GDT: Nashville Predators 2024 Training Camp

[BigFatCat999]

Hinostroza was destined for Milwaukee from the get go

But by putting on waivers that leaves them open for the rest of the league

 

[PredsV82]

But by putting on waivers that leaves them open for the rest of the league

But that's the only way they can get to Milwaukee. He's not waiver exempt...and he cleared

 

[herzausstein]

Now is a really good time to try and pass the older tweeners through. Every team still has a couple to cut or a few PTO guys theyre still evaluating. Unless who you are trying to pass through is a clear upgrade over who they still have, the player will pass through.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Yeah, I don't think they have to worry about Del Gaizo or Blankenburg either way.

But if they were thinking of doing Parssinen and the report was just a leak of a thought/plan that is still forthcoming... I'd definitely be leery on that one. I'm just not ready to give up on what we saw from him that first year... I simply can't believe he could regress like that so quickly. He might still pass waivers, though. Other teams have their own guys. But I wouldn't take that chance now. L'Heureux and Ozzy can wait a bit if needed.

 

[herzausstein]

Yeah, I don't think they have to worry about Del Gaizo or Blankenburg either way.

But if they were thinking of doing Parssinen and the report was just a leak of a thought/plan that is still forthcoming... I'd definitely be leery on that one. I'm just not ready to give up on what we saw from him that first year... I simply can't believe he could regress like that so quickly. He might still pass waivers, though. Other teams have their own guys. But I wouldn't take that chance now. L'Heureux and Ozzy can wait a bit if needed.

Im leary of passing Pärssinen through waivers as well but if you are going to do it then now is the time. Once teams have their rosters trimmed down and capspace figured out, he will have much less chance of clearing. He needs to be playing games and so far he hasnt really been utilized that much with the NHL bound at camp

 

[Scoresberg]

Why are we sending Pärssinen down? I think he's been good so far. Are we really going with all of McCarron, Jankowski, Smith and L'Heureux over him?

 

[Predsanddead24]

A couple of interesting things that may be meaningless but also may be indicative of what the roster will look like:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841119461287284886

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841147362351215009

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Yeah, I appreciate that L'Heureux and Wiesblatt have had good camps, and I look forward to them one day making the team... and replacing guys like Jankowski... but I'm not ready to give up on Parssinen yet. Of course that's just the fan view, heavily weighted by his first amazing season, games only. But he has had a troubled injury history (hence the late draft) and maybe they see some more fundamental physical limitation that they see as a long-term impediment to his upside? Aside from that possibility, there's no way I would waive Parssinen for waiver-exempt guys like L'Heureux and Wiesblatt. They'll get their chances. Parssinen doesn't have another chance.

 

[herzausstein]

I guess it all depends on what Brunette envisions his center core as being. If Brunette wants to do, RoR, Novak, Sissons, McCarron then i dont see what we do with Pärssinen unless we are going to transition him to winger. I think Brunette has a clear idea what he wants out of the 4th line - energy/identity. L'Heureux and Ozzy really fit that better than Pärssinen.

Personally id have him at 4C with McCarron/Jankowski and Smith on wings. Let L'Heureux get a little more seasoning in the AHL until either Pärssinen completely flames out or needs to be moved to wing in which case waive him and start the training if he clears.

 

[Armourboy]

I want the best team and players on the ice no matter what their names are. If that means Parsinnen gets waived then so be it. This is a team built to make a push in the playoffs, but he hasn't been better than Sissons, ROR, or Novak in the preseason, so if he can't beat out McCarron then that's on him.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I guess it all depends on what Brunette envisions his center core as being. If Brunette wants to do, RoR, Novak, Sissons, McCarron then i dont see what we do with Pärssinen unless we are going to transition him to winger. I think Brunette has a clear idea what he wants out of the 4th line - energy/identity. L'Heureux and Ozzy really fit that better than Pärssinen.

Personally id have him at 4C with McCarron/Jankowski and Smith on wings. Let L'Heureux get a little more seasoning in the AHL until either Pärssinen completely flames out or needs to be moved to wing in which case waive him and start the training if he clears.

I would definitely want to keep Parssinen around at least as insurance on Novak. Maybe that 2nd line has been ok so far in a very small sample against non-NHL level opposition, I don't know. But will it work longer term?

