Last week, both Viktor Stålberg and Rich Clune were placed on waivers. At the time it didn’t seem like anything to crazy. That appears not to be the case anymore:

#Preds Clune placed on unconditional waivers purpose to buy out.

— Tim Wharnsby (@TimWharnsby) June 27, 2015

Clune’s contract with the Nashville Predators ran through the upcoming 2015-16 season. As far as the waiver wire went – no one claimed either of the two but I’d go as far to say that Clune’s contract would have been an easier pill to swallow than Stålberg’s. Turns out it’s so easy that Nashville will send Clune packing.

If this turns out to be the case it will be sad for both players and fans in both Nashville and Milwaukee. There is no denying what Clune adds to a team: energy. He became an immediate fan favorite upon his arrival in Milwaukee and I’m sure the same will be said the moment he finds a new home.

Thoughts on the Nashville Predators potentially buying out the last year of Rich Clune’s contract? Is it smart business on Nashville’s part?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

This off-season has already been one focused on goaltending. The Marek Mazanec, Magnus Hellberg, and Juuse Saros saga seems to have been figured out. That said, there is a new name to throw into the mix when thinking down the road and, like Mazanec, it’s a Czech. The Nashville Predators selected goaltender Karel Vejmelka in the fifth round.

Vejmelka has spent his entire career to this point in his native Czech Republic and most recently played with HC Dynamo Pardubice. When thinking of the height of the goalies within the Predators system you think tall – and Vejmelka is 6’3″ at the age of 19-years old. Last season, he spent the majority of his time in the under-20 squad where he played 37 games with a 2.54 goals against average and a  0.928 save percentage. With the senior team he played in 7 games and posted a 2.86 GAA and 0.922 SV%. He also was in net for the senior team in the playoffs for 6 games where he put up a 3.02 GAA and 0.915SV%.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

With their second pick of the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft – the Nashville Predators have finally drafted a non-forward by taking defenseman Alexandre Carrier.

Carrier will be joining Gatineau Olympiques teammate Iakov Trenin in this Predators 2015 Draft Class. Trenin was the first pick selected by Nashville. Carrier has played for three seasons at Gatineau and was an alternate captain the last two seasons as well. His career stat line in juniors is: 90 points (17 goals, 73 assists) in 185 games, 0.49 points per game, 121 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus of +47. He is a native of Québec and turns 19-years old in October.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

With the first of two draft picks in the fourth round the Nashville Predators have continued building up prospects at the forward position by selecting center Anthony Richard from Val-d’Or Foreur (QMJHL).

Richard is listed at 5’9″ on Elite Prospects and will turn 19-years old just before Christmas. He has spent three seasons in the QMJHL and has a stat-line of 151 points (74 goals, 77 assists) in 174 games – all of which have come with Val-d’Or. His 2014-15 season was easily his best in junior hockey: 91 points (43 goals, 48 assists) in 66 games with 78 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of -9. He had 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in the same amount of games the year prior.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

The Nashville Predators second selection of the 2015 NHL Draft is yet another forward. They’ve taken River Falls, Wisconsin native Thomas Novak with the eighty-fifth overall selection.

Novak is a product of the St. Thomas Academy where he played for three-years before playing with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL last season. He scored 48 points (14 goals, 34 assists) in 46 games to go along with 12 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +14. He is committed to the University of Minnesota next season at turned 18-years old in late-April.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

The second day of the 2015 NHL Draft has started up and should be a busy day for the Nashville Predators who didn’t have a first rounder yesterday. Their first selection comes in the second round with the fifty-fifth overall selection, Iakov Trenin.

Trenin is a native of Chelyabinsk, Russia who played for Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL last season. He scored 67 points (18 goals, 49 assists) in 58 games – along with 34 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +17. Prior, he played for his hometown club Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk. He is 18-years old and can play both left wing and center.

This makes back-to-back years where the Predators have selected a Russian forward in the second round. They drafted Vladislav Kamenev with the forty-second overall selection of the 2014 NHL Draft.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Tonight marks the start of the 2015 NHL Draft. As far as excitement goes in the world of the Nashville Predators and future Milwaukee Admirals go? There is no real clue as to what will happen these next two days. That’s part of what makes it so fun. What is certain though? Unless Nashville trade back up into the first round we’ll all have to wait until the second round of the draft before the Predators are on the clock.

