Nashville Predators: Dust Settling Out West

Three games into their longest trip of the 2022-23 season (8,495 miles) the Nashville Predators have seen a lot of change. They’ve also seen some of their veteran faces traded away too.

Longtime Predator Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Jeannot & Mikael Granlund were all dealt to new teams before the NHL Trade Deadline last Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.

In lieu of the lineup shifting the Nashville Predators also had a rookie make his debut right before the most current road trip. Luke Evangelista has now played in four games and leads the Predators in scoring while away from Nashville with three points.

Evangelista scored his first two games in Vancouver on Tuesday night. Nashville was down 3-1 before the young gun took over the contest. He put home a rebound versus Arturs Silovs and tipped in a puck from a shot Tyson Barrie put on the net from the blue line.

“I like how he doesn’t shy away,” Head Coach John Hynes said. “That was a big moment for him.”

The 21-year-old forward has a knack for being in position as well. During his debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he filled in for Roman Josi on the point during a breakout as the captain was on the forecheck. Evangelista started the offensive surge from behind the Nashville blueline and he wound up in position for a shot if a pass came his way.

Before being called up to the Nashville Predators Evangelista had 12 multi-point games with the Milwaukee Admirals this season. He’s also had 18 points in 19 games in the AHL since the 2023 calendar year started.

“There hasn’t been a lull in his game,” Admirals play-by-play voice Aaron Sims said. “It’s remarkable because you usually hit a wall. Normally when you see these guys just out of college or juniors the dog days are now. Luke hasn’t had that really this year. Now with this boost to his ego of getting called up and getting the chance to play in the NHL, he’s going to be running on adrenaline until three years from now.”

His work isn’t going unnoticed by a seasoned veteran in the locker room as well.

“Callups from Milwaukee and young guys like Evangelista. Can’t say enough about those guys & they’re a big reason why we’re still in the mix here,” forward Colton Sissons said on 102.5 The Game Wednesday.

“I was just trying to earn it each game at a time & I was able to get one tonight,” Evangelista said after facing Vancouver. “It was a huge adrenaline rush when I scored that second one.”

Nashville does still find itself on the outside looking in on the Winnipeg Jets who are six points ahead in the Wild Card race. A closer race is between the Predators and Calgary Flames who are separated by two points.

Winnipeg is 2-6-2 in their last 10 games while the Flames are 4-4-2. Nashville is 6-3-1 in their last 10 and if they win the remaining games on the road they could find themselves with 75 points coming back into Nashville.

“We’re not talking about anything different to be quite honest. We know exactly how we want to approach the game and the style of play we need to have to have success to get wins,” Sissons said. “Hynes does a great job of keeping us dialed in & keeping our minds right & staying in the hunt here. We’ve had so many different guys step up here for us lately.”

The Nashville Predators have also gone the last 11 games without Filip Forsberg and posted a 7-4-1 record. Forward Juuso Parssinen has also missed the last 5 games after going down in San Jose on Feb. 23 in the first period.

Defenseman Alexandre Carrier has missed the last two games as well after taking a puck to his upper body against the Florida Panthers to start the road trip.

Tonight may feature a lineup with either player back in the lineup in Arizona. Forsberg has been practicing with the team but has done so in a non-contact jersey.

In the meantime, the Predators have featured players like Evangelista,  John Leonard, Mark Jankowski, Kole Sherwood, Cal Foote, Michael McCarron, and Rasmus Asplund in their lineup on the road trip.

Nashville’s trip will conclude with a stop in Arizona tonight and travel to California over the weekend and face off against the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks.