There are plenty of transactions to round-up. The Milwaukee Admirals added three players to ATO contracts and reassigned Paul Crowder to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.

Crowder has played in 4 games with the Admirals this season. He hasn’t scored a point, took one penalty for holding, and has a plus/minus rating of -2. With the Cyclones he has played in 59 games, scored 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists), has 42 penalty minutes to his name, and a plus/minus of +5.

Who are the new names to take his place on the roster? Jonathan Diaby, Kirill Gotovets, and Joe Pendenza.

Diaby was the Predators 3rd Round (64th Overall) selection in 2013 NHL Draft. He is just finishing up his time with the Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL. In juniors the 19-year old defenseman played in 175 games, scored 63 points (14 goals, 49 assists), had 280 penalty minutes, and an overall plus/minus of +30.

Gotovets is a 22-year old from Belarus, drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 7th Round (183rd Overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft, and a product of Cornell University of the ECAC. In college the defenseman played 112 games, scored 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists), recorded 76 penalty minutes, and his plus/minus was +27.

Pendenza just finished his time with UMass-Lowell of H-East. The 23-year old Massachusetts native is an undrafted forward who played 152 games in college, scored 110 points (49 goals, 61 assists), had 118 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus of +36.

It is also worth mentioning that the recently added ATO signing, Tommy Veilleux, will not play with the Milwaukee Admirals this season due to lingering injuries following a season where he played alongside Diaby with Victoriaville.

What are your thoughts on all of these moves? Which new ATO signing excites you the most?

With last night’s game complete, Scott Darling surpassed the amount of games played this season by Magnus Hellberg for second on the team by Milwaukee Admirals goaltenders. Did that raise an eyebrow? Because it did with me. For someone who has had the results to the toll of Darling you would think, in a survival of the fittest sense, he should be in net more than anyone else. So why hasn’t he?

Let’s start with the cold hard fact that Darling is on a one year contract that was made with the mindset that he would be the organization’s man in Cincinnati. And, you know what, for awhile he was. Then an injury from Nashville, and an opening and injury in Milwaukee, gave him a window to exceed expectations. He has done just that.

He has now played in twenty-two AHL games, won half of the games he has played in, has a 1.95 goals against average (GAA), 0.935 save percentage (SV%), and a remarkable five shutouts from eighteen starts. This is coming from a goalie that, up until this season, only played in one AHL game.

We’ve covered the story of Scott Darling previously here on the Roundtable. It’s a good one. It is something that reminds you that (A) this is a goalie that was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007 (B) the Admirals were the first team in which he ever experienced in-season goalie coach (C) he is always prepared for his surroundings to change and to roll with those punches.

Perhaps that explains his ability to sit out, step in, and produce.

Last night’s thirty-six save shutout was his first game in net since March 23rd. The team lost a shootout in Utica that night. The space between starts? Ten days. Three games. He was called up from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL on October 24, 2013. His first start occurred fifteen days and four games later. His second start with the Admirals happened eight days and three games later. It was in that game that he shutout the Iowa Wild for his first shutout and win in the AHL.

He is driven to compete. A door opened for him to make a splash at the AHL level. He’s taken it whenever he is finally presented the chance to play.

So, why not him? Let’s get cold and very blunt again.

Magnus Hellberg
Nashville Predators, 2011 NHL Draft, 2nd Round (38th Overall)

Marek Mazanec
Nashville Predators, 2012 NHL Draft, 6th Round (179th Overall)

Painfully, I could almost leave that information up there and it should speak for itself. Hellberg’s slow start and subsequent injury gave the fast track to us seeing Marek Mazanec play in more games than he has ever played in any single season prior to his first in North America.

Mazanec’s previous career high for games played in a season came with Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga in 2012-13 where he appeared in twenty-one games. This season, combined between the Predators and Admirals, he has played in fifty-two games.

While the massive work load given to Mazanec this season might be staggering – he has also shown to the Predators that he is capable or handling himself at the NHL level. With Pekka Rinne‘s injury causing a scramble in net early in the season – Maznec appeared in twenty-five games, won eight games, had a 2.80 GAA, 0.902 SV%, and earned two shutouts. He was recognized by the NHL as the Rookie of the Month in November.

As if being drafted by them in 2012 wasn’t enough he has earned his place firmly on Nashville’s radar. They want him to play games and continue to sharpen his rough edges, to settle into the North American game, and put the coaching staff’s instructions immediately to use in game situations.

And that is the biggest problem when it comes to Darling not playing more than he probably should despite the better statistical numbers. By the start of next season, Mazanec will have a weight of Nashville and Milwaukee instructed knowledge in mind and put to use – and Darling will probably be in a different organization all together.

Now, here is why I think absolutely none of that matters as it pertains to the here and now.

There are eight-games remaining in the Admirals season. The schedule ahead of them sees the following play out: two-in-two, …a Tuesday game, three-in-three, and two-in-two. How the team distributes the net in those back-to-backs will be telling as to who gets the starts in the playoffs. It’s crunch time. And it is time to give the important minutes of the season to the players who’ve done the best with the time they’ve been given. In goal, that man is not Mazanec – it is Darling.

This time last season we were on the Hellberg train plowing through the final games of the season. He started every game of a three-in-three on the last weekend of the season with the eighth seed for the Western Conference on the line. He won them all – and had back-to-back shutouts to end the season.

Where are we in the present for confidence in net the likes of Hellberg last season? Darling.

In Hellberg’s month of April last season he had a 1.81 GAA in ten games. Mazanec’s month of March heading into this time of the season, 2.87 GAA. Darling, in minimal work – seven games since February, has had a sub-2.00 GAA for every month since February: 1.67 (Feb.) … 1.95 (Mar.) … 0.00 (Apr.).

Alright, so that last 0.00 GAA comes from his shutout last night -but- is that not the start of bigger and better things? Shouldn’t the numbers and performances that back them up ascend “in the pipeline” talent? We could be set to find out when the Admirals play on Friday night against the Iowa Wild. Just as equally telling – will the man that starts on Friday start the following night against the Chicago Wolves? The watch for the would-be playoff starter in net for the Admirals is officially on.

Jason Karnosky, contributor to MilwaukeeAdmirals.com/Admirals Roundtable and former sidekick to Daniel Lavender, was traded today by the Milwaukee Admirals to the Chicago Wolves. No word yet on what compensation the Admirals are receiving in return, but at this point is likely a writer to be named later. Karnosky will make his Wolves debut Tuesday night as the Milwaukee comes to town.

“We added Karnosky for his familiarity within the division,” Chicago Chairman of the Board/Governor Don Levin said. “With the Amtrak Rivalry game tonight and his countless interviews of Michael Davies while he was at the University of Wisconsin, we see him as a great fit in the Windy City.”

By getting rid of Karnosky and Daniel Lavender’s surprising recall, Ryan Miller was called back to his former duties and will be writing the Admirals Roundtable recap, and perhaps even Scouting the Enemy this morning.

“I can’t write that today,” said Karnosky, who asked to fill in on the piece before leaving for Chicago. “I am the enemy now!”

Miller will likely only be an interim solution. Rumor is his young family is planning to move to Edmonton, Alberta in the not too distant future to start the new blog, Golden Bears and Pandas?, covering former Admirals coach Ian Herbers‘ University of Alberta squad, which just won its 14th Canadian National Championship.

No word yet on whether Karnosky’s upcoming feature on Admirals forward Mark Van Guilder for MilwaukeeAdmirals.com was completed before the trade. Since taking the job in Chicago, Karnosky has been heard around the Wolves’ offices in Rosemont, Illinois lobbying for Chicago to acquire the veteran forward so he could move the piece to ChicagoWolves.com.

“The guy (MVG) is amazing in the community, mentors fellow players, and now has over 13 shifts of NHL experience,” Karnosky was overheard saying. “He also brought back to Milwaukee a Nashville Predators sock and that has to be worth something.”

Karnosky asked for the trade today after purchasing a new Toyota Camry Monday evening (pictured above).

“I can’t be seen in this car in Milwaukee,” Karnosky said. “No is ever going to believe a Admirals Roundtable blogger could have afforded this.”

In a shocking turn of events the Nashville Predators announced that Daniel Lavender has been recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals this morning. It will be his first career NHL call up and he is expected to join a line of Jeremy K. Gover and Robby Stanley.

“I was unaware they could actually do this,” said a confused Daniel Lavender at Mitchell Airport. “I wonder if Pekka will remember me.”

Lavender joined the Admirals last season on an ATO as a public relations intern. The team brought him back this season as a member of Admirals Roundtable. In his time there he has produced 256 posts and gained an additional 426 Twitter followers.

“I tried to squeeze Scott Ford into my luggage but he wouldn’t fit,” said Lavender of his flight to Nashville. “I told him it was worth a shot. At least now he can meet up with the team before their bus to Chicago leaves.”

He is a product of the prestigious University of Wisconsin-Parkside. It was there that he led the sports beat for the college’s newspaper, The Ranger News. He was best known for his work with the Parkside Rangers women’s soccer program. At the legendary Wood Rood Field – he not only wrote for the paper but also performed color commentary for the student radio station.

“I had a blast with Parkside soccer,” smiled Lavender. “People always told me I have a face for radio and a voice for newsprint. It was great that I managed to incorporate both into the same sport.”

After his first year with the newspaper his colleagues elevated him to the position of Executive Editor. He would remain in that role up until his graduation in the spring of 2012. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a certificate in Sports Management.

“I still can’t believe this is really happening,” said Lavender. “No, seriously.”

There is no word whether or not the Admirals make a corresponding move from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. The Cyclones are led by Nick Brunker this season in news reporting and social media. He would be a likely candidate should a move occur shortly after this transaction. For now the Admirals should anticipate major things from the Houghton, Michigan native Jason Karnosky.

What are your thoughts on this move? Did Daniel Lavender deserve to get recalled or should he have remained at the AHL level? Should he have really made an April Fools Day post before tonight’s game? Can I try to fit Scott Ford inside of your luggage?

Yesterday, Mark Van Guilder was officially recalled to the Nashville Predators under emergency conditions. Today, he has been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals but will return to the team with a lifetime of memories.

Last night the 30-year-old forward made his NHL debut in Nashville’s dramatic 4-3 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals. Van Guilder logged 8:27 of ice time, the least of any skater for the Preds, but did get a respectable 14 shifts to go along with a well-deserved 45 seconds of penalty kill time.

In Nashville, Van Guilder joined recent Admirals teammates Calle Jarnkrok (6 NHL games, 1 goal & 4 assists) and Colton Sissons (16 NHL games, 1 goal & 3 assists). Courtesy of our friend Robby Stanley of Smashville 24/7 – Sissons had the following to say about Van Guilder after last night’s game:

“It’s awesome,” Sissons said. “He’s worked so hard for a long time. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever met and come across in the game so I’m really happy for him. He was a great mentor for me in Milwaukee and helped me out a lot early on when I was just a young pro early on in the season. I can’t say enough about him. He’s an awesome guy.”

Other friend of the Roundtable, Jeremy K. Gover, caught up with Van Guilder in the locker room after the game. You can find his great story on Section 303 – including gem quotes from Van such as this one:

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Van Guilder before starting to look around his stall. “I’ll take whatever they can give me. Doesn’t matter to me. I’ll take a sock, whatever.”

The Roseville, Minnesota native will rejoin the Admirals in the thick of the AHL’s playoff race. Van Guilder has been excellent with Milwaukee this season posting 14 goals and 28 points, with a decent possibility of breaking his career high scoring mark of 14 goals and 32 points.

To see a great photo gallery of the game, check out Predators.NHL.com.

UPDATE: This afternoon, Van Guilder was featured and interviewed on NHL Network. Here are some quotes from his appearance:

When asked about finally making his NHL debut…

“First of all, 400 games? Holy crap. It was awesome. It was so much fun. I think the best part was my teammates in Milwaukee – the support and response from them when I found out from my coach. All the guys that are in Nashville. The cool thing about this was I’ve been in the organization for so long that I had so many guys in Nashville that I knew and were friends with. They made me feel so comfortable. I was actually kind of nervous for the first time in I don’t know how many years for a hockey game. It was awesome and a lot of fun.” Mark Van Guilder.

When asked about what led him down the path of being very active in the Milwaukee community…

“I think a lot of free time and a great staff in Milwaukee. First of all, I think that we are very fortunate to have the job we do. Practice in the morning and be done by – you’re free at 12:15 in the afternoon. You have the rest of the day. So I just think it’s our obligation to give back to the community that comes and supports you every weekend. That’s just how I kind of see it. And we have a great staff that makes it really easy on us – you know, buying us Chipotle whenever we do a school visit and stuff like that, so how could you say no?” Mark Van Guilder.

What was it like when you got the news that you were being called up…

“That was awesome. No warning from Dean Evason, but I think you’re trying to have some fun with it. He was trying to make it special for me. It was awesome. We had a team meeting in the morning on Saturday – just going over some points from the weekend – the previous game – the upcoming game, stuff like that. And then he said, “Oh yeah, one more thing, Van Guilder is going to Nashville.” So that’s how everyone knows. I was kind of surprised at first but all my teammates with hugs and high fives and stuff like that it was pretty special for me.” Mark Van Guilder.

