According to Renaud Lavoie the Nashville Predators have placed Jonathan Diaby on unconditional waivers. Diaby still has a year remaining on his three-year entry level contract but this looks to be the end of his time with the organization.
Diaby was drafted by the Predators in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft out of Victoriaville in the QMJHL. His most successful season would be his first pro season in 2014-15 which saw him play 52 games for the Admirals. After that, he mainly spent his playing time with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.
In total, Diaby logged 82 games with the Milwaukee Admirals and scored 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) and accumulated 150 penalty minutes. His time with the Cyclones in the ECHL saw him play 77 games in which he produced 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) and 99 penalty minutes.
Last night’s game was -way- more like it for the Milwaukee Admirals. The scoreline became tight and the result finished at 2-1 with a good threat to the final horn by the Rockford IceHogs but the Admirals looked solid in defense and that needs to be their building block in the push into the playoffs.
It’s not too often where I get drawn into purely watching a player for their defensive qualities but last night Justin Florek did that and he really helped sum up the team game for the Admirals. He was everywhere on the ice taking away time and space. His stickwork to get in the way of passing lanes and help negate shooting lanes was great. And he was quick to step from defense to offense.
(Photo Credit: Todd Reicher)
That of course isn’t to say the Admirals went through the game cleanly. They still desperately need to figure out how to play in the second period during the long change because that’s where last night’s game could have gotten ugly if not for the work of Marek Mazanec. The Admirals were outshot 10-3 in last night’s second period. Since the start of March the Admirals have been outshot 196-170. In that same span the Admirals have only outshot their opponent in the second period six times from nineteen games. I don’t get why this has become such an issue for the team but their inability to get pucks deep and tilt the ice to make line changes easier tends to keep the pinned and they can’t quite fight out of it.
(Photo Credit: Todd Reicher)
Something that dawned on me last night was the beauty of the late scheduling for the Admirals with their young players trickling in from juniors and college getting to find a groove while playing an opponent such as the IceHogs so often before the regular season ends. Yakov Trenin’s first game of the 2016-17 season with the Admirals was against the IceHogs last Saturday and he looked so much better tonight. It is a crying shame if video highlights are not produced of the goal he scored in Rockford because it was phenomenal and the first scored in his pro career. Samuel Girard’s second game of his pro playing career came on the weekend against the IceHogs – and he looked much more relaxed and played a great game alongside Jack Dougherty in Rockford. Tyler Moy made his pro debut last night against the IceHogs, looked to be slowly going through the motions but improved as the game developed, and he gets to see the IceHogs again on Friday night to get an even better feel for the pro game – all three of these youngsters will. It’s a great way for them to adjust and feel their way into the pro game by playing an opponent like the IceHogs two or three times before picking up the pace into the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.
After the game wrapped up I had the chance to speak with Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason as well as Florek, Trenin, and Moy. These were last night’s post-game interviews.
Comments on the comments? Where are you at right now with the Milwaukee Admirals as Calder Cup contenders this season? Is this current team capable of making a big run or will the opening round series define whether or not they can?
The Milwaukee Admirals held on for a 2-1 victory against the Rockford IceHogs on the road at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Wednesday night.
Tonight’s game was kickstarted by the Russian duo for the Admirals and saw a fantastical effort by Marek Mazanec in net. The Admirals finish the road portion of their 2016-17 season with a record of 23-11-1-3 (50 points, 0.658 points percentage) which is third best in the AHL.
“We challenged the group in the second period a little bit. We got away from doing the right things as far as getting pucks deep and trying to be a little too cute,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason after the game. “But we adjusted quickly.”
Vladislav Kamenev put the Admirals out in front midway through the first period to record his twenty-first goal of the season. Adam Payerl was working away from the goal line in the left wing when he gave a short pass to the Russian camped near the net front area. Kamenev smacked the puck up over the right shoulder of Lars Johansson to get the Admirals up 1-0.
