The Nashville Predators reassigned centerman Fedor Svechkov to the Milwaukee Admirals Thursday, per Predators PR. Svechkov, 22, has scored two goals and seven assists in 49 games played with Nashville this season. He's currently on a 14-game pointless streak, with his last point being a goal in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues back in December.
The Russian forward recorded 17 points in 52 games in his rookie campaign last season, consisting of eight goals and nine assists. Since then, his numbers have drastically declined which has taken a toll on his icetime.
With the Olympic break coming up in a couple weeks, it's in Nashville's best interest to keep their youth busy by giving them more action, even when the league is shut down. Sending him down to the AHL is going to be a win-win situation for both Svechkov and the Predators.
Svechkov Will Garner More Ice Time in Milwaukee, Potentially Boosting Development
The Predators weren't in good shape last season. With a 30-44-8 record, Nashville sat firmly in the league's basement in 30th place. A quiet year for the team's top stars allowed younger pieces to shine and surprise many. One of these pieces was Svechkov.
The former 2021 first-round pick entered the season a month late after getting called up around Thanksgiving. Since his assignment, he stuck with the team for the majority of the season with the occasional AHL stint. Whenever he was in the AHL, he put up promising numbers. In the 13 games he played with Milwaukee last season, he scored five goals and assisted on seven.
Looking at his numbers today, they aren't as impressive as they once were. Fans expected a breakout year from the young forward but were shocked to instead see struggle. It took Svechkov nearly a month since opening night to find himself on the scoresheet with a secondary assist. He didn't score his first goal until eight games later.
The situation wasn't much different than the times he was in last season. Both squads struggled to find offense but yet, last year's Svechkov produced. The only difference that could have an impact on his game was a lineup change.
As it relates to Nashville sending Fedor Svechkov to the AHL. Here's what Milwaukee Admirals HC Karl Taylor had to say in a conversation we had about managing prospects.
— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) January 30, 2026
Story on #Preds managing their prospects
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Since the start of the season, General Manager Barry Trotz made it his goal to get his rookies out there in the field, especially Svechkov. He was the team's second line center for a lot of the first month and despite sharing the ice with the likes of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, Svechkov couldn't find support.
With the team looking to compete, Svechkov was eventually moved down to the third line where he stayed for a while. The bottom six was a tricky place for Nashville since it's full of grinders and young pieces trying to develop.
Considering Svechkov is still a developing player, the current shape of the roster isn't ideal, especially with the ways the top players have been performing. Ryan O'Reilly and Erik Haula have manned the top two center positions for a hot minute since their numbers began increasing. Their wingers like Filip Forsberg, Luke Evangelista, and Steven Stamkos haven't blundered either so eveything is becoming more narrow.
Svechkov isn't in the best position to be developing. Sending him to the AHL where he will play alongside guys like Joakim Kemell, David Edstrom, and Ryan Ufko will almost definitely boost his numbers. He hasn't gotten worse, but the same opportunities as last season just aren't there. Hopefully playing alongside star players will allow Svechkov to develop his skills for his next NHL stint.
Should Nashville Consider Reassigning Other Names to Milwaukee Soon?
The Olympic break will put a pause to the NHL for almost a whole month. With a third of the Predators roster consisting of younger, non-waiver qualifiable guys, Trotz should consider sending the most important youngsters down in need of development.
Much like Svechkov, players like Matthew Wood aren't the same. Wood began this season on a tear but since December, he's failed to find himself on the scoresheet. Per Puckpedia, Wood is exempt from waivers which means any AHL assignment as of now is safe for Nashville.
The break doesn't pause the minor leagues so now is a great time to capitalize on that idea. Wood will be surrounded by more offensive players and have the opportunity to get back to knowing what goal-scoring personally looks like.
Another player that should be considered but require a lot of decision-making is Ozzy Wiesblatt. He is eligible for waivers but sending him to the AHL could again provide an offensive advantage. He's played a crucial grinder role for the Predators, but depth scoring is needed. Getting Wiesblatt used to being a goalscorer might provide that offensive jump Nashville needs in their bottom six.