Mark Jankowski: A
Yes, I’m going to go this far as to say the Jankowski offseason signing, which got virtually not attention, deserves an A.
Poile got a glue guy for a minimum price and Jankowski is providing some stability to the bottom six. If you watch him play, he’s making a difference. He hits hard, makes smart decisions on the puck and fits the Predators’ system.
Now, is Jankowski a franchise altering offseason pickup that will magically make the Nashville Predators a legit threat to the top tier teams in the West? Quite frankly, no. But, he gives this team a solid depth veteran player that many teams don’t have.
Jankowski has 11 games under his belt now for the Predators with three points, which seems weak but not when you consider he’s not in there for that reason necessarily. Play quality minutes, and don’t be a liability. He definitely is far from that.
I like keeping Jankowski in the starting lineup until the coaches feel a need or have confidence that Philip Tomasino is ready for NHL playing time again. Until that happens, it’s nice to have Jankowski in the picture. A pickup no one talked up about or even mentioned in the offseason.