The Russian fun continued in the first period but this time around Yakov Trenin got into the act. After an odd man rush between Matt White and Tyler Moy went bust the puck stayed deep and ended up skipping around the net. Trenin managed to get control of the puck and then whirl in a spin-o-rama backhander high to the glove of Johansson for his first pro goal. It was a beauty and, on the play, Moy scored his first pro point in his pro debut.
“It hit my skate and after the puck was very close to the red line,” said Trenin. “So, it’s a bad angle to shoot and I decide to do spin-o-rama and score.”
In the second period Marek Mazanec pulled off one of the best saves of the season. A rush down the right wing ended in a shot pulling wide into the right wing corner but Jeremy Langlois got his stick blade on it and redirected it on target. Mazanec was well out of position but flew back to make the diving glove save and keep the IceHogs scoreless.
That would remain the case until past the halfway point in the third period. Luc Snuggerud passed off from the right wing into the high slot where Kyle Baun hammered a shot on goal. Mazanec made the initial save by Tyler Motte was on hand to push across a rebound effort for his tenth goal of the season that denied Mazanec the shutout bid and made it a one-goal contest.
“He just made real solid saves all night,” said Evason of his goaltender Mazanec. “And some real point blank opportunities off of the rush. He was there to help us out.”
With 2:04 remaining in regulation the IceHogs used their timeout and went empty net and extra attacker. Not too far gone from that an Moy was whistled for a high sticking minor to give the IceHogs a late power-play on top of their extra attacker push. Despite the late threat the Admirals would hold on for the 2-1 victory on the road tonight.
This game concludes the Admirals road schedule for the 2016-17 regular season. They finish the season with a road record of THIS. They will see these very same IceHogs on Friday night back at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena for a 7:00 PM CDT face-off before finishing the regular season up with the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night at 6:00 PM CDT.
“Obviously it will be nice playing at home,” said Tyler Moy following his pro debut. “It’ll be my first one at home. We want to be rolling into playoffs so I don’t think we can be taking any team lightly. We want to be at our best going in.”
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played on Sunday the Nashville Predators recalled Pontus Åberg to join them for the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Predators then signed Tyler Moy to a two-year entry level contract. Moy has joined the Admirals for the rest of the 2016-17 season on an amateur try-out contract and made his professional playing debut tonight. Prior to tonight’s game the Admirals brought back Stephen Perfetto from the Alaska Aces of the ECHL and also received Mark Visentin from their ECHL affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Admirals line combinations were: Richard-Ribeiro-Gaudreau, White-Smith-Moy, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Florek-Trenin-Liambas, Pardy-Carrier, Murphy-Granberg, Girard-Dougherty. Tonight’s scratches were: Army (healthy), Bass (lower-body injury), Kelleher (undisclosed injury), O’Brien (undisclosed injury), Perfetto (healthy), Pinkston (healthy), and Visentin (healthy).
What were your thoughts on tonight’s game? Was this the sort of response that you wanted to see from the Milwaukee Admirals or is the bigger key to now sustain this level of performance?
This past weekend’s three-in-three was a mixed bag for the Milwaukee Admirals that had a bit more bad than there was good. Out of all three of those games though the one that probably stings the most was the performance against the Rockford IceHogs.
The Cleveland Monsters are one of the hottest teams in the AHL at the moment and were and still are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Central Division. The Iowa Wild coming into the weekend were still in contention, were officially eliminated just prior to puck drop, and delivered a quick start off two bad Admirals turnovers. Those games were rather good outside of a period of hockey or an opening two minutes of chaos. Saturday’s game against the IceHogs was tough sledding from the word “GO.”
What stood out to me the most in that 4-2 loss for the Admirals was the IceHogs blunt approach to the game. They were playing North-South and getting Marek Mazanec to work, work, and work some more. The Admirals were forced to defend and defend throughout the game and, if not for Mazanec, things could have gotten really out of hand in the very first period when the Admirals were outshot 17-7.
