(Photo credit:  Scott Paulus)

Tonight’s game against the Cleveland Lake Erie Monsters is a significant one for Brad Winchester.

Not only is he riding a three game goal scoring streak, and not only has he scored in five of his last six games… but this will be his 25th game with the Milwaukee Admirals.

And thus, the end of the ride on his current PTO contract.

So if we hope to see him again on Friday night in Rockford, something official will need to happen pretty quickly.

His options?  Maybe an NHL team would like to sign him.  They’ve had the capability to this whole time.  But now that he’s playing arguably his best hockey of the year, maybe there’s a team on the playoff bubble that could use his services.  He’s not tied to Nashville – they don’t retain his rights.  He can go anywhere that wants him.

He could sign a second PTO contract with the Admirals…or any other team in the AHL.

He will be as free of an agent as one can be after the game tonight.

Would it make sense for him to sign a PTO somewhere else if there’s no whiff of an NHL deal?  I’m not sure it would.  With just 9-14 games left in the AHL regular season, would he want to start completely fresh with a new group?  Uproot everything that he’s had here for the last couple months?  I don’t see that happening.

We’ll check in with him after the game tonight and see where he’s at with this.

In order to clear up room for scoring forward Patric Hornqvist, who was activated off of IR today, Nashville decided to send defenseman Ryan Ellis down to Milwaukee.

Ellis, who started the season in Milwaukee, has been with Nashville since the day the NHL lockout ended after collecting nine points in an injury-shortened 20 games.

After a fast start to season with the Predators, Ellis has gone horribly cold. He is without a point since Feb. 14 (a stretch of 17 games), with the low point coming on March 14 when the 22-year-old suffered through a minus-four night as the Vancouver whipped the Predators 7-4. However, Ellis did compete in his first NHL fight in a 4-0 win over Dallas on March 12.

The Freelton, Ontario native has just six points in 31 NHL games this season after picking up 11 in 32 last season (both seasons Ellis started in Milwaukee). Ellis will join Craig Smith as recently demoted Predators on the Milwaukee roster.

So Roundtable . . . Are you as surprised as I am to see Ryan Ellis back in Milwaukee? Did his recent play warrant this demotion? Has Victor Bartley jumped ahead of Ellis and Jon Blum on the Predators’ depth chart (Bartley’s playing around 20 mins a game in his last three contests)? How long do you expect Ellis to be down?

Maybe he’s a big Phillip Phillips fan?

The Predators have announced that Craig Smith has been sent to Milwaukee on a conditioning assignment.  It’ll be the first taste of the AHL for the 23 year old.

With three games in three days this weekend, and with names like Mueller, Beck, and Bartley sticking with the Preds, the reinforcements are certainly welcome!

Three cheers for Taylor Beck and Chris Mueller….Beck made his NHL debut last night, and Mueller netted his first NHL goal in the third period.

Let’s start with Mueller’s goal.  Easy to post video evidence of it.
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20122013,2,432&event=CBJ607&cmpid=embed-share-video

(Hmmm, having some issues embedding…just follow the link for now…)

It’s not that different than the kind of goal we have been seeing here for awhile.  Major credit goes to Clune for winning that battle for the puck, and having the awareness to spot Mueller.  And Mueller did a great job finding some open space on that rush, and was able to finish.  Ata boy.

Taylor Beck’s night?  Two shots, one hit, 14:49 time on ice.  But not included in the highlight reels really.   And I didn’t watch the game.  So let’s get some insight from people who DID watch the game.

First, Dirk from On The Forecheck….

Outside of one shift in the third period, simply Beck didn’t stand out very much. Granted, Barry Trotz threw him right into the deep end of the pool, skating alongside Mike Fisher and Martin Erat, so we shouldn’t judge him too harshly. I would expect that once some of the forwards come back from Injured Reserve, Beck’s time in the lineup will be over, but with the NHL regular season running long this year, I imagine he’ll spend a lot of time practicing with the NHL squad once the AHL season completes. At the very least, that gives the Nashville staff a better idea of where he might fit in the fall.

Don’t rule the Admirals out of the playoffs yet!

And Jeremy from Section 303…

It was hard to tell whether or not Beck fit in because it wasn’t exactly an ideal situation for Nashville. This was a must-win game. They would be 1-4-0 on a crucial road trip if they lost and a more respectable 2-3-0 if they had won. Also, with a win, they would be on a good note entering the final stretch of the season in which they play 12 of their last 18 at Bridgestone Arena.

Some things I did notice, however: Beck has a huge frame. He’s certainly built like an NHL player. Second, Trotz gave him nearly 15:00 of ice-time in his debut, something rookies don’t usually get (Linus Klassen probably got 15:00 total over a few games with the Preds a couple years ago). So there were some positives.

That being said, I really feel we’ll get to see the true Beck on THR against the Calgary Flames. It’s a home game, the slumping Predators are trying to hit the reset button and it won’t be his 1st NHL game so the jitters and anxiety should be gone. Or, at least, be a different kind.