I don't really see Parssinen as a great fit for the 4th line. But anyway, since L'Heureux and Wiesblatt are waiver exempt, I think that's one case where you could use that to make the decision. It's not like the Stastney case was shaping up to be... because his competition was only ever going to be Del Gaizo/Blankenburg who are borderline themselves and wouldn't be claimed on waivers anyway. You shouldn't ALWAYS decide camp battles on waiver status only. But it can still be a factor in some cases... like this one. L'Heureux has just had 1 pro season, Wiesblatt was a total writeoff before his sudden resurrection here... neither one of them is going to be hurt by starting the year in Milwaukee.

 

[Kat Predator]

I'm pleasantly surprised that Tomasino seems to have turned a corner. From what Brunette had said in the past (not to mention the strong trashing his game was getting from some), I had assumed he was a dead player skating. It's really nice to see the page turned and him make the case again that he belongs on this team.

 

[Scoresberg]

Yeah, I appreciate that L'Heureux and Wiesblatt have had good camps, and I look forward to them one day making the team... and replacing guys like Jankowski... but I'm not ready to give up on Parssinen yet. Of course that's just the fan view, heavily weighted by his first amazing season, games only. But he has had a troubled injury history (hence the late draft) and maybe they see some more fundamental physical limitation that they see as a long-term impediment to his upside? Aside from that possibility, there's no way I would waive Parssinen for waiver-exempt guys like L'Heureux and Wiesblatt. They'll get their chances. Parssinen doesn't have another chance.

Agreed. I would love to see L'Heureux make the team but can't get behind the idea if it costs us Pärssinen. L'Heureux will get his look during the year when injuries happen.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm pleasantly surprised that Tomasino seems to have turned a corner. From what Brunette had said in the past (not to mention the strong trashing his game was getting from some), I had assumed he was a dead player skating. It's really nice to see the page turned and him make the case again that he belongs on this team.

Well, I hope that is sustained. I don't think training camp is a very good barometer unfortunately. Even in the Swiss-trip camp, I thought he actually looked very good, but the narrative got turned in a totally different direction based on other organizational concerns, so I'm not necessarily comfortable just walking away believing in narratives that come out of these small-sample events.

At the same time, this is of course better than if he was just totally invisible or looking like he wasn't into it or whatever. So there is still solace to be taken, optimism nourished, by him looking good so far in camp. It's still definitely good for what it is at this time of year.

 

[glenngineer]

I would definitely want to keep Parssinen around at least as insurance on Novak. Maybe that 2nd line has been ok so far in a very small sample against non-NHL level opposition, I don't know. But will it work longer term?

I don't really see Parssinen as a great fit for the 4th line. But anyway, since L'Heureux and Wiesblatt are waiver exempt, I think that's one case where you could use that to make the decision. It's not like the Stastney case was shaping up to be... because his competition was only ever going to be Del Gaizo/Blankenburg who are borderline themselves and wouldn't be claimed on waivers anyway. You shouldn't ALWAYS decide camp battles on waiver status only. But it can still be a factor in some cases... like this one. L'Heureux has just had 1 pro season, Wiesblatt was a total writeoff before his sudden resurrection here... neither one of them is going to be hurt by starting the year in Milwaukee.

If Parssinen can't beat out McCarron or Sissons for a center role on this team, the highlighted sentence makes no sense. Brunette and Trotz aren't going to elevate a guy to the second line if he's already having a hard time cracking the starting roster.

By all accounts, Stamkos has said nice things about playing with Novak and during the game Saturday night, Novak and March had solid chemistry AND made plays that will translate into regular-season success. Can't wait to see what the three of them will do together as each of them can put the puck in the net and Novak is a great passer so that should equate to a ton of good scoring opportunities.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Agreed. I would love to see L'Heureux make the team but can't get behind the idea if it costs us Pärssinen. L'Heureux will get his look during the year when injuries happen.

Yeah, I tend to lean this way. I don't think it hurts ZLH to be in Milwaukee to start the year. The likelihood he is still needed at some point in the year is high as well. I would NOT want to waive Pars at the only benefit of having ZLH or Ozzy on the team to start the year. They are likely to play limited minutes at this point. Now, if they come out and it's clear cut you might have a stronger argument, but I am not sure I have seen that yet. They've been good, but the benefit is going to have to be clear and substantial to waive a player that still has a lot of promise at a position of need.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

If Parssinen can't beat out McCarron or Sissons for a center role on this team, the highlighted sentence makes no sense. Brunette and Trotz aren't going to elevate a guy to the second line if he's already having a hard time cracking the starting roster.

They have very different roles, so what you are saying makes no sense.

By all accounts, Stamkos has said nice things about playing with Novak and during the game Saturday night, Novak and March had solid chemistry AND made plays that will translate into regular-season success. Can't wait to see what the three of them will do together as each of them can put the puck in the net and Novak is a great passer so that should equate to a ton of good scoring opportunities.

