In a weird and awkwardly timed mid-season announcement, I’m officially retiring from the Admirals Roundtable, and I’m handing over the keys of the franchise to Daniel Lavender.
The Roundtable and the Short Shifts blog before it were my babies. But then something happened…My wife and I became parents of a real baby this past summer. And now, I am finding it increasingly more difficult to devote the time to writing. I don’t want to half-ass it. You deserve better than that.
The time has come to fully pass the Admirals Roundtable torch to Daniel — a guy who bleeds Admirals blue, white, and black. His dedication to the cause will allow the Roundtable to continue to be the best place for Admirals and Predators fans (and I suppose any hockey fan, for that matter) to go for news and analysis about the team. Anyone can read a box score and put it into words. Daniel will continue to go beyond the box score.
As for me, you’ll probably still see me at games periodically. I’m still going to do the game ops stuff on weeknights, and as much as I loathe the twitter, I think I’m still going to participate in that (@RyanAdmirals). I hope to periodically have interesting things to say. And I’ll continue to comment on this site. But at this point…it’s time to walk away from the writing, remember the good times, and thank all of you for reading over the years.
That last one is huge. Sincerely, thank you for your support of these labors of love. Thanks for playing along when we’ve been goofy (Mountain Fury….Beef-A-Roo….”under there”…dumb nicknames…). Thanks for sharing your opinions in the comments section. And thank you for sharing these hockey seasons with me. The Short Shifts blog started in the fall of 2008. It’s been a great run. Thank you for reading, and thank you some more.
And I hope you will continue to support Daniel and this site as we press on with this season of Admirals hockey.
Whenever a NHL General Manager position becomes available, Paul Fenton seems to always be the short list of candidates. Of course, considering his track record of drafting and development work under the watchful eye of Predators G.M. David Poile, there is good reason for it to be.
Considering the fan support, young player potential, and having an owner with deep pockets, Buffalo seems like a great fit for an up-and-coming future G.M. looking to build a reputation and winner. Fenton is now in his eighth season as Poile’s right hand man, and believes he is ready. The 53-year-old has reached out to new Sabres president of hockey operations Pat LaFontaine.
Poile’s previous assistant G.M., Ray Shero, is now considered one of the NHL’s best in Pittsburgh, and was rewarded for his efforts when he was named NHL General Manager of the Year for the 2012-2013 season.
Some of the other possibilities include Boston Bruins assistant G.M. Jim Benning and Jason Botterill, who holds the same position with the Penguins. With all of his ties to Buffalo, Canadiens assistant G.M. Rick Dudley would also be pretty logical.
Read more about this story in Pro Hockey Talk here.
Or read Josh Cooper’s take in the Tennessean here.
So Roundtable … What do you think of Paul Fenton’s track record with Nashville/Milwaukee? Is he ready to be an NHL General Manager? Would you be sad to see him go?
Remember that day where Fox 6 decided to take a look into the Admirals camp – specifically one Magnus Hellberg? That went well as far as timing goes. They were there to take a look at a “day in the life of a goalie” centering in on Hellberg. Next thing you know – breaking news.
Magnus’ take on the day he was called up? A laugh.
“It was pretty funny,” smiled Admiral goaltender Magnus Hellberg. “Fox 6 news was following me through practice and I was mic’d through the morning. After the practice Stan [Drulia] and Dean [Evason] told me to come to the office. I thought I was going to get some [“crap”] from last game or something. I didn’t know and I asked them, should I remove the microphone? They said, no keep it on, and they just told me that I am getting the call up.”
The evolution of Hellberg’s game since joining the Admirals has been rather impressive. While winning four games from his first six games in net last season, it was apparent the adjustment to the North American game (smaller rinks and increased speeds) was difficult out of the gate for him. On the 2012 side of the calender he had allowed 3.43 goals per game with a 0.892 SV%. During that time he was sent to Cincinnati Cyclones as a means to get him more time between the times. He was called back up to Milwaukee after a short stay in Cinci, but then went through a string of six-straight losses between the pipes for the Ads.
Then it all started to click.
In the month of February Hellberg was absolutely dominant. He won six games with a 1.36 GAA, a stellar 0.950 SV%, and two shutouts. For his efforts in he was awarded the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February. His effort in net continued on culminating with crucial back-to-back shutouts to end the season and see the Ads make the playoffs for an eleventh consecutive season.
While last season’s playoff run ended in the opening round, it was clear that yet another incredible goalie was being crafted in Milwaukee. Hellberg went to the Nashville Predators pre-season camp only to pick up an injury on day one. In what might have been a disappointment, he continued his efforts to earn his first career NHL call up. An injury to Pekka Rinne and a decent enough start through three games meant Hellberg would get that chance.
