The month of January was not a pretty one for the Milwaukee Admirals. The team put together a 6-7-0-0 record. It was the first time since the opening month of the 2015-16 season that the Admirals had a record that featured more regulation losses than wins in a month of play. The Admirals went 2-4-1-0 in October 2015. That was a team stumbling out of the starting blocks but they found their feet and never seemed to stop running. This year’s Admirals have had wild swings of change and travel. It all seemed to finally bend the team this month past its breaking point.

It is always far easier to decide Admiral of the Month when there were strings of wins or key performers showing up night in and night out. You almost can’t say that for the Admirals due to how erratic things were in January. I must say, out of all that took place and all the ups and downs, there was a constant. And that constant was in net.

Marek Mazanec started in all but a single game for the Admirals in January. He held a record of 6-6-0-0 while producing a 0.919 save percentage, 2.24 goals against average, and earning 3 shutouts. He also managed to deliver 2 assists at the start of the month which both came on the Admirals power-play. He was calm and composed in and around his net. And he has been making big strides forward with goaltending coach Dave Rook ever since rejoining the Admirals from the Nashville Predators full-time in the middle of December.

It hit home that Mazanec will be the “go-to” option for the Admirals for the rest of the season when following his last shutout he said in an on ice interview following his third shutout of the season that he’ll be spending the AHL All-Star break emptying his apartment in Nashville. It sounds very sad and everything but you’d never know it really hurt Mazanec by the way he came to the Admirals with a big smile and has been working like mad in the off chance the Predators might need his services.

Mazanec has made quantum leaps over the goaltender that was being jostled around back and forth in the first two months and a half of the season. Now that he has the opportunity to settle down, focus, and log consistent time in the net you’re seeing his play benefit and confidence soar. There were bad games for the Admirals this month that dented Mazanec’s numbers. It wasn’t down to him anywhere near as much as the defensive effort of the team let him down. This past month may have been one of the best looking and consistent runs that Mazanec has had as a member of the Admirals.

It may not be where Mazanec would have hoped to have been this season but he is making the most of his time in the AHL. It is on him to make the rest of the time this season has to offer count. His contract is up and the Predators might not exactly need a spot for him next season. He needs to get himself on other teams’ radars if that is the case and the only way to do that is to play at an incredibly high level. The Admirals can greatly benefit from him doing that. And Mazanec is certainly doing all that he can to see that happen for the team and for himself moving forward.

Other players who did stand out to me this month that deserved a mention: Jimmy Oligny has stepped up in a time where the defense has been beaten up and he is now the “seasoned veteran defenseman” at the age of 23. Pontus Åberg has been -by miles- the best and most consistent Admirals forward and is putting himself back into contention for a call-up to the NHL. Kevin Fiala made a return to the Admirals at the AHL level and has looked tremendous. And Alex Carrier, similar to Oligny but to a lesser extent, has stepped up huge for the Admirals defense when they have badly needed consistency in approach.

~Admiral of the Month Award~

October: Juuse Saros
November: Alex Carrier
December: Harry Zolnierczyk
January: Marek Mazanec

Who do you feel was the top performer for the Milwaukee Admirals during the month of January? Was it Mazanec, Oligny, Åberg or someone else? Tell me who your Admiral of the Month was in the comment section below.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

The Milwaukee Admirals haven’t been short of quality players drafted by the Nashville Predators over the years. You can just about view the Predators roster now and get the idea. The organization scouts and develops as well as any in the game. Even then there are very pleasant surprises to be seen up close at the American Hockey League level when seeing that process at its earliest stage.

When Colton Sissons and Juuse Saros made their arrival to Milwaukee it took some serious convincing that they were actually younger than they behaved. Both entered with such veteran-like poise and maturity from Day 1. Sissons was voted by his teammates as an alternate captain of the Admirals when he was 20-years old after playing one full-season of pro hockey. The next season his teammates would name him to be the Admirals captain. And Saros? Let’s just say that he has done so well that at 21-years old, having played 51 games in the AHL in just over one season, he is already cemented into the Predators roster behind the man he one day hopes to succeed, Pekka Rinne.

Alex Carrier doesn’t quite come across a wise old veteran in a 20-year old’s body when you chat with him or ask him how he is handling his first season as a pro hockey player. I don’t mean that as a negative, either. He speaks and acts in a way you’d imagine a kid would in realizing that he is living his dream of playing hockey for a living. His face lights up and he can’t really stop smiling about it. Considering how his first pro season has been going, who can blame him?

At this point in time, at the AHL All-Star break, I’d pen Carrier down as the best Admirals defenseman this season without much of a second thought. He is the top scoring defenseman on the team as well as the top scoring rookie. Yet, it isn’t the offensive stats that are the real standout element to his game. It is how he looks, moves, reads, and defends the position precisely as a Predators style defenseman is groomed to play the game and he is doing it from his arrival to the pro scene. Carrier can be the happy go lucky kid off the ice but his on-ice performance screams someone who looks like they’ve been developing in Milwaukee for several years already. He was 19-years old when this season started. He joined the Admirals at the end of last season to get a look around at the pro lifestyle, meet the coaches and some of the players he would play alongside this season, but he didn’t log a game like Jack Dougherty or Aaron Irving did. He sat out, practiced a bit, and processed his eventual destination.

I always hear from players how beneficial it is to arrive at the end of the season from juniors or college and get a look around – even if they don’t play. It checks so many boxes and answers so many questions before a players can cut loose and play. It isn’t a matter of hockey questions anywhere near as much as it is day-to-day life questions or learning the pro hockey lifestyle. There is far more time spent away from the game than in it but getting the happy medium measured between the is a key that can settle a mind down.

“That was great because, when I got here this year, I wasn’t as awkward. I knew everyone, I knew the coaches, I knew the staff, the players,” said Carrier of his time spent around the Admirals following his junior playing career coming to an end. “Even if I didn’t play a game I still felt more comfortable this year.”

