Last off-season Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile was easily the most active man during the NHL Draft/Free Agency Period. He orchestrated a trade for James Neal and grabbed a whole slew of veteran centers at bargain basement prices.

This year pundits predict that Poile might just turn off his cell phone and take an early Fourth of July vacation. Perhaps that has to do with the lack of value all but one 2014 summer signee provided.

Only Mike Ribeiro truly panned out (though Derek Roy went on to find a decent level of success in Edmonton). Ribeiro made Poile look like a genius by scoring 62 points on a $1.05 million contract. On the ice? Ribeiro was great in Nashville. Off of it? He still remains questionable – hence why he might not be back next season.

Even with all of the free agents crowding the locker stalls at Bridgestone Arena, rookie Filip Forsberg was a first-year sensation and clearly established himself as a budding star with Nashville. Meanwhile, Calle Järnkrok and the biggest surprise Taylor Beck each had fine first full NHL seasons (Järnkrok dressed in 74 games, Beck 62).

Ribeiro, along with former Admirals Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson, are potentially headed to new destinations. 38-year-old UFA Matt Cullen also might have played his last game in the Music City and the same goes for one-year fill-in Anton Volchenkov on the blue line.

If Nashville were to lose all or some of these names, Ribeiro, Santorelli, Franson, Cullen, and Volchenkov, that would leave the Predators with some noticeable holes to fill. But remember this was a team that just a year ago that was paying two players with over 100 games of NHL experience while sending Viktor Stålberg and Rich Clune to play in Milwaukee.

As far as the RFAs, Nashville qualified eight players yesterday, Predators forwards Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Gabriel Bourque, and Beck along with 2014-15 Admirals Anthony Bitetto, Taylor Aronson, and Magnus Hellberg. I expect Wilson, Smith, Beck, Bourque, Bitetto, and Aronson to all be back in the fold – but I have no idea on Hellberg.

“We know we have the right pieces in place,” Predators Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton said. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle [with the salary cap]. We have to figure out who fits where and what the price is. Sometimes, that comes at the expense of making hard decisions, but we knew [the qualified RFAs] were all going to be a piece here, and we wanted to make sure we retained their rights.”

I’m guessing Kevin Fiala will get every chance to fill the scoring void left by Ribeiro while Bitetto will get a serious look for a spot at the bottom of the Predators blue line. Thanks to great work in Milwaukee, the Predators are stocked with plenty of solid replacements for their departing players.

The questions revolve around other open roster slots vacated by guys like Santorelli and Cullen. Is it time for the Predators to see what they have in Austin Watson or Colton Sissons? Did Viktor Arvidsson or Pontus Åberg prove enough in their first North American seasons to warrant a chance to play in Nashville next year? Or will Poile surprise yet again and wade into the free agent pool.

Plenty of cheap veterans will reside after the dust settles on an over-priced day one of the Free Agent Frenzy tomorrow. TSN’s list of top players available is pretty dreadful. The best names include Mike Green, Johnny Oduya, Matt Beleskey, Justin Williams, Drew Stafford, Karri Rämö, and Michal Neuvirth.

Find out who goes where tomorrow afternoon in our annual Free Agent Signing Day Live Blog here on the Admirals Roundtable.

UPDATE:

TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that he is “looking for Mike Ribeiro to re-sign in Nashville.”

So Roundtable . . . What your expectations for the next few days? Are there any free agents you like to see in Nashville or in Milwaukee? Which of the RFAs and UFAs do you expect to re-sign? Does David Poile have any surprises up his sleeve this year?

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Yesterday’s signing of Austin Watson was good business for both parties involved. The Nashville Predators locked him up for the next two-years with a two-way contract for 2015-16 and a one-way contract for 2016-17. It allows for flexibility this coming season for the Predators and gives Watson his eventual reward of an NHL contract.

For the longest time it has felt like Predators General Manager David Poile has brought up Watson’s name in relation to prospects and the Milwaukee Admirals. While that’s great and everything it never really means that much when he’s stuck at the AHL level. These last three seasons with the Admirals he has never been scratched nor missed a game and has scored 127 points (68 goals, 59 assists) in 224 games. His lone NHL spell came that first full-season with the Admirals back in 2012-13 where he played 6 games and scored a goal. Since, while doing better and better, he has been stuck at the AHL level.

There are of course reasons for Watson being stuck in Milwaukee. His speed has been a question mark in the past (and possibly the present). And it’s a question mark whether or not he would do better on the lower forward lines than the crop up in Nashville. That same sort of question mark was thrown on top of Colton Sissons this time last year when the Predators went after veteran centers on one-year contracts instead of bringing players up from within. It’s a matter of risk taking from the Predators perspective. How do you know what you have if you don’t give it a try? And what happens if you wait too long without giving these players a shot?

That last question is precisely what gets solved in the second year of Watson’s new contract. It’s likely that he starts and probably plays the majority of his 2015-16 season with the Admirals. Yet, he becomes an impact call up if needed and -with another consistent AHL campaign- earns his NHL one-way deal for the next season. Flexible contract. Works for Nashville and rewards Watson for his efforts and contributions within the organization so far.