~Nashville Predators 2015 Draft Order~

The Predators have seven draft picks as of this morning. As you might recall, shield your eyes, they traded away this year’s first round draft pick along with Brendan Leipsic and Olli Jokinen to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. That pick would have been the twenty-fourth overall selection (I think that trade didn’t pay off). Here is the order in which they will be drafting:

2nd Round, 55th Overall
3rd Round, 85th Overall
4th Round, 100th Overall (from San Jose)
4th Round, 115th Overall
5th Round, 145th Overall
6th Round, 175th Overall
7th Round, 205th Overall

You can view the full draft order right here. You can even check out Steven Ellis‘ full seven round mock draft on Penalty Box Radio.

~New Season, New Looks~

There will be some new faces being introduced to the NHL tonight. Not only that but there will also be some new threads making their debuts today. Per Icethetics: the Arizona Coyotes will be debuting a brand new set of uniforms, the Colorado Avalanche will be getting a home/road uniform update, the San Jose Sharks will unveil a 25th Anniversary patch, and the Nashville Predators might just show off a jersey featuring a patch of their 2016 NHL All Star Game logo.

The Washington Capitals already debuted a brand new retro third jersey. Shame, because that means replacing the white retro third that they had dating back to the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. They should just make those their home/road and be done with it.

Later this year there should be a new Anaheim Ducks alternate (no word on whether or not they’ll rip off the Mighty Drunks), a brand new third uniform for the New York Islanders, and possibly an orange set for the Edmonton Oilers. Seems like orange is the new baby blue in the hockey world.

UPDATE: Here is the 2016 NHL All Star Game patch on the Nashville Predators jersey. The Arizona Coyotes new uniforms have leaked ahead of the unveil. Along with making the first overall selection the Oilers unveiled their awful looking orange “numerals on the shoulders like in football” jersey. The Columbus Blue Jackets just unveiled a new shoulder patch for their road/home unis.

~Trades~

This might be the part that keeps everyone on the edge of their seat tonight. Who goes? And who goes for what? It’s always an exciting atmosphere at the draft to not only see what prospects are being picked up but to also get blindsided by a trade or two. Who saw James Neal to Nashville last year?

It’s uncertain whether or not the Predators really want to be active in the trade market or not. I think it all depends on (1) availability of talent and (2) the asking price. If the Oilers are going Connor McDavid with the top selection then is someone such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins available? If not him, who else is available? It seems as if the Predators really could use a top center. Would they be willing to sell more of the future to get one? My guess is no. But that’s the fun of tuning in later tonight because I’d love to be proven wrong.

~Waivers~

Both Viktor Stålberg and Rich Clune were placed on waivers Wednesday by the Predators. They weren’t buyouts. They were just your normal waivers. Same manner in which they came to Milwaukee during the 2014-15 season.

I can confirm from a source that both have successfully cleared waivers but they also have yet to be assigned or moved anywhere as of yet. So technically speaking they aren’t Admirals right now. Still, I have to imagine -barring a trade in which the Predators eat some of Stålberg’s salary in the process- both should end up in Milwaukee to start next season.

Does Nashville make any trades tonight? Should they? If so, who for and what would you package to acquire that particular player?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

There are quite a few fun happenings going on in the North American hockey world right now. Both the NHL and AHL are currently in the midst of meetings. The NHL has already made a splash by altering their overtime format for next season: three-on-three overtime for the full five minute overtime period. And the AHL is currently doing their annual meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I don’t know if the NHL’s new overtime will instantly be mirrored in the AHL for the coming season but I’m sure that will be a discussion brought to the foreground quickly. At the moment, the AHL is divvying up the awards more than dissecting anything game changing just yet.

Speaking of which, for those that missed the news on our Facebook page, the Milwaukee Admirals received an AHL award for earning an outstanding 94.6% season ticket renewal rate last season. If the Admirals main source of revenue is ticket sales I say job well done – and also that you fans are pretty phenomenal in your own right.

~Q&A with Kristopher Martel~

We are now very close to the 2015 NHL Draft. With that in mind I reached out to one of our Nashville friends Kristopher Martel to chat about the Predators, recent news, and more. Not familiar with the lad? Well, when he isn’t introducing head coach Peter Laviolette to new technology, Mr. Martel does lots of work covering the Nashville Predators – such as writing for Fox Sports and his ye olde blog known as The Predatorial which produces its very own podcast. Here’s his answers to a few of my questions.

Admirals Roundtable: Firstly, you have the chance to trek to Milwaukee this past playing season alongside both Justin Bradford and Robby Stanley. What did you make of the city and the Admirals experience?

Kristopher Martel: It was an absolutely fantastic experience. I probably would have enjoyed it a little better if I wasn’t on a diet at the time, but regardless of the food I wasn’t able to eat my time there was amazing. The people were extremely pleasant and the Admirals staff and players were more than accommodating for whatever we needed.