“It’s a dream you have since you’re a kid,” said Hellberg of his call up. “That’s why you play here to eventually go and play in Nashville.”
Hellberg spent nearly a week and a half in the NHL. The majority of his stay consisted of practicing with the Predators and sitting on the bench as Carter Hutton started ahead of him. He did make his NHL debut in a relief appearance for Hutton as the St. Louis Blues thumped the Preds, 6-1. Hellberg’s twelve minute NHL cameo saw him stop 3-4 shots on net as he saw off the game to the final horn. While the experience on ice was limited his experience off the ice was very rewarding.
“It was nice to meet all the guys up there. They welcomed me pretty good,” said Hellberg of his stint with Nashville. “Just to see how it is up there, the NHL lifestyle. Now I know what I can come back to. What I am chasing.”
Since returning from Nashville, he has had to weather the storm of 122 shots in four games while shaking loose the cobwebs of not starting on a regular basis. In particular, the past two games have seen a return of form for Hellberg. In the shootout loss in San Antonio, he stopped 43-45 shots. Last night in the victory over Grand Rapids, he stopped 28-29 shots. As far as I could tell, he didn’t look flustered by the Griffins last night either. He allowed a few rebounds but appeared to have his vision and reflexes honed in all night. The lone goal scored by the Griffins featured lots of net front traffic in on Hellberg with a shot just squeaking past his arm on the near post. With some uncertainty taking place in Rinne’s absence from the Predators net, the competition between goalies in the organization to earn that cage is fierce. Hellberg’s take on the situation is as poised as he so often is.
“Hutton is a great goalie, [Mazanec] is a great goalie as well,” said Hellberg. “It’s competition all the time, but it’s a process. My focus is 100% here [in Milwaukee] and to try to help this team win games. We’ll see what happens in the future. I can’t go think about what happens up [in Nashville]. If I get a call up, I want to try an contribute to the team up there.”
Thoughts on Magnus Hellberg? How has he progressed as a goalie since joining the Admirals? Do you expect him back in Nashville again at some point this season? Long term, where do you see him playing a few years down the road?
The Nashville Predators have made the move to bring Filip Forsberg back up and reassign Taylor Beck to the Milwaukee Admirals.
No real big surprise here. When the move to swap these two took place exactly one week ago it seemed as if the Predators were hoping to get Forsberg some quality minutes on the ice that he wasn’t quite getting in the NHL. The response by Forsberg went something like this:
When this roster move happened last week I never really expected to see him play in Milwaukee. He did. For those who had a glance at him last night you probably are not that surprised with this move, either. The talent is completely evident when watching Forsberg play. Considering the Preds are in the midst of a three game losing skid where they have only produced one goal out of three contests – this move had to be made. If Forsberg didn’t play this well and Taylor Beck set the world alight in Nashville – who knows. Fact of the matter is that Beck didn’t make much of an impact when given the chance this go-round: 2 games, 0 points, 2 PIM, -1, and 3 shots on goal. With where the two players stood this move was going to go down before the Predators faced the Penguins and Blackhawks this weekend. Whether or not it will actually boost Forsberg’s NHL production will be another story.
Thoughts on the move? Right call? Should Forsberg have stayed with the Ads a little bit longer or should he have never even have been brought down in the first place? Does Forsberg make an immediate impact upon his return to the Predators this weekend? What should we expect of Taylor Beck returning to the Admirals lineup this Friday?
While up in Nashville Magnus Hellberg switched up masks. Gone is the Ads design that he wore all of last year and the start of this year. Now his mask features the colors of Nashville. Best news to me? The return of Peter No-tail!
The roster moves for the Ads keep on coming. This go-round it’s a swap of forwards. The Nashville Predators have decided to recall Taylor Beck and assign Filip Forsberg to the Milwaukee Admirals.
Beck this season has 3 goals and 2 assists in the opening 8 games. He might have started the season fairly slow, by what we’ve come to expect from him, but his form in recent games has shown Beck is right back at it: 2 goals in his last 2 games while firing off 8 shots. Last season in the NHL, Beck played in 16 games scoring 3 goals and 4 assists with the Predators.
This will be Filip Forsberg’s first time playing with the Milwaukee Admirals. Last season this top prospect was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Nashville Predators for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. The 11th overall selection of the 2012 NHL Draft suited up for 5 games last season for the Predators after his trade. He scored his first point, an assist, in a 4-3 Predators victory over the Calgary Flames. This season he picked up his first career NHL goal, but has had a relatively quiet opening 11 games to this point: 1 goal and 4 assists.
That being said, that’s a quiet start for a 19-year old top prospect within the organization. There is a big ceiling with Mr. Forsberg. Depending on how long he stays with the Ads team, just for this upcoming three-in-three or longer, it adds an entirely new dimension to an already red hot Ads team that has yet to lose in regulation this season.