Even with that all making for a smoother transition to living in Milwaukee and knowing your co-workers for an upcoming season – you still have to play. Going from the junior to the professional ranks is a test of not only precision in mechanics but doing it at a far higher rate of speed. Carrier didn’t get that pro debut out of his system with the Admirals at the end of last season. Heck, even his fellow Gatineau teammate in juniors Yakov Trenin was able to get involved during the Admirals playoff series and he’s back in juniors this season. Carrier was entering his first pro games of the 2016-17 season with a clean slate and relying upon the player that he already is. It was a slow and steady tip-toe progression but it didn’t paint a picture as large as what it would become.

Where Carrier’s season started to take leaps forward came in the form of the injury bug that was hitting the Predators early in the season. Matt Irwin was the veteran defenseman option for the Predators kept in reserve down with the Admirals and he was recalled for good far sooner than I’m sure the Predators could have anticipated. When Irwin went up it left lots of gaps open with the Admirals defensively. That is where Carrier was given an early opportunity to succeed and he did. His roles expanded on special teams and showed poise across the board. Carrier’s confidence seemed to grow with more experience and his natural ability started to shine with extended playing time. That confidence didn’t stay limited to him. It spread out to his teammates when he took to the ice and clearly the coaching staff for wanting him out there more and more. He’s been anchored as a first choice style defenseman on the power-play or penalty kill ever since.

With Irwin doing so incredibly well for the Predators the organization needed to go back to the well and get a new veteran defenseman for depth purposes. The Admirals made an AHL trade to acquire Adam Pardy from the Springfield Falcons in exchange for Eric Robinson, Teddy Doherty, and Brandon Whitney. Pardy and Carrier would be paired from Pardy’s Admirals debut and the two had immediate chemistry.

“I think our games complement each other,” said Pardy after his first weekend playing with the Admirals alongside Carrier. “He’s a good player. He is heads up and he sees plays. He makes a great first pass coming out of a zone. So, that’s what we need from both of us. And working together and playing solid positioning back there. We don’t want to get running around and he is good at that. He doesn’t panic. He’s got composure. He’s good with the puck. And he is smart. He pays attention to the details. I think it is a great pairing. I really like the kid. I’m looking forward to playing more with him.”

The confidence was already growing for Carrier. Add a veteran with such quality NHL experience such as Pardy on your left-side and he blossomed even more. In the 13 games that Carrier played after the arrival of Pardy he was producing at a point per game clip: 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists). His all-around game was looking polished and smooth. He didn’t look like someone who was the second youngest player on the Admirals roster to only Anthony Richard. He looked NHL good. And, on 1/12/17, the Predators thought he did too.

On that day, Carrier was walking to get a meal when he received a phone call from Washington D.C. that he didn’t recognize. He ignored it as a wrong number and fifteen minutes later he received a text from the same number. It was Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason who told him he was going up and to call back as soon as possible.

Carrier was able to do a little bit of what he did at the end of the 2015-16 season in Nashville. He got to take a look around. When the Predators hosted the Boston Bruins the day of his first career NHL recall he was on the ice for pre-game skate and was able to view the Bridgestone Arena in a regular season game environment for the first time.

“It felt the same as when I came [to Milwaukee] last year,” said Carrier. “I thought the thought process maybe was that. I wasn’t expecting to play. At first, when I got there, I was the seventh [defenseman]. Everyone was healthy except for [P.K. Subban]. I wasn’t expecting to play. I was there for the experience like last year.”

That night he would be a healthy scratch. The following game would see him make his NHL debut on the road against the Colorado Avalanche on 1/14/17. He would suit up once more for the next game, on the road against the Vancouver Canucks, before returning back to the Admirals in the AHL. He became the first member of the Predators 2015 NHL Draft Class to earn a recall and log a game.

“It was amazing,” Carrier said of his first experience in the NHL. “It was a dream come true for me to play my first NHL game. “I think the most exciting part, I was feeling so nervous, before the national anthem I was sitting on the bench looking.. it was sold out in Vancouver.. so I was looking around like, ‘oh my God, this is it.’ I was really thrilled about it, very nervous, but then when I got my first shift it was just another game.”

“What is this Carrier kid up to tonight,” you ask. Why, he is playing in the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic where he acts as the lone representative for the Milwaukee Admirals. It is the first proper distinction of what could be many to come in his pro career as the Québec native continues to press forward with his mature game on the ice combined with his great work ethic and joyful “aw-shucks” nature off the ice. While so many prospects can be grinding up and down under an immense spotlight, or perhaps under no scrutiny or expectations at all, there is a charm to the way Carrier has come in as a first-year pro at 19-years old and become what he is already. He made his NHL debut effectively three-months into his pro career. He’s the Admirals top all-around defenseman. He is still only learning the game at the professional level and can fill out physically to become even stronger than he currently is.

Saros arrived with hype and expectations. He’s meeting them. Carrier didn’t seem to arrive with any and he should be slapped on the Predators radar moving forward. He has all the talent to be the type of defenseman they pride themselves on having as well as developing. This level of performance that he is showing has been him while in a very early stage of his development. Carrier is becoming the type of player in Milwaukee I enjoy kicking back and watching just to watch him play. He’s good. And he is still growing.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

We’re actually two games away from the official middle of the Milwaukee Admirals 2016-17 season. Once the road games against the Charlotte Checkers are played on Tuesday and Wednesday evening the Admirals will be at the exact midway point of 38-games played of their 76-game regular season. Yet, with a little break and a this four-game road trip due up, why not tackle our Report Card sooner rather than later?

~The Road So Far~

The Admirals currently have a record of 20-12-2-2 (44 points, 0.611 points percentage) and are third in the Central Division and sixth in the Western Conference standings. Things started off astonishingly well. The Admirals had a record of 12-2-2-1 through November. In that month they didn’t lose a single game in regulation.

