2 Nashville Predators Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Nashville Predators this season.

Egor Afanasyev

It's hard to say just how close Afanasyev was to cracking the Preds' roster on opening night, but the 2019 2nd-round pick made sure to stand out at camp and during pre-season. The big Russian scored 3 goals and 4 points in three games, but his on-ice presence extended far beyond his production numbers. Afanasyev was flying around the ice, showing he had the speed to keep up on the rush, and was confidently throwing hits on defenders in the corners to jostle pucks loose. For a 20-year old, he looked like he could fit into a bottom 6 role on the Preds right now, but coach John Hynes and GM David Poile agreed that getting him top 6 minutes in the AHL would benefit the player more than playing 10mins a night in the NHL. That said, Afanasyev made enough of an impression that when a call-up is required at forward, he will be one of the top candidates.

David Farrance

For two straight seasons, Farrance has shown he is too good for College hockey, racking up over a point per game with Boston U of the NCAA thanks to his cannon of a shot and his versatility to be able to play as a forward or a defenceman. The progression of his offensive game actually got the Preds to give him a look on the big club last season, although it was only for a couple of games, and he didn't make a huge impact in either one. The biggest obstacle for Farrance at the moment is simply that he's established himself as a defenceman, which is the Predators' strongest position. The Preds' top 4 are already set in stone, so while Farrance may get a call-up, he likely won't be able to win a full-time roster spot unless he completely blows the doors off. That may be for the best, Farrance has only just started his pro career, playing his first AHL game last Saturday and earning himself an assist in a 7-3 win for his team. It's a good start, and if he keeps it up, the Preds will be looking to him if one of their blueliners misses some time.

GOAL @TerrierHockey!

David Farrance scores the go-ahead goal! 2-1 Boston U!#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/vhtBCUGfVf
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018