AR: As an outsider, I’m actually curious what you thought of the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Good? Bad? In need of knocking down for that brand spankin’ new Bucks arena?

KM: I liked the Bradley Center, but at the same time you could definitely sense its age. If Milwaukee were to get a brand new arena and the Admirals were to become a tenant, it would serve both the team and the city in more ways than one. There’s only so much you can enjoy from a nearly 30 year old arena.

AR: With your up close view of the Admirals did any particular players stand out for you?

KM: I was pleased with the performances of both Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala. True shocker there, right? Both players ended up earning playing time in Nashville before the end of the regular season and they’ll likely continue to see time there in the upcoming season as well.

AR: The recent news of Juuse Saros signing his entry level contract seems to suggest Magnus Hellberg’s time in the organization is done. What is your take on Hellberg and would the Nashville Predators be right to choose Marek Mazanec over him?

KM: To be fair, the comparison between Hellberg and Mazanec is oddly similar to that of Craig Smith and Colin Wilson. With Smith and Wilson, my guess is only one of the two will be in Predators gold next season. With Smith – and Mazanec in this case – you’re going to see the consistency season in and season out. With Wilson – and equally Hellberg – you may not see the same consistency, but the promise of great future seasons after a fantastic regular season this year is there.

What the Predators are doing here is textbook. Sign the consistency long-term, but avoid the potential for risk. Do I blame them? Not at all. Hellberg will be a good goaltender wherever he goes, I just don’t think it’s with Nashville.

AR: How excited should Milwaukee fans be for Saros’ debut season in North American? Will he be as good as advertised?

KM: Whenever it comes to goaltenders, and defensemen for that matter, I always stress patience while waiting for them to develop. Saros has the potential to be the next Pekka Rinne for the Predators, but it’s not going to happen overnight. My feeling is that next season will be a bit rough for Saros, but the promise will show in his outings.

AR: The Predators look as if their main goal will be to keep as many parts that made them successful this season as possible. Is that the right strategy and can it be done?

KM: Absolutely. I think they’ll be able to keep the pieces they want and jettison the rest. Nashville’s plan was never to keep every single piece of the puzzle from last year. If they wanted to, they could easily keep every piece from last season. However, that’s not going to happen.

AR: Which players in the organization do you expect to be in a different uniform next season?

KM: I think players like Gabriel Bourque and Taylor Beck will be in different sweaters next season. Not for a lack of talent, but they don’t exactly fit Peter Laviolette’s system. As well as the previously mentioned Colin Wilson. The roster will be a little different, but not too different.

AR: It may not have ended as it started but it was still a really great season for Nashville. What needs to be done, added, or subtracted to put the Predators over the top for a Stanley Cup run next season?

KM: Nashville needs to find that elite top line center. With the plans for Mike Ribeiro potentially up in the air, it increases the need to address that problem sooner rather than later. Everywhere else, I think they’re set. However, that center position needs to be addressed now.

AR: With the NHL Draft this weekend what do you think the Predators should be looking for?

KM: Defensemen. Imagine that? Most years you wouldn’t be seeing me say that, but with 12 defensemen drafted in the past five drafts and only one – Seth Jones – seeing any type of significant playing time for the Predators, it’s time to re-stock the cabinet.

What are your A’s to my above Q’s? Are you expecting a quiet off-season from the Nashville Predators? Should they be active in the trade or free agent market? Will there be any moves made by them at the upcoming NHL Draft? Speaking of which, what area on the ice do the Predators need to look at in the draft?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Magnus Hellberg fans might want to shield yourselves from this news. The Nashville Predators have just announced that goaltending prospect Juuse Saros has signed a three-year entry level contract.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Milwaukee, WI—Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the club has signed goaltender Juuse Saros to a three-year, entry-level contract. Nashville’s fourth choice, 99th overall (fourth round), in the 2013 Draft is expected to play his first North American professional season in 2015-16.

Saros appeared in 47 of HPK’s 60 Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga) contests in 2014-15, ranking among the league’s Top Five in shutouts (6), minutes played (2773:53), save percentage (.929) and goals-against average (2.14) in his second full season in the league. He was named 2013-14 Finnish Elite League Rookie of the Year after ranking second among the Top Three in goals-against average (1.76), and save percentage (.928) becoming just the fourth goalie to win the award in its 40-year history. During his final Finnish junior league season in 2012-13, the Forssa, Finland, native was named best player and recipient of the Jorma Valtonen Award as the league’s top goaltender after leading all netminders in goals-against average (1.86) and save percentage (.933).