Today I feel the Admirals will be on much more high alert with the “rest days” for players being toned down as the final three games of the regular season are upon us. The Admirals have the IceHogs in Rockford tonight and on home ice on Friday night. It can all be utilized to help set a tone for the regular season finale in which the Admirals play against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. If the season ended today – that is the Admirals opening round opponent in the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The rough three-in-three weekend is in the past. The Admirals playoff quality form needs to start clicking tonight.
The IceHogs will enter this contest with a record of 25-36-9-3 (62 points, 0.425 points percentage). They are not the worst team in the AHL. In fact, they aren’t even the worst team in the Western Conference. The IceHogs are ahead of the San Antonio Rampage (0.404), Binghamton Senators (0.397), Hartford Wold Pack (0.370).
As bad as things always seem to be this season for the IceHogs what almost gets lost is their much better form at the BMO Harris Bank Center. They have a 0.542 points percentage on home ice and have won their last two games. It’s actually their road record (0.311) that has buried them this season. It is the worst road record in the AHL.
Brandon Mashinter is the key player I would like to highlight for the IceHogs tonight. He has always been a very physical presence on the ice but he seems to play his best hockey against the Admirals. This season Mashinter has produced 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 58 games. He has a team best 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) against the Admirals in 9 games this season including a goal scored on Saturday’s game and contributing 5 shots on goal.
What are you hoping for out of tonight’s game? Is it important for the Milwaukee Admirals to start stamping some authority down or are they still in a slight process of smoothing things out as younger prospects enter the lineup ahead of the playoff season? How do you think Tyler Moy will perform with the Admirals as he makes his pro debut?
Today feels like a rather special day here at Admirals Roundtable. It might just be a rather round number but Chatterbox reaching Volume 200 feels rather special. It has been a fun column to dissect games, plays, situations within the Nashville Predators prospect pool, and so much more. At the heart of it though is being able to provide readers an inside access to the Milwaukee Admirals locker room and hear from the coaching staff and players.
Cheers for seeing this column through to 200 and, with the occasion being what it is, I thought it would be fun to try and make the most of it at today’s practice. This isn’t quite a podcast where I’m networking a Chatterbox greatest hits collection with Magnus Hellberg, Austin Watson, or Anthony Bitetto cropping up. Instead, I threw the option out to all of you as to who you wanted to hear from and added in a special treat while giving Dean Evason a day off. Here was a quick jog through today’s practice.
Firstly, Tyler Moy was added by the Admirals on an ATO Contract and was on-hand for this morning practice. He fills in right where Pontus Åberg left off alongside Trevor Smith and Matt White. Moy will wear #24 with the Admirals and is likely going to be making his pro debut tomorrow night in Rockford.
The next development that took place was a fantastic sight to see. Cody Bass was on the ice skating ahead of practice and then took part in limited drills with the team. I had -wrongly- stated on Twitter earlier that he had ACL surgery but, as you’ll hear him say himself, he actually didn’t have anything structurally damaged with his knee but did require surgery that looked to have his season in doubt. There certainly isn’t any timeline you can slap to this or an ETA of getting Bass back for the playoffs. What I can say is that him being back around the team is a huge life for himself and that his well known off-ice leadership is hanging around the Admirals once again. Whether he does play or not – it’s another welcome boost ahead of the playoffs.
Someone who did not participate in today’s practice was defenseman Andrew O’Brien. He suffered an injury his first game back from a lower-body injury that had him out for two games. It’s not clear as to when he will return to the Admirals lineup at the moment. He was joined by Tyler Kelleher who also was absent today after having suffered an injury during Sunday’s game in Iowa.
Comments on the comments? Has tomorrow night’s game in Rockford gone from something of a tuneup into more of a game that needs to demand an impactful result for the Milwaukee Admirals after a woeful three-in-three weekend?
