The news has remained fairly slow to this point. That being said, there are two talking points that I would love to bring up.

~The Expiration Date of the BMO Harris Bradley Center~

As I’m certain all of you know by now, the Milwaukee Bucks are under new ownership and the NBA would very much like to see a brand new arena that is up to snuff with their league standards. This is a talking point that I have wanted to discuss for awhile but keep waiting for more details to come out eventually. So far though it has been fairly slow. It seems as if it’s a matter of time before an actual proposition comes out as to (1) where this new arena will be build (2) when it will be expected to be operational (3) and what impact it has on the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

I’ve heard plenty of rumblings in regard to the location for this new arena. Could it be placed near Miller Park? Lakefront? The Grand Avenue Mall location? …no seriously, tear down Grand Avenue Mall and put it there.

It’s a fascinating topic. One with major implications on far more than just the professional sports teams that are looking to inhabit it. I’m really curious to hear your takes on this issue. Where should this new arena be? What would be an ideal location for this venue in Milwaukee?

~Milwaukee Admirals Goaltending Battle~

When the Milwaukee Admirals signed Rob Madore a couple weeks back – I was through the roof. This was a goaltender who had a stunning playoff run within our system in Cincinnati of the ECHL (though, not under contract to us). He didn’t allow the likes of Magnus Hellberg playing alongside him at that level to throw him off. If anything – he flourished in the competition for the net. And that is precisely what you need system-wide. Competition.

I still very much see the goaltending cycle as follows: Marek Mazanec as the Admirals first choice, Hellberg as back-up, and Madore as the lead man for the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

What I will say about that lineup though is that it does have parallels to last season with Scott Darling waiting in the wings at the ECHL level. Darling was supposed to be at that level, worked hard, and made the most out of an opportunity through all the injuries at the goaltending position. Pekka Rinne, knock on wood, should see a whole lot more of the ice this season in Nashville. But you never know if Hellberg has a repeat of last season with injuries or if Mazanec gets dinged up along the way. Depth is great. Quality within that depth is even better. And that is precisely what Madore will be to the Admirals this season.

How do you see the Milwaukee Admirals goaltending panning out this season? If Rob Madore continues his playoff form – could he push one of the two properties of Nashville in net down to the ECHL?

Top of the mornin’ Roundtable. Let’s dig into our weekly column with something out of the rumor mill.

Simon Moser, who has yet to find an NHL or AHL contract, is possibly heading back home to Switzerland with SC Bern. A news story on Swiss Hockey News has a quote from the Olympian and former Predators property:

“It looks like, I will start the season with SC Bern. I have not given up hope that there will be a spot for me in the NHL, but at the moment the rosters are almost full and as I was told, they do not have enough confidence in me that I could start in the NHL right away.” ~Simon Moser

With the Nashville Predators stocking up on forwards this off-season a spot for Moser just isn’t feasible. His NHL competition in Nashville right now would be Gabriel Bourque, Taylor Beck, Rich Clune, and Calle Jarnkrok. Add to the prospects that are filling up in Milwaukee and you’re left without much choice but to say, “pass.” Especially when you go deeper into the thought process from both sides of the table.

The Predators did tender a qualifying offer to Moser. He would have made league minimum. Yet, according to this article on that front, the two seem to disagree with where Moser is at as a player:

“To probably play almost a whole season again in the AHL, I view as a step back, which is why I will surely start in Bern. I will see what is going to happen the next one or two months, maybe an opportunity will arise, but otherwise I am sure I will make progress here in Bern as well.” ~Simon Moser

The story goes on to say that he was told by Nashville that they think he will be an NHL player – but probably in one or two years. If that really is the case, I hope that Moser isn’t taking that as a personal jab at his playing ability as much as he should the current state of the Nashville system. There just isn’t a place for him right now.

I feel that Moser showed great spells of form last season. He was well-rounded on both sides of the puck and produced 26 points (8 goals, 18 assists) with the Admirals in 48 games. He missed time for the Olympics, NHL duty with the Predators where he recorded a goal and an assist, and he was also injured in the late stages of the AHL season.

There are a few ways to view this. (1) At 25-years old, do the Nashville Predators really see Moser’s ceiling getting any higher than what it was last year? (2) For Moser, would accepting league minimum for a two-way contract really hurt your chances of earning an NHL roster spot with an excellent showing at the AHL level? (3) Remember Daniel Bang? He was in this exact same situation one year ago and opted to join Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Similar player in my book. Potentially a similar outcome with both joining the NLA.

It’ll be worth keeping an eye on the Moser situation. I’d expect him to be joining SC Bern for the 2014-15 season, though. It’s all a matter of time.

Should Simon Moser remain in North America even if it means another season of AHL hockey? What is Moser’s ceiling? Is last season about as much as you would expect out of Moser and would Nashville be best off by not having him on-board?

