of this team, this is where it gets interesting. Not to put any pressure on you guys, but if this team is going to make the playoffs and have a deep run, it will be dependent upon your play. Rinne is going to keep the team in games, but he has to have goal support. The defense is going to make some mistakes- they will continually improve as the season goes on- and they are going to have to have some goal support to take pressure off of that young group.

Sense a theme here?

Questions abound with this group.

Is Sergei Kostitsyn going to build on his success from last season? Will this be the year that Colin Wilson plays to his potential? Will Nick Spaling and Jordin Tootoo elevate their game to the next level? Can David Legwand and Marty Erat consistently contribute goals and points?

Like I said, questions abound.

Those questions not withstanding, I will tell you that I like this group of players. There is a talent level that allows the coaching staff to put four lines on the ice, and the third and fourth lines are talented and can do some damage offensively.  There is the energy and exuberance of youth that brings a creativity and jump to the ice, and that is certainly positive.

All that energy, exuberance, and creativity aside, however, this is a group that must produce, and produce consistently, for this team to have success.

New addition Niclas Bergfors provides some depth and hopefully will become this season's Sergei Kostitsyn. Zach Stortini adds muscle and energy to the fourth line.  Newcomer Craig Smith has the Predator faithful abuzz with his performance in rookie games and the pre-season. These newcomers are going to be asked to contribute right away, especially with the team opening the season without Mike Fisher, who continues to rehab from shoulder surgery.

 While the newcomers are going to have to contribute timely scoring, it is imperative that the veteran core step up their game.  If they do, this team can be potent offensively. If they do not... well, I hope Pekka and Anders take their vitamins and say their prayers every night before they go to bed.

THE PREDICTIONS

Never one to shy away from making a prediction or two, I will forecast the following:

The Predators will surprise people with their level of play and will finish seond in the Central Division. The final Division standings will be:

1. Detroit

2. Nashville

3. St. Louis

4. Chicago

5 Columbus.

As for the Western Conference, the Predators will finish 5th.

All of this- the success of the season and the final standings- hinges on one little word that carries so much possibility.

"If"

Predators Finalize Their Roster for Opening Night

The Nashville Predators have set their final roster for Thursday's opening night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators will begin the season with Mike Fisher and Fracis Buillon on injured reserve as they continue to recover from shoulder surgery and a concussion, respectively.

Here is the Press release from the team:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has assigned forward Kyle Wilson to the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, and placed defenseman Francis Bouillon and forward Mike Fisher on injured reserve, setting the team’s opening night roster at 23 players.


The Predators 23-man unit for the 2011-12 season opener on Friday night at Columbus (6 p.m. CT, FOX Sports Tennessee, 102.5 The Game) be 25 players – 15 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders. All 30 NHL teams must submit their 23-man opening night roster by 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Players by position currently with Nashville are as follows:


FORWARDS (15): Niclas Bergfors, Martin Erat, Mike Fisher, Blake Geoffrion, Matt Halischuk, Patric Hornqvist, Sergei Kostitsyn, David Legwand, Cal O'Reilly, Craig Smith, Jerred Smithson, Nick Spaling, Zack Stortini, Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson.


DEFENSEMEN (8): Teemu Laakso, Jonathon Blum, Francis Bouillon, Mattias Ekholm, Jack Hillen, Kevin Klein, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber


GOALTENDERS (2): Anders Lindback and Pekka Rinne.


The Nashville Predators closed out their eight-game preseason with a record of 7-1-0, culminating with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Games start counting on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8 with back-to-back road contests to open the 2011-12 regular season against Central Division foes Columbus and St. Louis
 
Additionally, here is GM David Poile's perspective on the recently completed camp:

“I think this training camp was possibly our best ever. I think we found out so much about so many players in our organization. Clearly, we have a lot depth on a very young roster, from top to bottom. I think what we accomplished in training camp was giving both the coaches and the players the confidence that over an 82-game schedule and the playoffs, that we may be starting with a roster with 20 players on the ice on Friday night, but we have 30 guys who can play for us. I think that bodes well for us, for the depth that you need to compete over the grueling 82-game regular season.”