Leadership at any level of hockey is a very important quality to possess. Yet, I feel it is of highest importance at a level such as the AHL where there is a buffer zone between young and old with everyone still fighting for their chance to make it into the NHL. You very much need that calming presence that can balance out a group and bring a complex mixture of first-year pros and long established talent together to help see individuals form a team. The Admirals team captain Trevor Smith might be one of the best examples that this organization has had at doing that.
When Smith signed a two-year contract last off-season with the Nashville Predators organization he did so after making a great name for himself in the AHL and NHL and then testing the waters in Europe with the likes of SC Bern. He had already played 106 games in the NHL and totaled 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists). He has experienced plenty and was looking to make an immediate return to the North American scene after a season spent in Switzerland.
While the NHL opportunities for Smith have been limited, just the one game played via a bout of food poisoning for the Predators in late-October, the body of work established with the Admirals has been great.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
Smith was voted by his teammates to be the team captain and has genuinely shown time and time again why that is the case. He leads by example with tremendous on and off ice work ethic. And, something that fans can’t see, often times would usher the players together after games to have player meetings. It would happen after wins not only losses. He was keeping the team together and on the same page. With such a young locker room, such as the likes the Admirals have this season, it goes a long way and is an attribute that is helping in ways that far exceed his own personal goals. He really is a team first player. And he was like that from the moment he arrived in Milwaukee.
The thing to remember with Smith is this: he isn’t here for a season and gone. Smith is still under contract in the Predators organization for another season. He will most likely continue on as the Admirals captain for the 2017-18 season. Considering how his first season as the man rocking the “C” has gone? I think everyone should be quite happy to know that he’ll be back and can still put his name into the discussions for rotating up to the Predators roster should a veteran center be needed. He still has plenty of quality to offer at both the AHL and NHL stage.
Cheers to Trevor Smith for taking the time for this interview! We’ve now pretty much run down everyone this season for Fifteen but -if there are still players you haven’t heard from yet that you would like to- please leave a suggestion in the comment section below.
Tyler Moy has officially signed his entry level contract with the Nashville Predators. The terms of the deal is good for two-years. Moy was selected by the Predators in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft and is coming off of a stellar season at Harvard University.
Nashville, TN – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that the club has signed forward Tyler Moy to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Moy, 21 (7/18/95), played 36 games for Harvard University this season, and led the club with 22 goals while tying for the team lead in points (45). He ranked among the NCAA’s Top 15 in points per game (1.25) and goals per game (.61), as well as pacing the Crimson and ranking among the Top 10 in the nation in power-play goals (10) and game-winning goals (5). The native of La Jolla, California also helped Harvard reach the 2017 Frozen Four, scoring three goals in two games during the East Regional en route to being named to the all-tournament team.
Nashville’s sixth-round selection (175th overall) in the 2015 Entry Draft, Moy finished his four-year collegiate career (2013-17) with 101 points (45g-56a) in 131 games.
It isn’t clear at this time if Moy will be joining the Milwaukee Admirals at the end of their regular season or for their playoff run. What is for certain now though is that he will do what his Harvard teammate Jimmy Vesey didn’t which is join the organization that drafted him and look to make good on their selection. Moy turns 22-years old in July and is a natural center. That role within the organization just got even deeper today.
The Nashville Predators have recalled Pontus Åberg from the Milwaukee Admirals ahead of their opening round matching against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Åberg made his NHL debut with the Predators during their playoff run last season.
It was a tad confusing as to why Åberg wasn’t in the lineup last night for the Admirals when they finished off their three-in-three weekend on the road against the Iowa Wild. This is the answer to that and it is a recall that is very well deserved. Åberg is having the best season of his career and is contributing across the board for the Admirals in the AHL this season. He leads the Admirals with 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 56 games.
Åberg’s 31 goals scored made him just the fourth Admiral in the AHL history of the team to hit the 30 goal plateau behind the likes of Darren Haydar (2005-06), Rich Peverley (2006-07), and Chris Mueller (2011-12). He is currently tied for the AHL league lead in goal scoring alongside Wade Megan of the Chicago Wolves. Were Åberg to top the league lead in goal scoring he would be the first Admiral to accomplish the feat since Danny Lecours lead the IHL in 1982-83.