Once once the Admirals reached the month of December it all started to pitter-patter into the current state the team is in now. The Nashville Predators injuries this season have caused massive fluctuations at key positions. In December it felt like the defensemen the Admirals relied on were all recalled. In January the forwards have been getting recalled. It has resulted in a record of 8-10-0-1 since the start of December and the current run of form is losing four consecutive games in regulation for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

For all the chaos there is serious optimism for what this team can be. Even when the Admirals were doing what they did to start the season they weren’t really playing their best hockey. Now, paired with all the recalls and reassignments, it seems that has caught up with them a little bit. The leadership group of this year’s team was hailed by head coach Dean Evason as the strongest he has had since arriving to Milwaukee. And he isn’t wrong. This is a team fully capable of a deep playoff run this season.

~Mid-Season Awards~

Most Impressive Player: Juuse Saros

Least Impressive Player: Max Görtz

Best Forward: Matt White

Best Defensemen: Alex Carrier

Best Goaltender: Juuse Saros

Best Rookie: Alex Carrier

Most Improvement: Adam Payerl

Least Improvement: Max Görtz

Player to Watch in the Second Half of the Season: Vladislav Kamenev

Player Who Needs to Step Up in the Second Half: Max Görtz

Player Who Will Step Up in the Second Half: Frédérick Gaudreau

~Report Card~

Considering just how many players have dressed this season I feel it is necessary to clamp down the Report Card and make things a little less word heavy while also managing the grades differently. The Admirals have had ten players play five games or less this season. There have only been three players that have played in every single game to this point.

Grades are always purely of my own opinion and choice. With so many players who’ve registered less than 50% of the games played this season for the Admirals it would seam almost pointless to dish out “Incomplete” grades. That rule I tend to use generally doesn’t include goaltenders. If I were to stick to that there would be almost 40% of the roster earning no grade.

This time around I will be giving grades to all players with a few exception: those who were in on a Professional Try-Out Contract basis and those who appeared on Conditioning Assignment. Those lone players will receive an Incomplete. I also then kindly ask you take the grades of those who played minimal game time for the Admirals with a grain of salt. Again, it’s purely my own interpretation and I’d rather give a grade – than have that many not receive a letter grade.

In short: Letter grades will be given to all minus those on PTO Contracts or Conditioning Assignments. Please take into account that some of these grades can also reflect how little the players did play this season. Not many have played even half the games available to this stage of the season.

For the sake of convenience the players are listed in the manner of their uniform numerals for the Milwaukee Admirals this season.

2, Petter Granberg: While is time at the NHL level this season has been up-and-down I’d say his work in the AHL has been pretty good. He never tries anything flashy. He’s a stay at home defenseman with serious strength around in net and on the wall. As for the actual system that the Predators like to play, with active and pinching defenseman, I don’t think it fits Granberg’s game. (Grade: C)

3, Jonathan Diaby: I’ve seen more strides taken this season from Diaby than the past two seasons combined. His skating still badly -badly- needs work but his defending has greatly improved from a tall and lanky guy that would get turned inside out on a near shiftly basis. He’s learning a lot right now. And there is plenty to keep learning towards overall improvement. (Grade: D)

5, Jack Dougherty: As far as the first year pro defensemen go I feel like Dougherty has had the tougher go of things with all of the roster turn-over. He’s just about played with every possibly defensive permutation available to him outside of pairing with other right-shot d-men. He’s become far more comfortable all-around as this season has progressed. At times, you nearly forget that he is a 20-year old for how big he plays the game. There is a lot to like for his future. He’s starting to get rolling the more this season progresses. (Grade: C)

6, Adam Pardy: I don’t think the Predators or Admirals could have anticipating the injury woes hitting them as hard as they did this season. The veteran depth defenseman that the organization had entering this season was Irwin. He did outstanding. And then he stayed up for good. The Admirals acquired Pardy from the Springfield Falcons to get veteran depth back. Pardy was on an AHL deal after failing to earn an NHL contract from the Florida Panthers. His phenomenal work not only earned him the NHL deal that eluded him in Florida but he ended up logging game action for the Predators. He’s been a fantastic addition for the organization. (Grade: B+)

7, Matt White: I am still in shock that it took until December of last season for the Admirals to be the first team to give White a chance to play in the AHL. All he has done since joining the organization has been to produce 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 87 games. He is currently the Admirals leading scorer and operates across the board on special teams. He is to the Admirals this season as Gaudreau was last season. The Predators should consider penning him to a two-way contract if he continually produces as he does. (Grade: A)

8, Trevor Murphy: It was a very slow start for Murphy this season. Perhaps things were more between the ears than anything but -thankfully- that’s in the past. Murphy is having a real good sophomore campaign. The Admirals really missed out on having offensive minded defensemen over the years. Murphy has brought that since his arrival and he’s also polishing up defensively. He, like Dougherty, has been cycled around a ton with the defensive cycle between Nashville and Milwaukee. Through it all – he’s handled it pretty well. He can be a crucial part of the Admirals getting to another level in pursuit of a Calder Cup this season. (Grade: B)

10, Max Görtz: This one really hurts me to grade and to say but Görtz has been the most disappointing and frustrating player to watch this season. And, at times, I’m not even so sure it is all his fault. I’ve joked with him after games or practices this season that there has to be something that the Hockey Gods have against him this year. He was the Admirals second leading scorer a season ago. He has less goals scored than Diaby this season and Mazanec is an assist shy of trying him in that department. Görtz has had the misfortune of being kicking around to tons of different lines that have been a little jarring at times – pair that with a scorer gripping his stick a bit tighter and awaiting those pucks finally getting through for goals and it never happening – and you have Görtz’s sophomore slump in a nutshell. He can be so much better. He can still be what he was. Perhaps it just takes that next goal for him to explode. For the Admirals’ sake? I hope it is soon. The team misses having him do what he did a year ago. (Grade: F)