The news front hasn’t exactly been as booming as it had been when David Poile made four-signings in one-day last Tuesday. That doesn’t mean we can’t keep chatting up what those moves mean for Nashville and Milwaukee, though.

The Predators have added James Neal (trade), Olli Jokinen (free agent), Mike Ribeiro (free agent), Derek Roy (free agent) during this off-season. The moves have not only made a solid impact on the team’s top two forward lines but also the trickle down effect that has on the entire system. According to Thomas Willis of Predlines, this is what a potential 2014-15 Nashville Predators forward line combination could look like:

James Neal-Mike Ribeiro-Craig Smith
Colin Wilson-Derek Roy-Olli Jokinen
Viktor Stalberg-Calle Jarnkrok-Matt Cullen
Eric Nystrom-Paul Gaustad-Gabriel Borque

I feel like that is a pretty safe bet. The talking point I heard a fair bit of when it came to the Ribeiro and Roy signings was the immediate impact it has on the likes of Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, Miikka Salomaki, Filip Forsberg, and Austin Watson. In my book, Calle makes the NHL roster over Colton to start the season. And the latter should all probably find themselves in Milwaukee barring outrageously good pre-season showings. Also, this shouldn’t be viewed as a set back for the young guns in any way shape or form.

Sissons made a great first impression with the Admirals as a 20-year old first-year pro: 62 games, 44 points (25 goals, 19 assists), 8 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus rating of -3. He also played a grand total of 17 games in the NHL while producing 4 goal (1 goal, 3 assists). If he has lost out on an NHL role for the Preds to start the season he instantly becomes the Admirals top-line center and will be tasked with playing a multitude of roles and different game situations. He will turn 21-years old in November. Sissons could still benefit from another year of AHL duty. In doing so, the Admirals will also benefit from his all-around services from the center position.

Salomaki and Forsberg are two of the young wingers that can make a push for NHL spots right now. If I had to pick which one is the more NHL ready prospect – I would side with Salomaki over Forsberg. Salomaki didn’t just lead the Admirals in scoring last season with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists). He also displayed a tremendous ability to make quick plays and play physically along the boards. Those are the types of abilities that would make him useful right now in Nashville on the lower-tier forward lines. Forsberg’s defensive abilities can still use some honing in upon and, as skilled as he is, he probably could use a full-season to display consistency on the offensive side of the puck. Filip, who will turn 20-years old in August, can show his brilliance in spurts. To see him lay it down game after game, think Jarnkrok last season after his acquisition from Detroit, is just what it takes to get to the NHL.

Another name that kicked up during discussions I’ve had or read with the Predators off-season is what it means for Mr. Watson. My answer? It is very important to remember where he finished last season. He was on a scoring binge and really found another gear in the latter stages of the regular season. Why? Because he was no longer playing center – he was playing on the wing. I project Watson, at best, to be a useful third or forth line winger that has that scoring touch you want from a lower-line forward but best of all a good defensive mind on his shoulders. He was too slow on the ice to maintain centering a line combination of himself with Salomaki and fellow Finn Joonas Rask last season. I think him moving on the wing allows him to better focus on the ice and move around a lot more freely. Watson’s focus this season should be to pick up where he left off and on being a solid winger in Milwaukee with a chance to get an NHL call up – something he never earned last season.

Lastly, I can’t help but applaud the Predators on signing guys such as Jokinen, Ribeiro, and Roy on one-year deals. They are all low-risk players with affordable contracts that can be dealt at the trade deadline should the Preds be sellers by then. They managed to cash in on Martin Erat and David Legwand for young prospects the previous two-seasons. Literally the worst case scenario from the free agent signings made by Poile is a venture back to the trade market that has produced for him Forsberg and Jarnkrok. It either works for this season with the veteran forwards or it works down the road with youth under head coach Peter Laviolette – something he tends to handle rather well.

Thoughts on the battle for NHL positions in Nashville? Is Calle Jarnkrok a lock or could we see him back in Milwaukee? Are there any other deserving players that should be under consideration by the Predators for NHL spots?

Top of the morning, Roundtable. All going well with your summer I trust? Excellent!

By now we’re all missing hockey a great deal. The good news? The Nashville Predators rookie development camp has came to fill the void. There were plenty of Milwaukee products at the camp. And it is all looking promising for future products of the Nashville system.

The camp started off with a scavenger hunt around Nashville a week ago. Making a splash in the social media circle was Marek Mazanec during the day. Having gotten to know him last season – it’s fun seeing him that little more loose and not overwhelmed by being in another country. He even was filmed for an interview and his English sounded really improved. Great to see for him!

FYI: Fairly certain Jonathan Diaby‘s troop won the scavenger hunt. I think they used his height to find things. Just a guess.