It has felt like every night Åberg has been playing for the Admirals this season he has been among the top players on the ice. Not only has his offense been great but his speed and skill translates into very smart defending that has helped translate into even more offense. This is a contract season for the 23-year old Swede. He has done everything he possibly can to make sure that the Predators aren’t going to want to let him leave. And this recall for the playoffs is an awfully good sign that the organization hasn’t lost him in the shuffle.
Remember back to when Max Görtz was traded by the Nashville Predators to the Anaheim Ducks? If you don’t, I wasn’t a very big fan of that trade at the time it happened because I felt a sophomore slump on the part of Görtz should have taken his value down as badly as a one-for-one swap with defenseman Andrew O’Brien. It was a struggling prospect for struggling prospect trade. And, now that we’ve all had the chance to digest things even more, I think I can very easily say something I have no problem saying – I was wrong.
O’Brien might not be producing Görtz’s offensive output from the 2015-16 season but neither is Görtz for that matter. What the Admirals needed more than anything as an organization at the time of the trade was actually a defenseman more than an additional forward.
The forward group was fine. Guys such as Adam Payerl, Justin Florek, and Matt White are all having great campaigns as part of a depth scoring unit that Görtz was sputtering away from. Meanwhile, the Admirals lost Adam Pardy due to injury and it wasn’t clear at the time just how long he would be out for due to a compound fracture of his left arm that he suffered two days prior to the trade to acquire O’Brien. The Admirals needed a big body presence back on defense. And O’Brien has been that while showing great glimpses of much more than just that.
What I’ve seen out of the 24-year old is a 6’4″ defenseman that not only uses the body well but skates incredibly well for his size. He moves quick and I feel his best attributes are how quick he is in decision making on the ice. O’Brien makes simple plays: battling off the wall, get pucks out of the zone, get pucks deep, and always tends to be direct when in the attacking zone by getting pucks to the net. He is very instinctive in the way that he plays rather than reactive and he benefits greatly from playing that way. His physical attributes were such that the San Diego Gulls -at times- rolled him out as a forward but -as a defenseman with the Admirals- you can see him playing at his best position with his tools working to their best use.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
Görtz was awesome a season ago. It was very sad seeing him have such rotten luck in the 2016-17 season. Yet, this was a trade for both sides to try and shake things up while benefiting their AHL organizations in ways they both needed it and giving two players a change of scenery to help them grow. Görtz has since provided a Gulls team, who are in the playoff picture out of the Pacific Division, 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) from 28 games. It is a farcry from his 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 72 games with the Admirals last season but significantly better than his 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) that he produced in 30 games with the Admirals before getting traded mid-season.
(Photo Credit: Greg Hamil)
O’Brien hasn’t so much been about point scoring from the defense. He does have 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 32 games for the Admirals. But it is everything else away from that which you appreciate that much more. On average, most of what he has been doing as a part of the Admirals has been career best work from him. His plus/minus rating of +9 with the Admirals is +6 better than a year ago with the Gulls and it feels the structure in place is something that really suits his game. The way in which the Admirals defensive group work is meant to reflect ever so slightly that of their parent club the Nashville Predators with active defensemen who can join the rush, pinch down low in the attacking zone, and skate well enough to do transitional work effortlessly.
O’Brien might be a big guy with the nickname “Meat” but the powerhouse from Oakville, Ontario, Canada skates well enough to look the part. And it would be a joy to see what an full-season of him would be like in the system having processed everything he has this season on the fly.
Cheers to Andrew O’Brien for taking the time out to chat with Admirals Roundtable. Tomorrow we will be releasing the next edition of Fifteen which will feature Milwaukee Admirals team captain Trevor Smith. Beyond that, we’re getting down to the wire for time and selections but am always happy to hear suggestions as to who should be featured next.
