As the Nashville Predators tumble down the standings, we look down to the AHL to see which players deserve a shot at gaining some NHL experience from the Milwaukee Admirals.
With a fire sale on the horizon there could be a few spots opening up in the roster. With that in mind, we're looking closely at these few players who have shown out early in the season with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Ryan Ufko
Ufko got the nod for a one off debut last season, and was impressive in his first full AHL season. This year he's turned it way up. Last season's 30 points in 72 games was nice, but this year he's put up 13 (4 goals and 9 assists) in just 12 games.
He's clearly figured out how to score consistently at the AHL level. He's on the plus side of the +/- chart, and all signs point to him continuing to score. His size (5'10" 182 pounds) might be the only thing holding him back from having been called up already.
Reid Schaefer
A former 1st round pick, Schaefer's ascension stalled last year due to an early season injury. This year through 12 games he's managed 9 points (1 goal 8 assists) and has spent 31 minutes in the penalty box. To compare with last season's 19 games, he had 14 points, so he's ahead of that pace despite lagging in the goal scoring department.
He's off the snide now though, and he's got serious NHL size. At 6'4" and 225 pounds he adds serious punch to the lineup. He'd be one of only 3 forwards over 6'1" and the 2nd heaviest. He casts an intimidating shadow, and with Cole Smith and Zachary L'Heureux both out longer term, it might be the perfect time to call him up.
Cole O'Hara
After lighting up Hockey East with UMass-Amherst, Cole O'Hara already looks comfortable at the pro level in his first full season. Riding with Jake Lucchini and Reid Schaefer on the Admirals first line, and has been productive through his first 8 games. He's put up 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) and had some impressive moments already.
That's a sweet dish from the rookie, who clearly is carrying his confidence at the pro level. He's only played 10 pro games total, so giving O'Hara a little more time will be fine, but if he keeps up his pace, then giving him some games towards the end of the year is a serious possibility.
Matthew Murray
After being unable to make any headway in the goaltending logjam in Dallas, Matthew Murray is finding serious is success with Milwaukee, and really deserves an NHL look.
So far this season, he hasn't lost in regulation, boasting a 5-0-2 record with a 1.96 Goals Against Average, and a .931% Save Percentage. He has a shutout as well, and is following up last year's 28 win , 2.07 GAA, .932 SV% proving it wasn't a fluke.
Should there be a goalie injury, especially to Saros, Murray will be up and playing. If Annunen goes down then he might sneak his way into a few starts, but Murray has more than earned a chance.
If there is anyone else you're really interested in seeing from the AHL squad let us know!