The real focus comes out of the scrimmage game that was held over the weekend on Saturday. It was all about the Scott Nichol Pigeon Cup! …as well as some feels about being back in the Bridgestone Arena.

There were some good notes for plenty of guys in the scrimmage game. Kristopher Martel of “The Predatorial” commented on the likes of Tommy Veilleux (note) and Jonathan Diaby (note). Robby Stanley of Smashville 24/7 made comment of the possible new goal song for the Preds (note) and a one-liner in regards to Filip Forsberg‘s game (note). Jeremy K. Gover of Section 303 has a story in regards to the musical change.  Max Gortz showed off some experienced grit by getting patched up on the bench and getting back on the ice – as quick as you like. Friend of the Roundtable Seth Lake also had a keen eye for Janne Juvonen rocking Admiral colored goalie gear during the game (note) – though it could have been his gear with the Lahden Pelicans sans advertisements. There was also the great sight of seeing Magnus Hellberg up to his old tricks as an interview bomber extraordinaire. Add that, as Mr. Lake mentioned in regards to tendy swag, Mag’s new custom Warrior goaltending gear in Admirals colors – which are a 10/10 in my book.

The game capped off with some absolute gems by Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala in the shootout:

Just to point at the obvious, how about the 17-year old Fiala pulling a Forsberg move on Mazanec? Pretty filthy stuff from the Preds first round pick in this year’s NHL Draft.

All in all, another real fun rookie development camp held in Nashville. If you follow enough of these prospects on Twitter you’ll see how many truly do enjoy being in the Nashville system: Sissons, Diaby, Stephan, and Leipsic to name a few. Great to see. And it’ll be great seeing plenty of the names that circulated throughout this year’s camp trickle through Milwaukee this year or the years ahead.

If you haven’t already, I suggest giving a look at the Nashville Predators website and watching all their 2014 Development Camp player interviews. It’s good stuff.

What player excites you the most out of the upcoming prospects in the Nashville Predators system? Who do you feel could make an instant impact in Nashville this season at the NHL level? Who should make the biggest impact for the Milwaukee Admirals?

Firstly, I would like to thank Jason Karnosky for his work keeping the Roundtable rolling as I ventured out to California on vacation the past two weeks. I had a blast out there. And I also managed to keep an eye out during the NHL Draft and Free Agent Frenzy days whilst out there thanks to the likes of Jason and our friends of the Nashville media on Twitter. Cheers for all of you guys keeping me in tune even whilst in R&R mode!

~Nashville’s 2014 NHL Draft Selections~

Despite some speculation coming into the NHL Draft over whether or not Nashville would move from the eleventh overall selection – things appeared to go right to plan the way the Predators’ draft unfolded. In fact, SB Nation gave their Draft grade an A+ for the selections and acquisition of James Neal. While the Neal trade is a discussion all its own – let’s keep the Draft focus where it belongs with the newly selected prospects of the Nashville Predators.

Kevin Fiala (LW/RW), 1st Round (11th Overall)
Vladislav Kamenev (C/LW), 2nd Round (42nd Overall)
Jack Dougherty (D), 2nd Round (51st Overall)
Justin Kirkland (LW/RW), 3rd Round (62nd Overall)
Viktor Arvidsson (LW/RW), 4th Round (112th Overall)
Joonas Lyytinen (D), 5th Round (132nd Overall)
Aaron Irving (D), 6th Round (162nd Overall)

I know exactly what you are thinking. How exciting is it to get a Finnish player named Joonas back into the system? Right? Only me? I digress. Anywho, the thing to really look at with this 2014 Draft Class for the Predators is that four of the first five selections were forwards. I think it provides some insight into the future of a Peter Laviolette led team when you consider what he is stepping into.

Last year’s NHL Draft really didn’t provide much in the way of an impact forward. The 2012 Draft prior to that – we’ll see in-person plenty of what that class has to offer when Pontus Aberg and Brendan Leipsic hit Milwaukee later this year. Max Gortz, of the same draft class, is expected to play with Frolunda of the SHL for the 2014-15 season. Yet, of the past two-years in the Draft, only Colton Sissons has made an NHL impact of some sort for the Predators and I feel that goes into the decision making behind drafting forwards early and often in the recent NHL Draft for the Predators.

What will be worth looking into for the new Draft Class is its age. Only two of the seven newly drafted players were born prior to 1996. The oldest of the class is the Swedish winger Arvidsson who is 21-years old. The next oldest player: Finnish defenseman Lyytinen at 19-years old. The rest are 18-years old or younger. When you think about this Draft Class and any potential ETA to the NHL – you may want to wait a tick.

The top two of the class, Fiala and Kamenev, are both European products who look set for another tenure of hockey overseas. Fiala split last season between the professional and Junior-20 teams of the SHL’s HV71. Kamenev played last season with the KHL team that drafted him in 2013, Metallurg Magnitogorsk. In addition to getting drafted in the KHL and NHL – it is worth noting that Kamenev was also selected second-overall by the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL in the 2013 CHL Import Draft.