Did you ever think you weren’t going to make it to the NHL…

“To be honest with you, when I was a kid I wasn’t that good. If you asked my peewee hockey coach he’d say there’s not a chance this kid is ever making it. So, I don’t think there was a time. I never really thought – yeah, I’m playing in the NHL. I just kind of took it one step at a time. I was like, man I’d really like to play for Roseville high school varsity team. And then, yeah I’d really love to play Division I hockey. And then, yeah I’d really love to play professional hockey. So it’s kind of been one step at a time and then I think the closer and closer you get the more real it becomes the more you want it.” Mark Van Guilder.

So Roundtable . . . How would you like to welcome back MVG?

As if the recent stretch of games for the Admirals didn’t have you happy or excited enough as it is, more good news! Today, Mark Van Guilder has been summoned by the Nashville Predators.

Huge congrats to Mark Van Guilder on earning his first call-up today to @PredsNHL after battling in minors for 6 seasons! #DreamComeTrue

— Scott Bartlett (@SCGscott) March 29, 2014

The news comes a day after Van Guilder and the Admirals defeated the Lake Erie Monsters and strengthened their playoff position in the Western Conference.

I had hit upon this circumstance not too long ago regarding how special it would be for a guy such as Van Guilder get finally reach the NHL after six professional seasons in the organization. Today, it is realized. Tomorrow, he could well make his NHL debut at the young age of 30-years old as the Predators play at home against the Washington Capitals.

This season Van Guilder has played in all 66 games for the Admirals, produced 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists), taken 26 penalty minutes, and has an even plus/minus rating. At the time of his first ever NHL recall he has played 387 games professionally at the AHL and ECHL level – including 304 with the Admirals.

Still awaiting an official statement from the Nashville Predators regarding this move. As soon as that comes into the fray – I’ll provide an update.

UPDATE: I might have taken a day, but, it’s been made official. I suspect the reason why this took some time to unfold is because it is a recall that is taking place under emergency conditions. He will be wearing his #29 in Nashville later tonight and is expected to play on a line with Colin Wilson and Victor Stalberg.

UPDATE: The Milwaukee Admirals have also signed another ATO deal today – Tommy Veilleux has just been added. He was a sixth rounder in the 2013 NHL Draft and played for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL.

Thoughts? How happy are you for Mark Van Guilder? While were in the MVG Love Fest – what is your favorite Van Guilder moment as an Admiral?

Prior to tonight’s Nashville Predators game I made the joke that the Admirals played against the Rochester Americans last night – and now so do the Predators. After the first period the Predators led 4-0 over the Buffalo Sabres. And, of that opening frame, we saw some NHL firsts.

Colton Sissons’ First Career NHL Goal (Video)

At 6:26 of the first period Colton Sissons netted his first career NHL goal. He may have fanned on his initial shot to the net, but, it actually worked to his favor. With the puck sliding over to Richard Clune in front of the net – Sissons kept skating towards the side of the crease and was in the right place at the right time when Clune’s follow-up backhander banged off of Matt Hackett‘s pads. Sissons popped home the rebound for his first NHL goal in his fourteenth NHL game.

Calle Jarnkrok’s First Career NHL Goal (Video)

Only nine-seconds after Colin Wilson scored the game’s second goal – Calle Jarnkrok netted his first career NHL goal at 11:53 of the first period. Henrik Tallinder was pressured back into his own zone by Craig Smith, who forced the turnover that fell towards Gabriel Bourque, who dinked the puck back into the slot for Jarnkrok, and blammo! Jarnkrok has now scored a point in every game he has played in with the Predators. This first career NHL goal comes in only his fourth game since being recalled from the Admirals.

UPDATE: Post-game locker room photos!

Have you been following along with their progress in the NHL? If so, how do you think they have been playing?

We have our next amateur-tryout contract to announce. This afternoon Admirals have signed forward Braden Pimm.

Pimm just completed his senior season at Northeastern University. In his four-year college career he played 139 games, scored 85 points (42 goals, 43 assists), a plus/minus rating of +7, and 131 penalty minutes.

He enters the Admirals from a senior campaign that saw him record new highs in games played in a season (37) and scoring – 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists). His goal total led Northeastern last season.

He also already has plenty of connections with the Ads. In two seasons with Northeastern he was playing alongside Anthony Bitetto and Vinny Saponari. Pimm also hails from Fort Saint John, British Columbia, Canada. Who else on the Admirals can name that town home? The captain of the Admirals and sheriff of Milwaukee, Scott Ford.

Thoughts on the new blood? How can the newbie fit into the Admirals lineup?