So Roundtable, how long do you think Beck and Mueller will be up there with the big club?  Who do you think gets sent back first?

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Defenseman Jeff Foss has been cleared to play hockey after tearing his ACL in the pre-season game against Rockford many moons ago.  He’s already been assigned to the Cyclones in the ECHL to get back in hockey shape.

So what happens when he is back in hockey shape?  Is there a spot for him to play in Milwaukee?  And if he does play, who sits?  Do you think Valentine has earned his healthy scratches lately?  Would playing time be at the expense of Bitetto?  If Bartley was sent back down, who would you like your 6 D to be?

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Dirk has a piece up about a report that Zach Boychuk has been placed on waivers.  Maybe we’ll find out that he’ll be claimed by another team tomorrow — it’d be his 4th NHL team this season.  (It’s like he’s Jesse Orosco or something…..)  Or maybe he’ll be assigned to Milwaukee, and we may get a guy who had 21 goals in 64 games for the Charlotte Checkers last year….just in time to play them three more times this season.

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Mike Commodore signed a PTO with the Texas Stars.  He chose #33.  Disappointing.  It’s not like he’s got to fight Victor Bartley for #64.  Come on.  At this point in your career, give the fans what they want!  Anyone have a favorite game from the Commodore 64?  I was a fan of Jumpman.

Confirming news that was out on the interweb yesterday, Milwaukee forward Taylor Beck has been officially recalled by the Nashville Predators.

With the Admirals inching closer to playoff inclusion, their roster continues to be thinned by callups from Nashville. This time its NHL first-timer Beck that is on his way up to the Predators, taking away from Milwaukee the team’s leading scorer and leading power play producer.

The 21-year-old will be making his first visit to the Music City, likely replacing forward Paul Gaustad, who was placed on injured reserve. So far Beck has 11 goals and 41 points in 50 AHL games this season.

Beck joins Chris Mueller, Victor Bartley, Gabriel Bourque, Jonathon Blum and Ryan Ellis as Admirals who started the season in Milwaukee, that are now up in Nashville. And if you are counting at home, the count is up to 13 players that have dressed for the Admirals this season are no longer with the club.

So Roundtable . . . What do you think of the Beck recall? Has his play warranted a shot in the show? Can the Admirals replace his offense?

2012-2013 Milwaukee Admirals: 58 G.P., 28-24-3-3–62 pts., 147 goals scored, 170 goals allowed, 11th place in the Western Conference (3rd Midwest Division). Leading scorer: Taylor Beck (11 goals, 28 assists, 39 points). Best Recent Win: March 8-9, 4-3 over Chicago; 3-2 at Chicago. Worst Recent Loss: March 3, Grand Rapids 5 at Milwaukee 1.

The physical nature of the game of hockey has left a laundry list of players of have been forced to retire early. Some great players like Cam Neely and Bobby Orr, just to name two, and of late Marc Savard and Chris Pronger, saw their careers shortened by injuries. But a much sadder outcome is players like Brett Lindros or now potentially Blake Geoffrion, whose careers were cut down before they ever truly got started.

Geoffrion got to suit up for exactly 55 games of NHL hockey and lasted professionally for parts of four professional seasons, numbers that many like myself would be envious of, but there was a whole lot of years of hockey left in the 25-year-old, who made the right call to think about calling it quits today.

Blake has no bigger fan than myself, even if he’s never quite met lofty expectations. But what people don’t realize is that Geoffrion was still developing, and was certainly a late bloomer. The Brentwood, Tennessee native scored just six points his first year at Wisconsin before capturing the Hobey Baker as college hockey’s best player his senior season. The number of college players that have grown that much in four years you can count on one hand.

In 2010-2011 Geoffrion showed signs of emerging as a real NHL prospect. After a slow start he became a dominant force at the AHL level with the Admirals, scoring 37 points in 45 games before being called up to Nashville. With the Predators he would score six goals in 20 games (including a hat-trick) and then dress for 12 playoff games.

Who knows what kind of player Geoffrion would have become without his injury history? Likely, not the force that Nashville was expecting with their second-round pick in 2006, but still a solid professional player. We all miss you Blake!

So Roundtable . . . Do you have any favorite Geoffrion moments?

It’s 39.

That is all for now.

(Actually, TheAHL.com has a nice daily playoff primer that may be worth your time as the season winds down)

Clear Day.  One of my least favorite days of the year since I started writing about the Admirals.

In the AHL, Clear Day was the day that the teams needed to send a list of 22 players to the league, and then those 22 players would be the only guys who were eligible to play the rest of the season and in the playoffs.

Then there was the fine print.  Injury rules.  ATO contracts.  NHL call-ups.  Suspensions. So guys like Ryan Maki and Kevin Henderson could be left off of the Clear Day list of their respective campaign, yet still play every single game for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Eric Kent, of the old Short Shifts blog, coined the phrase “Voodoo Rosternomics” to describe post-Clear-Day roster and lineup management.

