Nashville Predators Puck Drop: 54 Days and Counting

Welcome to The Puck Drop, a weekly roundup of all things Nashville Predators. We look at news stories, social media posts, and everything else regarding YOUR NASHVILLE PREDATORS.

We are back this week as the dog days of summer roll continue. Excitement is beginning to build for the upcoming season. The puck will drop in Bridgestone Arena as the Predators’ season starts in two months.

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The Predators’ development camp just wrapped up, culminating in the Future Stars scrimmage that saw Team Gold defeat Team Blue by a score of 5-2.

It was exciting to see the Predators’ young prospects take the ice this year after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the last season’s development camp.

The big scorer for Team Gold was Zach Solow, who found the back of the net twice during the four-on-four game that featured two 25-minute halves.

Solow played 13 games for the Chicago Wolves last season in the AHL after the Milwaukee Admirals canceled their season.

Solow also played in nine games for the Predators’ ECHL affiliate, Florida Everblades, last season. He will resume his AHL career with the Admirals for this upcoming season.

Next on the Predators’ agenda will be the all-important training camp. Some of the players at the development camp, such as Egor Afanasyev and David Farrance, will be doing their best to impress the coaches and make their case for making the NHL roster.

The Predators will begin their preseason schedule on September 26, playing six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Then, finally, the season gets underway when Nashville takes on the newest NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken, on October 14.

Saros signs four-year deal with the Nashville Predators

The big news this week was the signing of Juuse Saros to a four-year deal worth $20M. Saros and the Predators signed this contract in the nick of time as an arbitration hearing had been set for August 18.

This deal is a great compromise for both parties involved. Saros received a significant pay raise while GM David Poile got the contract length that he wanted.

This is also great news for fans who may still be reeling from Pekka Rinne’s retirement announcement. This will be Saros’ first year without Rinne to coach and mentor him.

While it is sad that Rinne will not be with the team, it sounds like Saros is ready to take the baton and lead the Predators. It is now up to Saros to prove on the ice that he can be the franchise goaltender that the Predators need him to be.

Sights and sounds from Development Camp

From the looks of it, the Predators’ Development camp was a huge success this year. Most of the Predators’ top prospects were in Nashville for the week-long camp.

Players like Philip Tomasino, Egor Afanasyev, and David Farrance were in town to bond with the other prospects, get some crucial development time with coaches, and learn more about Nashville’s system.

Out of everyone at camp Tomasino is the most likely candidate to make the roster come October. His development has come a long way, and it appears that he is ready to take that next step to the NHL. Nashville’s training camp in September will be his best chance to show the coaches what he can do on the ice.

Happy birthday to you and your glorious mustache

On August 13, Filip Forsberg, still sporting his mustache of destiny, celebrated his 27th birthday.

Happy birthday, Fil. We can’t wait to see you on the ice this season.