11, Adam Payerl: I was impressed by what Payerl provided the Admirals out of the blue last season. He has played every bit the part of a guy who earned a contract from the Predators after his 2015-16 season came to an end. He is fully capable of coming up and serving a solid role for the Predators if needed. He can play great two-way hockey, be physical, go to the dirty areas, score, set-up, and run both sides of special teams. He has been great. (Grade: A-)

12, Kevin Fiala: If he were here longer? I’d have tabbed him as the “Most Improved” player I’ve watched this season. It isn’t even the scoring aspects where I say that, either. Everyone knows Fiala can be a highly flashy and skilled player. It is the shift-to-shift work rate and attention to detail that has me excited for what Fiala has accomplished this season. He has really matured and started playing a more complete game. He is still only 20-years old but has 144 games of North American pro experience under his belt between the AHL and NHL. People might forget that in a different situation he’d be a first year pro this season or last season. He is way ahead of the learning curve and is still getting better. (Grade: B+)

13, Tylor Spink: I really liked what I saw of this-half of the Spink Twins when they both participated in Admirals Training Camp. He’s a really smooth player. I would be surprised to see him battle up to the AHL level more down the road. Either that or a good European future could be ahead for him, too. (Grade: Incomplete)

13, Blake Kessel: The younger brother of Phil. The older brother of Amanda. Blake arrived to the Admirals under unique circumstances for himself. He had been the top scoring defenseman in the ECHL as part of the Atlanta Gladiators. He was then traded to the Kalamazoo Wings and decided to never report to the team. The Admirals, needing defensive help, snapped him up. He didn’t look out of place. He just wasn’t as much a fit as others that would swing in. He was released from his PTO and continues to not report to Kalamazoo. (Grade: Incomplete)

13, Garrett Meurs: The definition of how crazy the month of January was for the Admirals was when Kamenev received his first call-up. The Russian had traveled with the Admirals to San Jose ahead of their road games in California. He then needed to travel cross-country to make it for his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers. The Admirals needed a body to fill out a roster – and that’s where Meurs stepped in to join fellow PTO forward and Wheeling Nailers teammate Army. He played a lone game. And that’s almost all there is to say. (Grade: Incomplete)

15, Reid Boucher: For someone who plays as well as Boucher it is just sad that he finds himself in the gray area of great for the AHL – but not completely NHL ready. He went from the New Jersey Devils to the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils to the Vancouver Canucks. He has been a waiver wire sensation this season. It’s unfortunate. Everywhere he has ever played he can really produce. (Grade: Incomplete)

15, Rick Pinkston: Where Kessel on PTO was neither bad nor good – I’ve been really impressed by Pinkston. There have been some communication blunders on the ice, which I could expect with joining a team on PTO with no real familiarity to the group, but there have also been smart and no-nonsense work on his part that has him still with the Admirals as the depth filters back in. I like what I see. If he goes back to the Manchester  Monarchs? They have themselves a solid defenseman. (Grade: Incomplete)

16, Félix Girard: What was toughest about seeing Girard get traded away wasn’t something you could point to on a list of stats. He was a heart and soul player for the Admirals since he arrived. He was one of the more vocal leaders in the group and was the best face-off winners that I’ve ever covered. His efforts on the Admirals grind lines and -especially- the penalty kill will be greatly missed. (Grade: B-)

17, Mike Liambas: It has been fantastic to have Liambas back in the fold here in Milwaukee. He grew so much as a player under the guidance of the coaching staff here and continues to do so. This evolution as a player earned him his first career NHL game back on 12/3/16. With the AHL’s Fighting Major policy he isn’t wracking up penalty minutes left and right as he would in years past. That rule has actually allowed the improvements he has made over the years to shine. He is a great defensive minded player who can punish the opposition. He isn’t the biggest guy on the ice but he can always deliver the most pain. Best of all? He is yet another incredible leader of this Admirals team and serves a great role in the locker room. It has been like he never left. (Grade: C+)

19, Eric Robinson: Last season looked to be Robinson’s breakout year. Instead it became one to forget. After a hot start he blew out his knee and needed season ending surgery. When he returned to the fold for the Predators Rookie Tournament he looked better than ever. He could well have taken a great part of the Admirals efforts as the roster was depleted this season. But, he was the central piece to acquiring Pardy from Springfield. He hasn’t done the level of damage I know he would be capable of in Milwaukee since arriving to his new team. It’s a bummer. Hopefully things turn for the better for the Dartmouth grad. (Grade: D)

19, Justin Kirkland: It has not been the start to Kirkland’s pro career that he can be all that happy about. That said, he has taken it all in stride and continually works hard. I feel like whenever I watch the Admirals practice Kirkland is among the best at all drills he gets thrown into – including winning almost every shootout drill I’ve watched the team do. He’s started slow. He has. Perhaps playing at the center position isn’t the most ideal position for him as was the case with Watson. Time will tell on that. For now, he is slowly starting to ratchet things up. With Girard now gone it might afford him even more chances to open up his game. (Grade: D+)

20, Miikka Salomäki: I feel so gutted for Salomäki. In recent years he had a shoulder injury that ended his 2014-15 season. Now it appears that a lower-body injury might end or completely stall his 2016-17 season. It would be one thing to say his “bull in a china shop” mentality needs to be dialed down but that hasn’t been the real issue. It’s all just unfortunate stuff that has taken him out of action this season. He’ll turn 24-years old in March. I would really hope that he can be back by season’s end. He has only shown a taste of what he can do on the NHL stage. (Grade: Incomplete)