I strongly expect both to put in more time outside of the system prior to making their professional North American debuts. We’ve seen a perfect example of the Predators developing players this way over the years with Aberg, Gortz, as well as Miikka Salomaki and Joonas Rask. It’s all a matter of the rate of development as to when we see the likes of Fiala or Kamenev make the leap in my eyes. It could be one-season. It could be two-seasons. The fact that the Predators are starting to stock up on young forward talent though is what makes me the most excited about the entire draft process this season.

~The Real Deal James Neal~

Those that know me understand that I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. So it came to my shock to see my two favorite teams pull off a massive trade on draft day. James Neal has been a revelation playing alongside Evgeni Malkin since the Penguins first acquired him from the Dallas Stars (in a trade that also saw them gain Matt Niskanen for Alex Goligoski… geez did Dallas get hosed). Neal has produced 20-or-more goals in every single season of his NHL playing career. In 2011-12 he scored 81 points (40 goals, 41 assists) in 80 games. Since, he has cooled off somewhat but cooling off while scoring 20+ goals a season still sounds mouthwatering when you think about the Predators offense over the last few years.

The top goal scorers for the Predators: 2013-14, Craig Smith – 24 goals… 2012-13, David Legwand – 12 goals… 2011-12, Patric Hornqvist – 27 goals… 2010-11, Sergei Kostitsyn – 23 goals… 2009-10, Patric Hornqvist – 30 goals… 2008-09, Jason Arnott – 33 goals… 2007-08, J.P. Dumont – 29 goals…

It has been tough sledding in the offensive department. It really always has been. Enter the Laviolette era and the hopes to combine the great defensive core of the Predators with some offense. Neal, whether you wag the finger at Malkin or not, provides the Predators with goal scoring numbers and ability that they have lacked for years.

The real question you may end up asking is: was it worth losing the skill of Hornqvist and all-around ability of Nick Spaling to gain Neal’s services? In my book, as a fan of both teams involved in this specific trade, absolutely. Neal will give Nashville its proven goal scorer. Hornqvist and Spaling finally give Pittsburgh depth on the wing.

~Free Agency~

The talks of Predators GM David Poile going into free agency were that of signing a top-line center. All of those on came and went. What he ended up getting is Mr. Waffles himself, Olli Jokinen. Perhaps not what you would have hoped for with someone like Paul Stastny on the market but I feel it adds a proven, durable, and experienced player into the Predators system that should really fit well. Also, if someone can inform him of the nearest McDonald’s it may come in handy. Read more on the Jokinen signing via the Roundtable’s post on July 2.

It would seem the next approach for Poile and the Preds would be to look elsewhere for a center via trade. The name that has been floating around quite often has been Vincent Lecavalier. His contract is ridiculous and, at 34-years of age and counting, I question whether his best days are well behind him. Other options could include free agent Derek Roy or possibly trading for Joe Thornton.

Looking at next year’s free agent class also can provide small hints of who is a possible trade asset that may be available if a deal is right: David Krejci, Carl Soderberg, and Vladimir Sobotka. It isn’t the greatest market right now. Combine that with the crazy spending that went down during day-one of free agency and it leaves lots of questions for Poile as to getting the pieces needed for a playoff contending team with so many strong Western Conference teams getting stronger this off-season. Sit and wait mode might not be the worst place to be from Nashville’s perspective.

~Admiral Free Agent Updater~

It has been awhile since we’ve taken a look into who went where out of Milwaukee Admirals camp. Here is the update on the latest:

Taylor Beck – RFA
Anthony Bitetto – RFA
Paul Crowder – UFA
Scott Darling – Rockford IceHogs – (1-Year; NHL Two-Way Contract)
Scott Ford – UFA
Joonas Jarvinen – Sochinskiye Leopardy – (Full Details Unknown; KHL)
Mike Liambas – Milwaukee Admirals – (1-Year; AHL Contract)
Simon Moser – RFA
Joe Pendenza – Milwaukee Admirals – (1-Year; AHL Contract)
Braden Pimm – UFA
Joe Piskula – Nashville Predators – (1-Year; NHL Two-Way Contract)
Joonas Rask – HIFK – (1-Year Contract; Finland)
Bryan Rodney – UFA
Charles-Olivier Roussel – UFA
Vinny Saponari – UFA
Mathieu Tousignant – Adirondack Flames (1-Year; AHL contract)
Scott Valentine – RFA
Francis Wathier – UFA

What are you thoughts on the NHL Draft, James Neal trade, and free agency? Has David Poile done the right thing by not over-spending in free agency? What trades could be in the cards for the Predators and what players should be considered off-limits for the team?