“The decisions were difficult. The young defensemen all played really well. We are very confident that each and every one of them has considerable skill and talent that will allow them to have long and successful careers in the NHL. We think, as we start the season, that a lot of these players will get a chance to play based on their good play and injuries and other factors.”


“The thing that jumps out to you in comparing last year’s team to where we are today, we’re so much younger. Although we’ve kept our core together, which is very experienced, outside of that, we really have a lot of players that have not played many, if any, games in the NHL. The good news, I feel, coming out of this camp is we’re a team that is potentially going to be better in the second half of the season than we are in the first. The longer we can develop these younger players, I think the potential is very good for us to be a team that can certainly compete at a very high level this season.”


The Predators will be a young team going into the season, but a team that has the best overall talent they have had in quite some time. The measure of this team's success will be in blending the young talent with the veteran core and producing consistent reults throughout the season.

The first test starts Thursday.

Predators Finish the Pre-Season 7-1 With a 2-1 OT Win Over Carolina

Wow!

That is all that you can say after Craig Smith displayed an amazing amount of grit and determination to score the OT winner for the Predators with 10.3 seconds remaining to give the Predators a 2-1 win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

This was the final pre-season game for both teams, and the Predators showed a bit of the wear from playing the night before in Winnipeg, as the first period seemed a bit disjointed for the home team. The Predators also played this game without Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the blue line, which affected chemistry a bit on the back end but gave some of the young guys plenty of ice time.

Here are some thoughts after this contest tonight:

If you had to make a call between Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm making the final roster, I would go with Ekholm. Both of these players have good presence on the ice and good hockey sense. I give the edge to Ekholm because of his physical prowess. He is a big body- 6'4" and 204 pounds- that handles the puck well and makes good decisions with the puck. He is not afraid to shoot as evidenced by his 9 SOG in the contest. I think that his ability to match up with bigger forwards is the deciding factor for the coaching staff.

Patric Hornqvist is his usual agitating self, flying around the crease and creating havoc. Hornqvist tallied the tying goal on the power play in the third period. Hornqvist takes a beating, but there is no quit in his game, and his net presence is going to be critical for the Predators.

The player that has stood out to me in this pre-season has been Jordin Tootoo. His puck handling ability has gotten better, but more importantly, he is making good decisions on the ice both with and without the puck. He still has his ability to hit- witness the obliteration of Tuumo Ruutu at the Canes blue line- but he is picking his spots to bring the physical presence. His confidence with the puck is noticeable and his ability to handle the puck in traffic is much needed by this team.

The injury to Blake Geoffrion set him back. I think he starts the season in Milwaukee in an effort to get his game back to where it needs to be. Tonight, he was a non-factor.

Back to Craig Smith. His ability to handle the puck and his willingness to shoot are assets this team needs. I think he makes the roster, especially with Mike Fisher still recovering from his shoulder injury. Smith has a jump to his game that  I like, and in the overtime, he showed that he can carry his line. The experience, or lack thereof, at the NHL level are going to be limiting factors, but he has tremendous upside.

I liked the game from Kevin Klein. He has been much maligned, but pairing him with Jonathan Blum is good for him, and I believe that they will be a solid tandem for the Predators. Klein was often victimized by his former defense partner's mistakes ( I will leave it to the readers to guess who that was), and yes, he was not above making an egregious mistake at least once a game. I think this season will be a good one for Klein and Predator fans will see the emergence of a solid defenseman.

I liked the creativity of the forwards. Long time Predator fans can remember when we had a difficult time making a clean pass among the forwards. The group on the ice tonight made good passes and created chances and showed a good bit of creativity in the offensive zone. This will bring good results for this team if this continues throughout the season.

I like the game of Gabriel Bourque. He will start the year in Milwaukee, but this is a talented youngster that is strong on the puck and not afraid to be physical. Look for him to return to Nashville, especially if injuries mount during the season.

The final regular season roster will be set by the coaching staff this week. I think the forwards will be an easy decision for the coaching staff. The blue line will be interesting. Also worth watching is any moves that GM David Poile may make once the teams around the League trim their rosters.

The pre-season is the pre-season, and while it is nice to finish 7-1, the real work starts Thursday. The Predators are a team that can make some noise and are one that should be fun to watch.

I can't wait.