20, Derek Army: I said it in recent games and I will say it here. Army is the sort of player you see come in on a PTO basis and wonder why he wasn’t already an AHL talent to begin with. He works incredibly hard. Goes right to the net. Scraps it out hard. He can play center or wing well. And has shown a knack for offense with some heads-up defensive reads to go with it. He’s 25-years old. I think it would be great seeing him staying around for the Admirals. He is versatile and can probably perform better as he gets comfortable with the team. (Grade: Incomplete)

21, Harry Zolnierczyk: I always hear from players that “Z” is the funniest player they’ve been around in the game. His vocal leadership skills have been great to have around the Admirals this season. He skates insanely fast and is a true spark plug player that has now shown that ability for the Predators at the NHL level. His constant work rate is something that sets a tempo for a group to match. Whether it has been for the Predators or the Admirals I can only say that I’ve loved watching him work this season. (Grade: A-)

22, Shawn O’Donnell: Yet another of the “PTO” brigade, O’Donnell originally came into the mix in Admirals Training Camp as part of the lucky Cincinnati Cyclones that get an AHL look prior to the start of the season. That “interview” process, if you will, had a lasting image for the Admirals coaches as they enjoyed seeing his tough and aggressive style. He’s played five games for the Admirals. I can’t think of many moments where he had a negative impact on the game. (Grade: Incomplete)

23, Trevor Smith: I’m not sure what impresses me more. What Smith does on the ice or what he does off of it. Smith is already having one of the best AHL seasons of his career offensively. Yet, what doesn’t get seen in broad daylight as the puck drops and the game plays out is the reason why he is the Admirals captain this season. I’m not sure I’ve seen someone who gravitates to the leadership responsibilities better than Smith.The only other one who comes close is the man who became an assistant coach for the Admirals last season. After almost every game, win or lose, Smith gathers up the group to have a team talk. He is the captain. He is the leader. And he has been consistent throughout the entire season on the ice on top of those off-ice qualities. (Grade: A-)

24, Anthony Bitetto: Some of the worst luck this season has happened surrounding Bitetto. I’d say the man can’t get a break – but he did right after his initial comeback following a conditioning assignment. After that, we are where we are today and I greatly hope that 2017 treats Bitetto better than 2016. He has always been the type of player to process the previous season and better himself from it. He was fully set to do that this season in a big way for the Predators. It may have gotten off on the wrong foot but he’s back now. He can still really provide the Predators great two-way hockey from the blueline. (Grade: Incomplete)

29, Mark Visentin: Speaking of bad luck, these past few seasons for Visentin have featured some of the worst of that. While he has had some ups and downs as part of the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL this season -the biggest key for him- is that he gets a healthy run. That’s all that I would hope for him to have so he can move forward and really get a run going for himself. He has great abilities between the pipes. He can be real quick and play in net bigger than he appears. Ankle injuries derailed the last few years. But, with a clean bill of healthy, who is to say this guy couldn’t show off what made him a twenty-seventh overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft? This year is all about regaining confidence. So far he has played more games in the AHL and ECHL than the past two seasons combined. That’s a start. (Grade: C-)

31, Marek Mazanec: This looked to be the season that Maz was playing for from his arrival to North America in 2013. He was going to be -the- back up for the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, the inconsistency of playing time trickled into his form and it made for frequent changes to who is the back up in Nashville. That situation now seems to be resolved. And Maz isn’t the choice. That is not to say Maz has played himself out of the role at all. Saros simply played his way in. Since his last reassignment to the Admirals I don’t think I’ve seen a better Maz in net for the team since he showed up. He has looked and played so calm, square to shooters, and smooth around the net. Results fluctuate for him in the win column as the team has hit a snag but that isn’t a reflection of how he has played. He’s been great since returning. And his attitude has been first class given how easily it could be for him to be down on himself about this season. He hasn’t at all. And he continues to work extremely hard in case the Predators need him again. (Grade: B+)

36, Cody Bass: Indirectly, I feel the reason for Watson’s emergence in Nashville this season has a lot to do with Bass starting his season there while Watson started in Milwaukee. Bass was the hard hitting scrapper. Watson, at that point, wasn’t. Someone got the hint though and Watson has since really opened up his game. As for Bass? He suffered a lower-body injury in late-December and it is unclear whether or not he will return this season. It would be a shame if that is the case. Bass, like Maz, returned to the Admirals with no ill will and simply wanted to be as good of a team player as he could be. He was doing well for the Admirals. If he could return it would be a great boost for both what he provides on and off the ice. He’s a leader and a warrior. (Grade: C)

37, Jonas Gunnarsson: If you were to look at Gunnarsson’s stats this season you would assume he has struggled massively in his first pro season in North America. That isn’t true at all. He has had the misfortune of finally getting rare starts at times when the Admirals completely bombed in front of him. All that came early in the season when the Maz/Saros flip-flopping by Nashville really held Gunnarsson as a hostage to the NHL team’s own indecision. Now that it feels set that the combo for the Admirals is Maz and Gunnarsson the two can really start to work better and get game time. I’ve enjoyed seeing Gunnarsson’s work in net. He seems really comfortable in net and has never really looked out of place for someone new to the North American style of play. He is only on a one-year contract through Nashville. It would be smart for them to give him more time after this season, too. I think he can be serviceable down the road if they needed him. (Grade: C+)

38, Justin Florek: Admirals Training Camp often provides some unique storylines. Payerl last season showed up on a Cyclones’ ECHL contract. Florek this season showed up almost as a job interview. He made a solid impression and has had himself a relatively nice start to the season. There are times in which I feel Florek can get caught out overplaying the game on offense. His offensive numbers are almost better than they were a season ago with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers but they certainly have fallen off a cliff from the Florek that was part of the Boston Bruins organization. I think there is even more to his game than what I’ve seen. I’d love to see it. I just don’t know if he’ll be on the similar level or qualities that Payerl has been providing. The two could be equal in the way that they play – but they just aren’t. (Grade: C)