The Milwaukee Admirals lost 3-2 in overtime to the Iowa Wild on the road at the Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday night.
After a very rough start the Admirals held the fort, fought back, and forced overtime tonight in Iowa. It would end in bizarre fashion as Vladislav Kamenev lost an edge and gave a break for Alex Tuch that he would finish. The Admirals have one win from five games in April.
The start to tonight’s game couldn’t have been much worse than it was. A turnover from Trevor Murphy allowed Luke Kunin to fire a rocket past the stick side of Jonas Gunnarsson for his fourth goal of the season. The goal was scored in just forty-nine seconds of the first period and the puck pinged in and out of the net so fast that it needed to be reviewed to confirm that it was in fact a goal.
Another turnover less than a minute later would give the Wild their second goal from the second shot in just 1:36 of the first period. Trevor Smith’s attempted breakout pass was picked off at the blueline and Colton Beck was able to get a snap shot off from the low left wing to beat Gunnarsson for his fifth goal of the season.
After that second Wild goal the Admirals burned their timeout. Admirals head coach Dean Evason was visibly livid with the start. And that appeared to have a good response for the play that followed in the first period.
The Admirals would get off the mark when Vladislav Kamenev scored his twentieth goal of the season with less than six-minutes remaining in the first period. Yakov Trenin and Gustav Olofsson has slid into Steve Michalek in net. It appeared the Wild goaltender never fully recovered and wasn’t set once Kamenev deflected in a shot pass from Mike Liambas to cut the Wild lead to 2-1. Trenin earned a secondary assist on the play to record his first pro point.
Kamenev’s twentieth goal of the season meant that he joined Pontus Åberg and Frédérick Gaudreau to reach that plateau. It’s the first time since 2014-15 when the Admirals had three accomplish the feat. That season Austin Watson, Colton Sissons, and Viktor Arvidsson scored twenty-or-more goals each.
In the final minutes of the second period the Admirals picked up the pace and found an equalizer. Trenin sent the Admirals captain Smith free down the left wing and he was off on a two-on-one with Matt White on the right wing. Smith dished off for White who smashed in the shot for his fourteenth goal of the season. White now has forty points on the season.
This game would need overtime tonight. Kamenev looked to have lost an edge on his right skate and was unable to get the puck deep as he slid to the ice near his own blueline. Alex Tuch would pick up the puck, skate down the right wing, and then shoot stick-side on Gunnarsson to bury his seventeenth goal of the season to give the Wild the 3-2 overtime win tonight.
Credit must be given to Wild netminder Michalek who ends the season with four wins from four games against the Admirals. He stopped 39/41 shots on goal in the win tonight. His opposition Gunnarsson was snakebitten by the Admirals start but he did stop 22/25 in a rare appearance for the Swede.
The Milwaukee Admirals will continue with another road game on Wednesday night against the Rockford IceHogs at 7:00 PM CDT at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The Admirals will then finish off the 2016-17 regular season at home with games on Friday and Saturday against the IceHogs and Grand Rapids Griffins.
Ramblings: Since the Milwaukee Admirals played last night there weren’t any new roster additions for the team. In the ECHL, the Admirals affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones ended their 2016-17 season last night and the team missed out on the 2017 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Tonight’s line combinations were: Richard-Gaudreau-Kelleher, Trenin-Smith-White, Kirkland-Kamenev-Payerl, Liambas-Army-Florek, Pinkston-Carrier, Murphy-Dougherty, Girard-Granberg. Tonight’s scratches were: Åberg (healthy), O’Brien (lower-body injury), Pardy (healthy), and Ribeiro (healthy). Tyler Kelleher left the game in the third period with injury and did not return.
What were your thoughts on tonight’s game and this weekend’s three-in-three? Was it right of the Milwaukee Admirals to shake up so much with their roster this weekend after having clinched a playoff spot or should they have kept the pedal down?
Admirals Roundtable 