"You say goodbye, and I say hello!" - The Beatles
The Nashville Predators filled a hole in defense after moving Nick Blankenburg to the Colorado Avalanche, sticking rookie righty Ryan Ufko into the mix. Ufko, 22, played a single game in the NHL at the end of last season. Even with little NHL experience going into the call-up, the kid looks like a natural.
Sure, it's a small sample size, but Ufko has showed everything there is to be known about his style and we need it. Four games in the big league, a goal, two assists, and a lot of confidence, Nashville desperately needs him in the lineup. The youth movement doesn't just apply to the forwards, defensemen are also in the talks, and that begins with Ufko.
Ufko is the Predators' next offensive defenseman
He took 20 shifts in his first game in the NHL, averaging just over 40 seconds per shift. He would get the same amount of shifts in his second call-up starting this season, but with less minutes. Despite that, he managed to pot his first NHL point by a secondary assist on Filip Forsberg's goal on the power play. In the past two games, his ice time has only decreased, yet his performance getting better, scoring his first goal off a beautiful move.
RYAN UFKO'S FIRST @NHL GOAL IS ONE TO REMEMBER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/kNtRntweme
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 11, 2026
This dangle alone made me come to the conclusion that Ufko should be a roster lock. It isn't every day that you see a rookie, especially a defenseman, swerve around not one, but two defenders and then go backhand-forehand to score on a skilled goalie. It only took him four games to get it done, and he basically did it all by himself. It takes some rookie forwards a few weeks to churn out their first tuck, but a defenseman beat them to it.
He isn't just scoring them, he's creating chances. As of writing this, Ufko is on the scoresheet once again. He dished it over to Roman Josi on the blueline who shot one towards Tyson Jost for the finisher. Ufko saw the captain open and made sure to capitalize.
The 6'0" Smithtown, N.Y. native has mainly showed promise in offense, but his defense is also there. One hit and a takeaway is what he has so far. With the ice time situation, that's a okay amount. However, he's an offensive guy at heart. He scored 11 goals and 44 points in 50 games with the Milwaukee Admirals this season, leading the team in assists and points. He finished last season with 30 points in 72 games, the 10th highest point total for the Ads.
He reminds me a lot of former Preds blueliner Ryan Ellis. He had 11 points in his 32 points with the club and at a shorter height, 5'10", he didn't let it get in his way. Ufko is the same way. He's a bit sneaky in a way. He'll slide past defenders in order to get a good shot in, or prime scoring chance lined up, his first goal being a great example. For a team looking to generate more offense, this is a good start.
Team should consider keeping him around heading into 2026-27 season
The Predators haven't had much luck finding their replacement for Josi once he retires. I'm not saying Ufko is the next Josi, but his future looks promising. We had Blankenburg, but we all know where that went. Alexandre Carrier looked nice, but timing wasn't. Dante Fabbro was shoved down the lineup and was never given a chance to develop. He's proven to be a key piece to the Blue Jackets. Good for him!
The retiring GM Barry Trotz cleared house to open up spots for his youngsters to perform, and it's working out just, maybe better, as expected. Future management will be given a team mixed with aging veterans and blooming youngsters, including Ufko. He'll be an important piece as he's shown both good play with the young and the vets.
He has one year left on his contract after this season, per Puckpedia. Ufko should be given every opportunity possible leading up to the contract's experation date. Tread some waters, try new things, test new strategies, Ufko will need more ice time to see more results. Nashville could benefit greatly by, per se, putting him on the first line with Josi, another offensive defenseman.
The Preds have 17 games left. Ufko should be in the team's top-four defensive pairs for at least half of them. Best-case scenario, he tallies five or six more points split between 5-on-5 and the man-advantage. His first point was on the power play so we know he can contribute there.
Let's give this latest addition enough fertilizer to grow into a top defender in the Music City.