46, Pontus Åberg: A detail that can get overlooked is the approach that a player has to the game after becoming a father for the first time. Åberg became a dad in the off-season. And I feel as if the maturation process off the ice trickles into the man and player that he has become on it. Åberg has been really solid for the Admirals this season. At the start of the year he was becoming the sort of player worthy of being doubled up for shifts. It put him into the NHL and his work earned him his first career NHL goal – which wasn’t a cheap one, either. Åberg continues to blossom these past two seasons. He really exploded at the ended of last season which put him in the fold for an NHL debut during the Predators playoff run. Should he return to such a scenario it will be heavily relied upon Åberg’s speed and work being consistent through each and every shift. He is a player who is at his best when he plays the game shot out of a cannon. He needs more of that to be an NHL regular. (Grade: B-)

47, Jimmy Oligny: There have been times this season when the seasoned and experienced man in defense for the Admirals is the 23-year old Oligny. As odd as that sounds it is a role that he can take on well. Oligny should have earned an NHL contract with the Predators after last season. I’m staggered by the fact that still hasn’t happened. He isn’t offensively gifted, no cannon of a shot like Murphy, but he skates at a very high level while playing very physical and remains the Admirals best defensive defenseman. While Pardy-Carrier might be the top defensive pairing this season? Oligny remains a real anchor for the team when they need one on defense. (Grade: B)

51, Austin Watson: I alluded to it when talking about Bass. Watson’s game has taken a needed evolution this season. Yes, he has been doing well lately but he is also finally playing in a position to succeed and play provider for really the first time with the Predators. He did it time and time again for the Admirals. He is starting to do it with the Predators. I think it comes with an extra gear that he has found in his skating ability which has always been a sore spot – not particularly the quickest guy on the ice. He has also started to really punish more players with that big frame of his. He’ll always be a master shot blocker. Now, he is starting to deliver what fans saw him doing in Milwaukee on a more frequent basis in Nashville. (Grade: B)

52, Matt Irwin: I’m sure the Predators would have liked to have had more veteran depth to start the season on defense. That said, they struck gold by having Irwin in the mix early. He played so well with the Admirals early that, injuries or not, he seemed due to get a look for the Predators. It didn’t take long. And he has since played his way into a new contract for the Predators. It is a huge credit to him and the professionalism he showed in his brief time with the Admirals that he launched back into the place he wanted to be and remains there. (Grade: B+)

55, Alex Carrier: When I first saw Carrier he was in from juniors at the end of last season doing a morning practice session for the Admirals. He never had the chance to play. He was just getting a feel for the pro environment. During my trip to Predators Rookie Development Camp I feel as if Carrier was one of the most impressive players that I sat back and watched. That was then. And I had no idea he would do what he has done. Carrier is among the youngest players on the roster this season in his first professional playing season. You would never sense that when you watch him play. His skating ability is tremendous, his defending is solid, and he can truly cruise around on offense to the point he almost acts as another winger in the attacking zone. He isn’t up with the Predators right now simply as a pat on the back. More so, I feel he was recalled in the event he can debut and play. That nearly happened this past weekend. But his time will come. Much like Carrier arrived to Milwaukee late last season to open his eyes this current stint with the Predators should allow him to see the end-goal he is working towards. He has reached it far faster than I bet even he imagined but it is truly deserved. He has been that darn good. (Grade: A+)

74, Juuse Saros: I expected this to be the season where Saros is allowed the chance to play a full AHL season with the role of being “the man” and shouldering a hefty work load. I felt last season he arrived with so much hype that I was pleasantly surprised to see him match it. This season he has more than done that – he’s succeeding it by miles. Saros reads the game in net better than most forwards. His lateral speed in net is staggeringly good. As much as people can poke about his size or height I feel it is that element that has made him the speed demon in net that he is. The most important thing of all though is his maturity. He acts and behaves like he has been in the pro game for years on end. He is 20-years old and learning still. What he is doing this season isn’t being “the man” in Milwaukee it is showing to Nashville that he could quite possibly be “the man” right there and right now. He played himself into his NHL role far more than Mazanec played his way out of it. I only wonder now when he starts to play himself into Pekka Rinne’s role next. The ETA on that is getting shrunk with every appearance that Saros plays for the Predators. (Grade: A+)

89, Frédérick Gaudreau: If you are looking for the top feel good story of the season it was seeing Gaudreau and Liambas sitting on the bench together in the NHL. Both have come on different and long paths to make it. Gaudreau is likely someone who will play even more of a part for the Predators down the road. He is so polished across the board. He is one of the hardest working players that I’ve seen – he treats practices with the same level of determination as an actual game. And, while he isn’t having as big of a season as he was a season ago, I do feel that the Girard trade could hopefully slot him back into the center position and change that. Gaudreau can be a top forward for the Admirals as this season continues. He can do even better than what he’s accomplished so far. (Grade: B)

90, Anthony Richard: It’s hard to grade Richard simply because he has struggled so much and then was sidelined with a concussion that put him out of action for nearly a month. His speed is his strongest asset. Yet, at times, it can also cost him offensively as he gets too aggressive, erratic, or careless moving forward. The concussion happening – no one wants that to ever happen at all. Yet I think that him sitting out and watching the game a little bit can set himself up for a more comfortable injection back into the Admirals lineup for the 2017 stretch. He can be a dynamic playmaker. He just needs to settle down and keep the game a bit more simple. (Grade: F)

