Ryker Lee gearing up for another dominant season at Michigan State

The transition from junior to collegiate hockey is a big one, but Nashville Predators prospect Ryker Lee made that shift look easy.

"In the Big Ten, every game means so much, and they're so competitive, tight checking out a lot of space. So, you got to kind of find ways to create offense and help your team," Lee told local reporters at development camp, and from what he did at Michigan State last season, he certainly lived up to his words.

The 19-year-old right winger played 35 games with the Spartans, scoring 15 goals and recording 15 assists and finishing fourth on the team in points. Lee helped lead them to the Big Ten semifinals, and in the process, he scored an absolute beauty of a goal.

While the season may not have ended the way Lee wanted it to, he said that there was a lot to be proud of both individually and as a team.

"[I've improved] my pace with the puck, without the puck, forechecking physically, I've gotten a lot better," Lee said. "I'm really trying to work on my puck protection and being stronger on pucks down in the corners next year. It gets harder against college players and then moving on to the pros as well. That's something I'm working on."

"I think [the season] was really good. I mean, there was a lot of great moments we had throughout the year as a group. We were super close. I learned so much from the older guys, from our coaches, and I think I grew a lot in the gym, and it translated on the ice for sure. It didn't end the way we wanted to for sure, but I'm going back next year, so hopefully we can have a different result."

Lee is committed to playing with the Spartans this season, and with new roster additions, including Predators defensive prospect Tommy Bleyl, he couldn't be more excited to get back to the ice.

"We're going to have a great team—it'll be fun," Lee said. "College hockey is the best it's ever been, and it's a great time to be a part of it. You're playing against guys that are going to be playing in the NHL every night, so it's, I think, the best place to develop. I'm so grateful to be a part of it."

Entering his second year wearing the green and white, he is ready to become a leader on the team, something he never really got to do often before.

"I've always been the younger guy on my teams and moving up levels every year," he said. "Now to come back and be a returner is a huge opportunity for my development, and I'm going to try and be as good of a leader as I can."

Lee demonstrates excellence at Preds Dev Camp

"It's great to get here and see familiar faces from last year and get with all the staff and talk to them. They've been super helpful, it's been super fun," Lee said about returning for his second development camp.

The Predators held another successful development camp this summer, giving the young guys like Lee to hone their skills and prepare for a shot at the big leagues in the future.

"I think being able to learn from the coaches... being with all the guys, seeing them again, it's been awesome," he said. "Something [the coaches] harped on a lot was getting pucks back and winning puck battles, and I think going back for the rest of the summer, that's something I'm going to work on a lot because it's something that needs to grow in my game."

Lee didn't shy away from displaying flashes of his potential, and that clearly showed in one particular play in a shootout.

"Honestly, I wasn't planning on doing that," Lee chuckled when asked about it. "I saw LJ Mooney's [forward for Minnesota] move, and I wanted to try it. And then I ended up not liking what I saw, so I ended up going five hole, and it worked."

Having a year of camp under his belt gave him enough confidence to pull off moves like that. With the thrill of being drafted and arriving in Nashville for the first time in the past, Lee walked in with a sense of familiarity and preparedness.

"I started to feel more comfortable," he said about coming to camp, "it's nice with it being my second year. My first year, everything was kind of a whirlwind, and getting drafted, coming here is crazy. And now to be able to settle in, I felt great here."

"I think for me it's super easy [to mix practice and team chemistry]. I have so much fun showing up to the rink every day. There's no place I'd rather be. So, I'm just kind of having fun and trying to learn from guys and make new relationships with the guys here."

Lee understands that it will take time for him to make his NHL debut, but he's just happy where things are right now and is looking forward to what's in store down the road.

"I think this year I'm going to try and have as good of a year as I can, and if that means I'm going to have an opportunity to come play in Nashville, that'd be amazing. If not, that's what it is," he said. "I'm just going to try and do my best and worry about the next day... I know that I have a lot to work on in my game and cleaning it up to get to the pro level."

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow