Nashville Predators: Rocco Grimaldi is Pleading His Case
By Kyle Gray
Injuries forced the Nashville Predators to call up players sooner than expected. One is making a case for staying long-term.
With a number of Nashville Predators returning from injury, roster spots are being claimed by their original owner. The team’s depth has kept them alive and breathing and maintained their status as one of the NHL’s best. You hate to see a player sent down to the minors or be a healthy scratch when you’re used to seeing them in the lineup. But there is one player who is pleading his case to stick around.
That would be Rocco Grimaldi. Many of you agree, according to our Twitter poll.
With Filip Forsberg on the verge of returning, the #Preds must make a roster move. The question is, who goes? Grimaldi, Rialdo, and Gaudreau are all on two-way contracts. Who does the team send to Milwaukee?
— Predlines (@PredlinesNSH) January 7, 2019
An article about Rocco would be remiss if his height wasn’t mentioned. At 5’6, he is the shortest player in the NHL right now. He makes Viktor Arvidsson look tall. Height aside, though, Grimaldi is quickly becoming a force of the Nashville Predators bottom-six.
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Signed on July 1, 2018, Rocco Grimaldi started the year in Milwaukee. In 10 games, he recorded 4 multi-point games for a total of 4 goals and 7 assists. And that was the last Milwaukee saw of him.
Slow Buildup
Rocco had a fairly quiet start after he was called up to the Nashville Predators. He scored his first goal with the Preds in his sixth game, a 5-4 loss to San Jose. While he sported great on-ice percentages (60.6 CF% and SF%), he just wasn’t finding the stat sheet. The wheels really didn’t start turning until the New Year.
In what will always be remembered as the “Mom Game”, the matinee tilt against Washington on New Year’s Eve, Rocco notched a goal and assist. This started a 4-game point streak in which he scored two goals and assisted on three. His hot start to the new year helped the Nashville Predators gain points in every game since the “Mom Game.”
But that’s not all. According to Natural Stat Trick, since that game on 12/31/18, Rocco Grimaldi is top-5 in points, iSCF, and iHDCF. If you remove Filip Forsberg‘s only game from the equation, Grimaldi leads the team in on-ice CF, FF, and SCF%.
#PekkaForVezinaPartDeux. dark. Next
The slow start to Rocco’s season has quickly paid dividends. He seized his opportunity as the team experienced adversity. With eventual roster decisions to be made as the Predators return to full health, one thing is certain: Rocco Grimaldi needs to stay put.