The first season of professional hockey for Colton Sissons just opened an extra chapter up before the AHL All Star pages are written. It’s just been announced that Sissons will be called up to join the Nashville Predators.
Congrats to @colton_es15 on his first career recall. He’ll meet the @PredsNHL in Winnipeg for tomorrow’s game. http://t.co/h8OgLJ7PB2
— KWilsonPreds (@KWilsonPreds) January 27, 2014
Upon his first career NHL call up, Sissons leads the Admirals with 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists). I might add, that is also a team-best for goals scored on the team – five more goals than the next closest Admirals (11, Beck and Salomaki).
From the opening games of the season in Abbotsford, where he scored his first professional point (an assist) and first professional goal on back-to-back nights, Sissons has been among the Admirals most consistent performers all season long. He plays with great maturity. He very rarely looks lost on the ice. And he plays in every scenario: power-play, penalty kill, the works. On Friday night, he provided the perfect highlight reel goal that Nashville fans can watch over-and-over to understand just what Sissons’ game is all about:
Shorthanded. Perfect position. Active stickwork. Speed. Skill. Finishing. He can pick his spots to deliver all his qualities at once but, when he does, that’s the type of play Sissons can deliver.
I also would like to do a call back to an interview I had with Mike Liambas earlier this month.
Liambas talks about Colton Sissons and predicts his NHL call up (1/10/14):
Atta boy, Mike. And an even bigger “atta boy” to Colton Sissons – en route to Winnipeg to join the Nashville Predators.
Thoughts on the call up? Surprised to see a first-timer get the call over Filip Forsberg? What does that say about Forsberg’s maturation process – will he be here for a while?
Admirals Roundtable 
This is fully deserved and dare I say that his days in Milwaukee might be numbered from this point forward. Sissons is a unique player in the fact that he can fit in just about any role you would place him in. He’s tenacious enough, and has enough size to be a checker, but also has enough of an offensive upside to play on a top-two line. Congratulations Colton on the well-deserved promotion and being a pleasure to talk with for my most recent feature: http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/home/news/2014/01/0122rookies.html
As far as Filip Forsberg, he has all of the talent to play at the next level, but his reputation of being “slow” seems to be showing through. Considering the disaster that Martin Erat’s been in Washington, this trade is starting to seem like a lose-lose, though its WAY too early to tell. The Admirals/Predators certainly miss Michael Latta, who’s been awesome with Hershey and ok with Washington. With Preds assistant G.M. Paul Fenton in the rink, the 19-year-old Forsberg looked uninspired in Sunday’s game, but I’m sure that had more to do with facing one of his first 3-in-3s. All the conditioning in the world can’t prepare you for playing in those stretches of games. I would say the jury is still out on Forsberg, but he has some development to do before sticking in the NHL long term. I hope he continues to improve and mature, because he sure has a tantilizing skill set ready for NHL hockey.
So with both Beck and Sissons called up who will replace them on the Milwaukee roster? Will Shalla be returned from Cincy?
Good for him. I have liked him all season. Thought he should have been called up before Beck. What do you think Watson is thinking? I know he’s a center but he seems a bit buried even further than last year. Gotta think Forsberg would be next up. I thought with Mueller leaving, Watson would be in a better position this year but he just keeps getting bypassed.
Jason , Are you kidding me regarding Filip Forsberg ? What games are you watching? Forsberg has the best skill-set on the Admiral’s he’s a 20 year old kid that needs some time in the AHL. He has great hands and outstanding puck-handling ability with a fast release. This is a WIN TRADE for Nashville. You can have Martin Erat nobody currently wants him.
Forsberg maturation process ???? What ?? He’s played 32 games in North America (17 NHL) (15 AHL) Ahh just a thought::: give a 19 year old a little time. WOW You guys.
Congrats to Colton Sissons on his NHL call-up well deserved excellent player great future.
Jim Zeirke: I think it’s a possibility. In his last two games Shalla has scored three goals. I keep saying it about him – the talent to do that damage is there he just needs to do it at the AHL level. He may well get the call up tomorrow or Thursday if at all. Cincinnati Cyclones have a two-in-two (road-home) starting Friday. He’d have to join up in Iowa before then.
Sioux62: Precisely the reason why I use the term maturation. He’s still incredibly young and needs time to develop other areas of his game (especially defense). I think most people forget how young he is and just expect him to explode at the next level already. A solid World Juniors doesn’t translate into instant NHL success. He’s with the Ads, with Beck and Sissons in the NHL, for a reason. The Preds want him to play top line minutes and develop – and he’s doing just that.
Sioux62, let me agree to disagree. I think Forsberg is a special talent and I still hold out a lot of hope in him becoming a special player in the National Hockey League. His puck skills are off the charts and at somepoint soon he should/will develop into a player that will dominate at the American Hockey League level, and likely head back up to the NHL.
But there are plenty of special talents that don’t make it in the NHL. Darren Haydar and Linus Klasen are two that I can think of without even thinking too hard, and there are many other examples. Both got raw deals, but I’m just saying that Forsberg has some development to do to be an NHL player night in and night out. And yes, he’s still only 19. No reason to rush to judgement quite yet, which I stated in my earlier post.
Griffin: I’m not sure Watson is entirely falling down the pecking order. If you look at his numbers, this year to last year, they’re not as good but he has also been asked to play with far more different line combos on a frequent basis. I think he’s fluttered around from being the player that he was last season, doing a little bit of everything, to being asked to play a more defensive role (which he will most likely perform in Nashville when given the opportunity). I think Sissons getting the call over Watson is a small pat on the back for Colton’s short but great body of work he’s put together. With several banged up bodies – why not give the youngster a view top-side?
Jason, I will certainly disagree with you . You lost me in your post when you wrote “this trade is starting to seem like a lose – lose”.. Are You kidding me ? Ask NHL scouts at the BC what they think of the trade. Also your analogy regarding Haydar and Klasen being special talents is a far far reach. Excellent AHL players , combined 27 NHL games played. They are not special , great hands and high hockey IQ they are also short and can’t play defense at the NHL level.
A better future comparison might be Scottie Upshall a high 1st round pick as was Forsberg.
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