It was perfect timing for fans of the Nashville Predators to get introduced to a team within the organization that maybe they had never followed closely before, and that’s the Milwaukee Admirals.
Among the most diehard of Nashville Predators fans the Admirals have always been important to keep an eye on, but I suspect that numbers has multiplied significantly after the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs saw the Admirals get as far as they’ve been since 2006.
The Admirals lost in six games in the AHL Western Conference Finals to the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken affiliate) on Monday night, ending what has filled the hockey void for Smashville.
With the Nashville Predators missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014, hockey fans needed a team to turn to.
How easy it was to turn to a team that had many of the same players that were playing important minutes for the Predators down the stretch of 2022-23, a season that ended just three points shy of the final Western Conference playoff team, the Winnipeg Jets.
Admirals Filled the Void as the Nashville Predators Missed the Playoffs
Luke Evangelista led all playoff point scorers for the Admirals with 15 in 16 games. This caps off what was undoubtedly a successful first season in the professional ranks for Evangelista spanning across both the AHL and NHL and the back to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Another forward who really stood out and has a strong chance of getting a call-up to the NHL at some point next season for the Nashville Predators is Joakim Kemell.
Kemell, similar to Evangelista, was playing his first season in the AHL after playing two seasons in the Liiga hockey league in Finland. He had never played professionally in North America.
It’s fair to say that Kemell has quickly ascended as one of the top prospects in the Nashville Predators system behind Yaroslav Askarov.
Speaking of Askarov, it was a mixed bag of results for him in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He certainly wasn’t horrendous, but did end up getting pulled for Devin Cooley in the final series against Coachella Valley.
Despite some struggles in 12 games, Askarov still managed a respectable .903 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA. Nothing to scoff at by any means for once again, a player playing his first season in North America.
Askarov’s partner in net, Devin Cooley, came in for four games at the end and played very well. Cooley will now test the waters as he has proven he should be the primary starter elsewhere and not a backup.
Pretty cool to see Askarov reach out to his teammates and fellow netminder, and see other teammates like Kemell and Cole Schneider reach out as well on the post on Askarov’s Instagram. Shows how close the locker room is under Head Coach Karl Taylor.
And that brings us to Taylor, who many speculated could get the promotion to the head coaching duties for the Nashville Predators if and when John Hynes was fired.
Hynes was let go last week, but the team immediately hired Andrew Brunette as the fourth head coach in franchise history. Now the talks shift to could Taylor be in store for an assistant coaching job for the Predators on Brunette’s staff?
I’m not sure how much longer Taylor will remain in Milwaukee. He absolutely deserves a promotion to the NHL, so let’s see if it’s an internal promotion with the Nashville Predators.
Other players who stood out on the Admirals playoff run was Marc Del Gaizo who finished second on the team in points with 12. He’s a fourth round draft pick by the Predators from 2019 and has yet to make his NHL debut.
Here’s some other players who played a lot for the Nashville Predators to close out 2022-23 before being called back to the Admirals for the Calder Cup Playoffs:
- Kiefer Sherwood ( 11 points in 14 games, 47 shots, 2 GW Goals)
- Mark Jankowski ( 8 points in 15 games, 16 PIM, 20 shots)
- Philip Tomasino ( 9 points in 16 games, 27 shots, 3 Power Play assists)
- Spencer Stastney ( 6 points in 16 games, 8 shots)
Overall you have to be very pleased and optimistic following this playoff showing from the Admirals. Vital experience for these young players to get these extra games and prepare for trying to make the Nashville Predators roster in what should be a very competitive training camp.
In other minor league news, the Nashville Predators also announced they have a new ECHL affiliate as the Atlanta Gladiators have joined the organization.