And today, I’m proud to share with you….that Clear Day doesn’t exist anymore.  It’s nothing but a memory.  The kind the lights the corners of my mind.  Misty water-colored memories…of the way we were…

Enjoy…from an AHL release…

The AHL’s playoff roster deadline will be Monday, Apr. 22, at 3 p.m. ET, by which time all 16 playoff teams must submit to the league a list of playoff-eligible players. Only those players on a team’s playoff eligibility list, plus signed draft choices and players signed to amateur tryout contracts, are eligible to compete in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Players from lower professional leagues can also be added if they played in at least eight games in the AHL and/or a lower league in 2012-13.

AHL Clear Day roster restrictions have been removed. Any eligible player on a club’s roster may participate at any time during the remainder of the regular season and the Calder Cup Playoffs.

And per National Hockey League rules, only those players who have been recalled from an AHL club following the NHL trade deadline (Wednesday, Apr. 3 at 3 p.m. ET) may be returned to the AHL during the remainder of the season.

I would like to clarify a thing or two with the league… From the sound of that last paragraph, it sounds like the NHL trading deadline is kind of a Partly Clear Day.  After that point, an NHL team wouldn’t be able to send their guys on two-way contracts down for the playoff run if the NHL team doesn’t graduate to the post season.  And if that’s the right interpretation, I kind of like that.  It might even out the playoff playing field a bit.  A team wouldn’t be able to stash four or five NHL guys on the clear day list as they had in the past, and then send them down as soon as the NHL season is over to kick some butt and take some names down here.

I’ll update when I get some clarification.  But no more Clear Day?  No more need for Voodoo Rosternomics?  Celebrate good times.  Come on.

Continuing the flurry of recent activity from Nashville, the Predators recalled defenseman Victor Bartley from Milwaukee today. Bartley, one of the top two-way blue liners in the AHL, receives the nod after compiling 26 points in 54 games this season (ranking in the top 20 for league defenders).

With towering defenseman Hal Gill recently placed on IR, Bartley becomes  Nashville’s seventh point man, and will likely be in place to shake up the roster slightly. The Predators have a pair of back-to-back games in the coming weeks, and a four-game in seven nights stretch starting on St. Patrick’s Day.

Unlike the Predators’ two recent waiver wire additions of Bobby Butler and Zach Boychuk, Bartley has yet to play in the NHL. But the Ottawa, Ontario native did attend the shortened Nashville training camp after the lockout in January.

Perhaps knowing this move was upcoming, the Admirals have recently added defensemen Scott Ford and Joe Piskula. In separate move Milwaukee returned forward Jack MacLellan to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones.

So Roundtable . . . What do you think of the Bartley recall? Does this signal that Predators might be looking more to Milwaukee for help? Will Bartley play during his stay in Nashville? How long are you expecting him to be up?

The Admirals unveiled the list of the top ten players in team history today after covering the first 25 since the start of the season.

Here’s the list in alphabetical order:

Fred Berry, Gino Cavallini, Wade Flaherty, Darren Haydar, Tony Hrkac, Danny Lecours, Mike McNeill, Claude Noel, Pekka Rinne and Phil Wittliff.

While the team is set to reveal its rankings over the next few weeks, I thought it’d be fun to get the Roundtable’s opinions first. How would you guys rank ’em? Or at the very least who’s your No. 1?

I’ll throw in the stat lines from each player’s time in Milwaukee to aide the decision, even though some guys simply go beyond the numbers.

Fred Berry

465 games, 225 goals, 379 assists, 604 points, 39 total playoff points

Gino Cavallini

240 games, 139 goals, 109 assists, 248 points, 20 total playoff points

Wade Flaherty

36 games, 21-12-3 record, 2.18 GAA, .922 save percentage, 21 playoff games (Won Calder Cup)

Darren Haydar

293 games, 110 goals, 166 assists, 276 points, 26 points in 22 playoff games in 2004 during the Calder Cup run, 73 total playoff points

Tony Hrkac

340 games, 97 goals, 223 assists, 320 points, 20 points in 22 games during Calder Cup run, 40 total playoff points

Danny Lecours

641 games, 445 goals, 369 assists, 814 points, 31 total playoff points

Mike McNeill

452 games, 97 goals, 95 assists, 192 points, 13 total playoff points

Claude Noel

Player: 56 games, 8 goals, 34 assists, 42 points

Head Coach: 143-94-7-36 record, led team to Calder Cup Championship in 2003-04 and Finals in 2005-06

Pekka Rinne

145 games, 81-49-11 record, 2.50 GAA, .909 save percentage, 24 playoff games, led team to Finals in 2005-06

Phil Wittliff

Player: 182 goals, 245 assists, 427 points

Head Coach: 738 games, 378-285-35-40 record, led team to Finals in 1982-83

So Roundtable, who ya got?