I feel like Watson has been one of the more reliable and consistent members of the Admirals during his time with the team. He’s not flashy like Kevin Fiala. His shot isn’t wicked like Viktor Arvidsson. He doesn’t even hit like Miikka Salomäki. Nope, instead he’s just good in all three zones of the ice in all game situations. He does that while being a 20+ goal scorer and while being a leader on and off the ice:

This deal also sets a great example for current Admirals players and Predators prospects that make good on their AHL time down the road. It shows that the parent club does have eyes on its AHL product and that it wants to keep pieces in place that work hard. That is why qualifying offers were given out to players such as Taylor Aronson, Anthony Bitetto, and Magnus Hellberg yesterday. Bitetto and Hellberg have been working hard for quite some time now while Aronson really burst back on the scene with a good 2014-15 season. This time next year we could be seeing this same sort of sentiment in regards to Sissons and Salomäki.

The sign outside of the Admirals locker room states that the road to Nashville goes through Milwaukee. That saying doesn’t mean much when prospects get forgotten or left behind at the AHL level. The second half of Watson’s two-year contract goes right to that saying to prove it right. Good on Nashville for continuing to develop from within. Good on Watson for keeping on the Predators’ radar.

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The Nashville Predators have signed Austin Watson to a brand new two-year contract this afternoon. The details of the contract specify that the first year of the new deal is a two-way contract for the 2015-16 season with the last year being an exclusive one-way NHL contract for the 2016-17 season.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, Tenn. (June 29, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that the club has signed forward Austin Watson to a two-year contract. The deal is a two-way contract in 2015-16 paying him $575,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level, and a one-way, $575,000 contract in 2016-17.

Watson, 23 (1/13/92), led Milwaukee and tied for 14th in the American Hockey League in goals (26) in 2014-15, in addition to tying for second among all AHL skaters in game-winning goals (8) while appearing in all 76 regular-season games for the second consecutive season. He’s also ranked among the Top Three Admirals in points in each of his first three professional seasons. The 6-3, 206-pound native of Ann Arbor, Mich., has appeared in six NHL contests with Nashville, all during the 2012-13 campaign, scoring one goal.

Nashville’s first choice, 18th overall (first round), in the 2010 Entry Draft, Watson won a pair of Ontario Hockey League titles with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012 and the 2009 Memorial Cup during his junior career. He was the recipient of the 2012 Wayne Gretzky 99 Award presented to playoff MVP and helped London advance to overtime of the 2012 Memorial Cup title game, earning a spot on the tournament All-Star Team. The oldest of 10 children, Watson led the United States in points and assists at the 2012 World Junior Championship, and helped Team USA win gold at the 2010 U-18 World Championship.

Watson has been a big part of the Admirals over the past three seasons, scoring 20 and then 22 goals in his first two seasons, respectively, before notching a career high 26 goals in 2014-15. That total led all Milwaukee players, and he finished second in points (44) behind Viktor Arvidsson. Watson’s 46 points in 2013-14 were also a career high.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan native was the Predators first-round draft pick in 2010, and has six games National Hockey League experience on his resume, including his first NHL goal in a 4-3 win over Calgary on April 23, 2013. That was his last game with Nashville to date.

When I spoke to Watson last month, he anticipated being back in Milwaukee or Nashville in 2015-16:

“This summer I just want to continue to mature physicially and get bigger, stronger and faster, like we talk about every summer (in regards to) every single guy that is still playing in the AHL and wants to play at the next level. This summer is definitely a big step in my career and I feel like I’m ready to play at that level. When camp comes around, it will be time to see if that comes to fruition.”

You can read more from Watson and coach Dean Evason in my upcoming End of Season feature coming this week on MilwaukeeAdmirals.com.

So Roundtable . . . Are you excited to have Watty back in Nashville/Milwaukee? Do you see him making the NHL in the near future with the Predators or another NHL team?

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The Nashville Predators 2015 NHL Draft is done and dusted with their seventh round draft selection of goaltender Evan Smith.

What was I just saying about height and goaltenders in the Predators system? Tall? Oh, good. Because Smith is 6’6″ at the age of 18-years old. Last season he split between the Victoria Royals (WHL) and Austin Bruins (NAHL). The majority of his 2014-15 season was played in the NAHL as a member of the Bruins where he played 15 games in net while posting a 1.73 goals against average and 0.923 save percentage. He also contributed for the Bruins in the playoffs where he recorded a 2.10 GAA and 0.914SV% in 6 games.

The Predators 2015 NHL Draft Class: Iakov Trenin, Thomas Novak, Anthony Richard, Alexandre Carrier, Karel Vejmelka, Tyler Moy, and Evan Smith. (4 forwards, 2 goalies, 1 defenseman)

Thoughts on the Nashville Predators 2015 NHL Draft? How would you rate the prospects they just added to the pipeline and which are you most excited to potentially see play in Milwaukee?

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After selecting a defenseman and a goaltender the Nashville Predators went back to the center well and drafted Tyler Moy.

Moy is a native of San Diego who has spent his last two years playing for Harvard. In his 2014-15 season he tallied 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 37 games with 16 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of +12. He turns 20-years old next month.

The Predators have now drafted four forwards out of six draft picks in the 2015 NHL Draft with one pick remaining.

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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?

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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%.

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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.

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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.

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