91, Vladislav Kamenev: I thought very much of Fiala and Kamenev as a Yin and Yang. Fiala was the explosive forward who needed to be roped in at times. Kamenev was the smooth forward who you sometimes wanted to see pushed more. This season Kamenev has the training wheels of last season off and he is really starting to show what he did a year ago at better pace and better consistency. The last game that the Admirals played it was almost impossible to not see #91 flying around the ice working hard on or off the puck. He’s really started to settle in. And that was an area last season that I always thought made his work that much more impressive. The language barrier is becoming far less of an issue. Understanding the North American pro game versus that of Russia’s KHL is a long dead issue. He made his NHL debut this season and should dip a toe back there again before this season is done. If he is in Nashville next season? He’s earned it. If he is back in Milwaukee next season? It isn’t a negative one bit as this 20-year old continues to evolve into the strong two-way center that he can be for the Predators for a great many years ahead. I’m excited for what Kamenev can be for the Predators. (Grade: A-)

Do you agree or disagree with the Report Card? Write about it in the comment section below and tell me some of your Mid-Season Awards.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

It’s that ever so lovely time of the year where we stop to take a look at what some of our former Milwaukee Admirals are up to right now. Specifically, we’ll be looking in on some of those who helped to contribute to the highly successful 2015-16 season to find out if they’re continuing to do well. We’ll also scan over some other names from the past few seasons.

Johan Alm: After two unfortunately injury plagued seasons with the Admirals Alm returned back to his hometown team, Skellefteå AIK. He is already approaching the points total that he had when he last played for Skellefteå AIK but -almost as importantly- is approaching the games played total from a season ago.

Taylor Aronson: After ditching the Admirals after they clinched to Central Division title to go home and skip the playoffs ahead of his Russian deal be signed he ended up signing with HC Lada. That’s the condensed version. If you feel like you having punched enough walls lately, Odell Beckham Jr., you can read the full story here. As much as this could be a point and laugh situation – I feel pretty bad for Aronson right now. He has had a really rough go of things in the KHL: 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 39 games with a plus/minus rating of -10 and 24 penalty minutes. He is currently out of action with a concussion which is something that has plagued him previously.

Daniel Bång: The last man to wear #50 before Vladislav Kamenev was forced to wear it for the Nashville Predators was Bång. Ever since leaving the Predators organization he has played for Lausanne HC in National League A (NLA) based in Switzerland. Unfortunately, it appears that concussions have derailed his career the past two seasons. He hasn’t played a game in the 2016-17 season.

Zach Budish: What slowed down Budish out of his college career was injuries. His last two seasons in the organization he was finally fully fit and you could tell that his play benefited from it. He’s since joined Mikkelin Jukurit in Finland’s top flight Liiga where he has been putting together a really nice season for himself: 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) in 37 games with a plus/minus rating of -2 and 22 penalty minutes.

Patrick Cehlin: Much like Alm, Cehlin’s time in the organization wasn’t all that it could have been due to unfortunate injuries that weighed him down. He also returned back to his native Sweden and last season, with Rögle BK, he did phenomenally: 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists) in 52 games. Unfortunately, his follow up season for the club has hit a snag with injury sidelining him once again. The 25-year old does still have 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 17 games this season.

Stefan Elliott: Currently, the Nashville Predators do still have Elliott’s NHL rights because they did tender him an offer before he cut loose for the European scene. He ended up joining Ak Bars Kazan in Russia’s KHL and has produced 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 25 games with a plus/minus rating of +1 and 12 penalty minutes.

Triston Grant: The ol’ workhorse is still scrapping it out around the North American pro scene. This season Grant signed up to play for the Wichita Thunder in the ECHL but found himself quickly traded to the Rapid City Rush. He has logged a single AHL game this season as a member of the Binghamton Senators on a PTO Contract.

Magnus Hellberg: Still popular among Admirals fans, Hellberg continues to be the go-to option in net for the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack. This season he has a record of 9-9-3-1 in net from 24 games with a 3.00 goals against average and 0.902 save percentage. He has still only ever logged a single NHL appearance since leaving the Predators organization, coming in relief, in a game that was a disaster for the Rangers. He has yet to ever start a game in the NHL. This is the last season he is under contract to the Rangers.

Kevin Henderson: This season has slightly mirrored the last one for Henderson. It’s a dip of the toe in the ECHL and fly to Europe. He went from the Quad City Mallards (ECHL) to SaiPa (Liiga). He joined the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) to start this season but, after 4 games, saw himself in Slovakia playing for HK SKP Poprad. So far, he’s actually done well for the club: 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) in 20 games with a plus/minus rating of +7 and 14 penalty minutes.

Cody Hodgson: This is yet another sad story. Hodgson joined the Nashville Predators last season and, while it didn’t work out well, continued to conduct himself as a solid pro and teammate at the AHL level with the Milwaukee Admirals. However, back spasms had been weighing him down very badly and his season came to a close at the start of March 2016. He left to get his back spasms further evaluated and decided to retire from the game this off-season.

Joonas Järvinen: Before there was Arvi – there was Järvi. Last season the big Finn had a career year with HIFK in his native Finland: 18 points (2 goals, 16 assists) in 49 games with a plus/minus rating of +19 and 73 penalty minutes. That work came paired with two fellow former Admirals that are coming up later on this list, Puustinen and Rask. Despite the great success at home in Finland Järvinen opted to give Russia’s KHL a second try after a miserable first effort in the 2014-15 season with HC Sochi. He has played for Kunlun Red Star this season and is doing well enough – just not as well as a season ago.

Mike Moore: The former Admirals captain (2012-13 season) currently finds himself playing in Europe for the first time in his career. The 32-year old defenseman plays for Fischtown Pinguins in Germany’s DEL. He has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 29 games with a plus/minus rating of -8 and 79 penalty minutes.

Simon Moser: Our former Olympic hero has continued on at SC Bern in his native Switzerland since leaving the Nashville Predators organization. These last two years have been really productive for the 27-year old: 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 85 games.

Steve Moses: This situation didn’t work at all a season ago. In fact, it is starting to feel like Moses’ 2014-15 season might just be something he never approaches ever again: 57 points (36 goals, 21 assists) in 60 games. That put him on the map and the Nashville Predators radar. He didn’t stick with the Predators and, after a brief while with the Admirals, was placed on unconditional waivers before returning to Russia’s KHL – this time with SKA St. Petersburg. From 2015-16 to 2016-17 to date, Moses has scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) from 59 games.