Thoughts on the move? How will Forsberg do this weekend? Will Forsberg be an Admiral past this weekend? Do you think Beck was deserving of this call-up or would you have liked to have seen another forward head to Nashville?
The Nashville Predators have made a move within the organization this morning. They will be sending down Magnus Hellberg and calling up Marek Mazanec.
This is Mazanec’s first ever NHL call up in his first professional season of North American hockey. To this point with the Ads he has won five games in five starts while posting a solid 1.97 GAA and a .933 SV%.
Mazanec has yet to look flustered as an Admiral. This call up comes at a stretch for the Predators where they are playing seven-straight games on the road. In Pekka Rinne’s absence, the netminder of choice has been Carter Hutton the previous four games.
Magnus Hellberg’s first taste of the NHL was fairly brief. He made his first NHL appearance in relief of Hutton in a 6-1 defeat to the St. Louis Blues. In 12:12 of ice time Hellberg faced four shots and let in a power-play goal by Alex Pietrangelo. After that? He’s been sitting on the bench.
While you can’t deny that practicing with the Predators has its benefits in terms of learning the NHL game… you also can’t deny that starting and playing games between the pipes on a regular basis is what will keep a goalie razor sharp. That to me is what this move says. Give Mazanec a look at the NHL level. Possibly give him some action to see how he handles the pace of the NHL. Meanwhile, keep Hellberg from gathering and rust by allowing him to start regularly with the Ads.
These two goalies have been marked as a 1a/1b goaltending duo right out of camp. It looks as clear as day that the Nashville Predators feel precisely the same way.
Thoughts on the switch? Good call? Bad call? Would you have liked to see Magnus Hellberg play more with the Predators? How do you feel Mazanec will fair in his first rodeo with the NHL?
This afternoon the news has come out that Ads d-man Bryan Rodney will be suspended for two games as a result of his illegal check to the head of Texas Stars center Travis Morin. Rodney will officially miss the Ads games against the Texas Stars (Wednesday) and Rockford IceHogs (Friday).
The play occurred after a turnover at the blue line on an Admiral power-play. Morin was almost off to the races until he looked to his left and met the shoulder of Bryan Rodney. Morin stayed down on the ice for a brief time but did not miss a shift on the ice. Rodney was penalized with an illegal check to the head (Rule 48.2, minor penalty) but was not given a match penalty for the incident.
My take on the suspension: It was certainly a hit to the head. Based on the lone replay I saw of the incident at the game there was no intent from Rodney to hit Morin’s head. My guess is Rodney is looking to put a shoulder through the body of Morin to deny him a shorthanded breakaway, Morin tries to brace for a hit, and the net result is a shoulder to the head. Penalty? Yes. Two game suspension? No. I’ve watched a lot more blatant attempts of shots to the head at the NHL level this year (ex. Michael Grabner) receive similar punishment. It wasn’t as obvious. It wasn’t as dirty. Yet, this is an era of player safety. Any hit to the head, intent or no intent, is going to be under the microscope
Thoughts on the suspension? Who fills in in-place of Rodney? (Get better soon Jarvinen.)
Hey, good for Fox 6 to give any love to the Admirals on any day other than media day, concert nights, and the playoffs.
They were at Admirals practice today to do a day-in-the-life-of-a-goalie story, and they were there when Coach Evason got the call that Magnus Hellberg was to be on a plane to Nashville tonight.
First — that conversation between Magnus and the coach…. you can tell Dean was just THRILLED that cameras were there. Second — I don’t believe for one second that he doesn’t know what the goalie situation is in Nashville. Third — Kramp suggested that he thought Hellberg was about to be demoted.
Oh, Kramp. Every Admirals fan is just shaking their head.
Fourth….oh that headline…. Milwaukee Admirals gets called up to the “bigs”. I hope they change it by the time you read it. That’s painful.
Nevertheless….credit where credit is due. Fox 6 broke the story, and they should get the credit for it. And we’re very happy for Magnus.
Nothing is official until the Preds say it is (I’m pretty sure absolutely positive they’re even less pleased about the cameras there than Dean was). Josh Cooper from the Tennessean tweeted: “For those wondering, Hutton did practice on-ice today. Rinne did not.”
The Admirals are off until Saturday, so in the event that this is just precautionary, we may get Magnus back in time for Saturday’s game against the Texas Stars. But we’ll be watching Josh Cooper and the Nashville blogs for news on Rinne tomorrow, for sure.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Magnus won’t be back on Saturday.
Notice the familiar face in that photo? That is former Admiral Darren Haydar suited up in Munich EHC’s Oktoberfest uniforms. As far as special occasion unis go I give this a solid 10/10!
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