Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! Hope all of you have been doing very well and can kick back and enjoy yourself today.
I am working on a few stories for the start of the work week. I have my 2013-14 Regular Season Player Grades, a feature story on Taylor Beck, an Admirals story for our friends at Smashville 24/7 that will turn up on Monday, and I’m sure I will venture to a practice or two ahead of the Admirals home playoff games this coming weekend.
What’s that? You didn’t know the games were already scheduled? Fear not. I gotcha:
Friday, Apr. 25 vs. Toronto: 7:00 pm CST
Saturday, Apr. 26 vs. Toronto: 7:00 pm CST
Thursday, May 1 @ Toronto: 6:00 pm CST
Saturday, May 3 @ Toronto: 2:00 pm CST
Sunday, May 4 @ Toronto: 2:00 pm CST
The opening round is of course split as such: two games – three games. It is up to the top seeded team to determine whether they would like to start at home for two games or finish the best-of-five at home for three games. Typically, quite possibly every time, the top seed chooses the final three. That’s was announced as the case last night. Games in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday. Games in Toronto next week Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The final two games are, of course, if necessary.
What I would like to ask you all for a “Question of the Day” is what do you feel was the best of the best this season? What was the best goal, play, game, moment, or story that you think came up during the Admirals 2013-14 season?
For me, there are plenty of things that come to mind: Scott Darling or Vinny Saponari’s surprise performances this season, Colton Sissons and Miikka Salomaki’s fantastic rookie campaigns, Mark Van Guilder’s first career NHL call up and game, and much much more.
Admirals Roundtable 
On a side note, the Predators made a trade yesterday for Jaynen Rissling, a 20 year old, 6’4″ 204 pound defenseman. I wonder if we’re going to see a whole new set of defenseman next year… it seems like the Preds have an overabundance of d-men in the system again… I believe (and someone correct me here if I’m wrong) we have the following situations after this year:
Restricted free-agents after this year:
Joonas Jarvinen
Anthony Bitetto
Charles-Oliver Roussel
Scott Valentine
Unrestricted free-agents after this year:
Bryan Rodney
Joe Piskula
“New guys”
Jayson Rissling
Jonathan Diaby
Mikko Vainonen
Garrett Noonan
Cinci Guys:
Taylor Aronson
Other Guys (not sure playing situation of these)
Simon Fernholm
Teemu Kivihalme (playing College next year)
AHL Contract:
Scott Ford (not sure what his contract situation is)
I think you are right about the d – men. I do think we will see Ford and Valentine in Milwaukee again. .. both on AHL contracts. I think Rodney and Piskula will be just as they are this year, on NHL two – way contacts playing almost exclusively in the AHL, but with different teams. The Preds don’t have room to keep so many d – men in the system without expecting that they will be developing to play up some day. Unless they make some trades that is. I don’t see many of those worth contacts up that they will be signed again.
It is going to be an interesting summer I think, especially once they sign a new coach as I’m sure he will have some input.
I think there’s a good chance they bring Piskula back. He has been very dependable, and when you hear Coach talk about the leadership in the locker room, he’s just as big a part of it as Fordo is. I’d expect Fordo to be back to. But yeah, after that? LOTS of guys to choose from. Lots of restricted free agents. Lots of young guys. You can add Gotovets to the list too….from what I hear, the coaches thought highly of him while he was here. So…we need to officially figure out who owns his rights….
It’ll be interesting to see which RFA’s get offered a contract. I expect some fan favorites to not be asked back. Such is life in the AHL.
Fan in the Falls – CapGeek.com says Valentine is an RFA this year… he has a two-way NHL/AHL contract, not just an AHL deal.
I meant I don’t expect Valentine to be signed by any NHL team next year. This is the last year of his contract. I hope the Preds bring Piskula back. I agree with Ryan that the fan favorite thing won’t have much play in regards to who gets brought back next year.