Patrick Mullen: The 30-year old defenseman made his journey to the European scene for the first time this season and did so by landing in Russia’s KHL. He plays for Dinamo Riga this season and has scored 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 39 games with a plus/minus rating of -12 and 26 penalty minutes. He did score an astonishingly good goal that is well worth watching.

Garrett Noonan: It didn’t seem like Noonan was ever given the greatest of opportunities to make it up to an AHL role for the Admirals. Unfortunately, that chance could have been welcoming to him this season – he just wasn’t brought back by the Predators. In the off-season, Noonan was given a look with the New York Rangers organization and has since been bumping around their minor league affiliates: Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) and Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). The bulk of his season has been spent at the ECHL level and that plus/minus rating of -14 in 19 games has me thinking David Poile might have been on to something.

Kristian Näkyvä: It was a difficult adjustment last season for the Finn to adapt from the European game to North America’s faster paced scramble. In the end, it was a one and one. The 26-year old is back in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and plays for Linköping HC. He has 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) in 32 games with a plus/minus rating of -7 and 22 penalty minutes.

Joe Pendenza: We’ve already had the chance to see ol’ Joe as a member of the Cleveland Monsters this season. He tried giving the Albany Devils a go ahead of this season but ended up moving towards the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) and has nearly completed the entirety of his PTO Contract to stay with the Monsters in the AHL. They can give him one more PTO Contract before having to sign him to a standard contract. Should he stay up with the Monsters for the rest of the season that scenario will have to play out.

Joe Piskula: After a season spent with the San Diego Gulls in which he didn’t get a look up with the NHL – Good Guy Joe from Antigo took the trek to Europe. It is the first time he has journeyed to the European pro game and he has settled in very well with Leksands IF in Sweden. His numbers almost completely mirror his summary from a season ago with the Gulls in the AHL.

Corey Potter: The Nashville Predators really hoped to keep the veteran defenseman around past last season after how well he performed. Unfortunately for both the Predators and Admirals the 33-year old wanted to explore the hockey world in Europe. He signed for Kölner Haie in Germany’s DEL and has really done a great job: 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in 35 games with a plus/minus rating of +15 and 52 penalty minutes. He happens to be joined at the club with an Admirals teammate from a season ago due up in two players on this list.

Juuso Puustinen: Always one of my favorites when I watched as a fan, Puustinen’s time playing back at home with HIFK in Finland has been going real well the last three seasons. Unfortunately, it seems he has hit a rough patch for himself this season. His production has dropped to just 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in 29 games.

Joonas Rask: It hasn’t been the easiest of season’s for Puustinen’s teammate at HIFK, Rask, either. This season he has only played in 10 games after logging 40+ games the past two seasons at HIFK. He’ll be hard pressed to approach double-digit goals and assists as he has the previous two campaigns.

Max Reinhart: Remember how I said Potter had a friend at German club Kölner Haie? It’s Max! That’s right, there are two European clubs that we can all support because they have Admirals duos on them right now. Reinhart’s contributions in his first DEL season has seen him produce 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) in 35 games with a plus/minus rating of +1 and 24 penalty minutes.

Charles-Olivier Roussel: If I ever had the ability to make a hockey movie I think it would be fascinating to center the story around Roussel. He won a QMJHL title in juniors, was drafted in the 2nd Round (42nd Overall) by the Nashville Predators in the 2009 NHL Draft, battled up and down between the AHL and ECHL with the Milwaukee Admirals and Cincinnati Cyclones, had a 2014-15 season that saw him bounce between the Utah Grizzlies to the Greenville Road Warriors in an ECHL trade before finishing the season off winning the LNAH championship with the Thetford Mines Isothermic. He has since played for the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) and HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia) a season ago. He then tried playing for Ducs d’Angers in France before going back to Thetford briefly. He has since decided to retire from pro hockey and I know that he will continue to be a really good guy.

Vinny Saponari: The Mayor of Toe-Drag City has taken his talents to Europe. He now plays for Frisk Asker in Norway and has been putting together a good season: 31 points (9 goals, 22 assists) in 29 games with a plus/minus rating of -2 and 6 penalty minutes.

Mathieu Tousignant: While most names on this list go to more elite level pro leagues in Europe the next two are slightly different stories. Tousignant left the AHL scene after the 2014-15 season and opted to sign for Ravensburg Towerstars who are based out of the second tier of Germany’s pro hockey scene, DEL 2. They were not promoted last year and he remains there this season. That said, he has been amazing for that team: 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 72 games the last two seasons.

Mark Van Guilder: Somewhat similar to Tousi, I was surprised to see someone of Van Guilder’s ability go the route that he did last season. He signed for Ritten Sport in Italy. As odd as that sounds – he did damage and won their championship in the process: 57 points (18 goals, 39 assists) in 42 games. This season MVG finds himself in a higher profile league in Norway with the Stavanger Oilers where he might be doing an even better job that last year: 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 32 games. He is the leading scorer in the Norwegian league right now. Since leaving North America after the 2014-15 season he is a 1.39 point per game player across Italy and Norway.

Brandon Whitney: Last season, Whitney briefly filled a bench role on a few occassions but struggled for the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL. He wasn’t at Nashville Predators Rookie Development Camp. He wasn’t at Milwaukee Admirals Training Camp ahead of the 2016-17 season. And he wasn’t at the Cyclones Pre-Season Camp, either. He was put back on the news beat when he was part of the trade that brought Adam Pardy in earlier this season. He hasn’t shown up for the Springfield Falcons (AHL) or Manchester Monarchs (ECHL). I legitimately have no idea where he is or if he has retired.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.