The 5-11, 176-pounder represented Finland at both the World Championship and the World Junior Championship for the second consecutive year in 2015, backing up Predators netminder Pekka Rinne at the 2015 World Championship and stopping all 22 shots he faced in his lone appearance of the tournament against Slovakia to record Finland’s third of four consecutive shutouts. At the 2014 World Junior Championship, he led Finland to its first Gold Medal at the tournament since 1987, receiving Media All-Star Team honors after leading all goaltenders in save percentage (.943) and goals-against average (1.57) in six games. He was also named Best Goalkeeper of the 2013 Under-18 World Championship and one of Finland’s three best players of the tournament in helping them claim the bronze medal.

With Pekka Rinne, Carter Hutton, Marek Mazanec, and Brandon Whitney all officially locked under contract for next season this effectively ends the three year tenure of Hellberg’s time with the Predators organization. There is no spot for him. For those thinking about him being traded at the upcoming NHL Draft because Nashville would still hold Hellberg’s rights as a pending RFA – why would anyone give up anything when they could go after him as a free agent a few days later? Unless the Predators feel up for housing two goaltenders with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL (reminder: Whitney is under contract to the Admirals for just such a purpose) then Hellberg is gone. That would make this Facebook post by Sergey Liuichuk make that much more sense anyways.

Could the option still be there to trade Hutton away, move Mazanec up, and sign Hellberg still happen? It could. But I doubt it.

Enough of the Hellberg woes for now. That will happen when it becomes official. For now? How about getting excited about Saros officially making the leap to North American ice. Those that may be bummed out in regards to the loss of Hellberg could well be singing a whole new tune by the end of the Milwaukee Admirals 2015-16 season. In fact, how surreal would it be if a rookie netminder from Finland marched an Admirals team on down to a Calder Cup Finals appearance? It happened in 2006. It could just as well happen ten year’s later if Saros is as good as advertised.

What impresses me so much about Saros is for all his incredible statistics and two full professional playing seasons with HPK in Finland is that he turned 20-years old in April. He plays beyond his years and has been the man for HPK’s senior squad these last two years all while being a teenager. He can only get better.

There may be some head scratching from today all the way until early in the Admirals playing season as to why the Predators went about business the way that they did picking Mazanec over Hellberg. There should be no questioning this. The Predators would pick Saros over all but Rinne within their organization at this point. And, with time, he might be that man to succeed him.

Thoughts on the Saros signing? Does this news mean the end of Hellberg’s time as a member of the Nashville Predators organization or can other moves still take place? With the machine firmly behind him is Saros the first choice goaltender over Mazanec in Milwaukee this season?

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Late this afternoon was the decisive Game 7 of this year’s ECHL Kelly Cup Finals between the Allen Americans and the South Carolina Stingrays. It was a series that pitted brief teammates on the Milwaukee Admirals this season Gary Steffes (Allen) and Scott Ford (South Carolina) against one-another. In the end, it was all Allen all day long in Game 7. The Americans took home the 2015 ECHL Kelly Cup with a 6-1 rout in front of their home fans.

This was the Allen Americans debut season in the ECHL after competing in the Central Hockey League (CHL) where they won the last two Ray Miron President’s Cups until it ceased operations ahead of the 2014-15 season. They became the first ECHL team to advance for the Kelly Cup Finals in their inaugural ECHL season since the Idaho Steelheads managed to do so in 2003-04 season. Allen topped the Western Conference at the end of the regular season and was a single point shy of tying the Toledo Walleye (107 points) for the best record in the entire ECHL. Their road to the Kelly Cup saw them take down the Tulsa Oilers (4-1), Rapid City Rush (4-2), and then climbing back against the Ontario Reign (4-3) before their seven game series in the finals against the South Carolina Stingrays (4-3).

Steffes’ incredible 2014-15 hockey season is now officially complete. He ends it as a Kelly Cup champion and with a grand total of 95 points (61 goals, 34 assists) in 97 games in all competitions between his time with the Allen Americans (ECHL regular season, ECHL playoffs) and the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL regular season). He produced 18 points (13 goals, 5 assists) during the Americans Kelly Cup winning run. I fully expect him to be an AHL regular next season.

The Sheriff and his Stingrays came up just short after a great ECHL season. I made mention of it during the end season grades but Ford looked and played much better than he did at any point during the 2013-14 season. I feel like his off-season fitness work paid off huge and, should he keep motoring along like this past season, could find himself back in his veteran role in the AHL. Knowing how much the coaching staff in Milwaukee loves him it wouldn’t surprise me if he was given yet another return in an Admirals sweater.

All that’s left is for the Stanley Cup Finals to come to a close. The Chicago Blackhawks have the chance to finish up the series on home ice in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. From there? Well, take a gander back to the handy dandy off-season calendar for more.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.