Stamkos isn't going to diss his new teammates. Everything is great today playing against AHL players. But we know Novak. He is good at some things, not so great in other areas, and we have often wondered for good reason if he can truly sustain a career at center in the NHL. No need to ignore our observational knowledge of actual NHL game play and let it be replaced by obvious PR commentary.

 

[glenngineer]

They have very different roles, so what you are saying makes no sense.


Stamkos isn't going to diss his new teammates. Everything is great today playing against AHL players. But we know Novak. He is good at some things, not so great in other areas, and we have often wondered for good reason if he can truly sustain a career at center in the NHL. No need to ignore our observational knowledge of actual NHL game play and let it be replaced by obvious PR commentary.

I get the roles aspect but he's not one of the best 12 forwards on the roster. Heck, I don't even know that he's one of the best 15 forwards on the roster. The coaches would find a place for him if he's good enough. He has not made any positive impression and while he had some good moments two seasons ago when there was no pressure on anyone to win games, he couldn't find a spot last year and he's not doing anything to win a spot this year. He's a 7th-round pick with a big frame that does a couple of things well but nothing well enough to land a starting role.

I've been guilty of this over the years. It took me until the offseason to realize something, as fans we tend to "fall in love" with a player and have way too much optimism for their future. When they don't quite get there, we keep holding on thinking something is going to change when in reality, there is a window for these kids to impress and establish themselves as NHL regulars. If Parssinen gets there I'll be surprised but the likelihood of that happening at this point is not very high. All that to say, I've changed my expectations and instead of being overly optimistic, I'm trying to view them through the lens of realistic expectations based on what we've seen with other prospects over the years.

You commented on Novak looking good against AHL competition yet Parssisnen didn't stand out against the same competition. Doesn't that tell you something about both players? That's exactly the way Novak should look and if Parssinen can't separate himself from AHL/prospect talent, how do you think he's going to fair against NHL competition?

 

[Scoresberg]

Let's face it, McCarron, Jankowski and Smith are not everyday players in the NHL anymore. Of those three, only Smith essentially played all the games last year, while McCarron and Jankowski didn't. Heck, McCarron was on his way out of the league before Hynes took him on. Jankowksi spent most of last year in the AHL.

Pärssinen is the optimal replacement guy for them. He can play on the 4th line, on the wing or at center where L'Heureux and Wiesblatt cannot.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I get the roles aspect but he's not one of the best 12 forwards on the roster. Heck, I don't even know that he's one of the best 15 forwards on the roster. The coaches would find a place for him if he's good enough. He has not made any positive impression and while he had some good moments two seasons ago when there was no pressure on anyone to win games, he couldn't find a spot last year and he's not doing anything to win a spot this year. He's a 7th-round pick with a big frame that does a couple of things well but nothing well enough to land a starting role.

I think you need a little nuance in your evaluation. Was he top-15 last season? Hard to tell, given his utilization. He was definitely top-10 the season before. Where is he now? We have very little to go on. I wouldn't be the least bit comfortable trying to evaluate his current slot on the depth chart based just on the hearsay or a few scattered observations of a pre-season game or practices, so I don't know why anybody else would be. But given what I saw in his first season, with a consistent role, I'm not inclined to imagine he is worse 2 years later. Maybe he is. But I don't think there is sufficient data available to us which definitively supports that.

You commented on Novak looking good against AHL competition yet Parssisnen didn't stand out against the same competition. Doesn't that tell you something about both players? That's exactly the way Novak should look and if Parssinen can't separate himself from AHL/prospect talent, how do you think he's going to fair against NHL competition?

Novak played with good players. Who's to say Parssinen wouldn't similarly look "good" in that spot? Who knows. Again, it is all just small samples. For or against. We have a bigger data set to refer back to.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I guess the question is at what point does Parsinnen himself become a tweener rather than a prospect. He turns 24 in February so I'd argue that point is rapidly approaching. I'd still be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to start the season but his runway is rapidly running out. Especially if L'Hereux continues on his progression at some point you're just perpetuating the cycle of overcooking guys. The other aspect is that Brunette clearly wants the 4th line to be a high energy, physical line and while Parsinnen is ok at that it isn't really his strength.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I guess the question is at what point does Parsinnen himself become a tweener rather than a prospect. He turns 24 in February so I'd argue that point is rapidly approaching. I'd still be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to start the season but his runway is rapidly running out. Especially if L'Hereux continues on his progression at some point you're just perpetuating the cycle of overcooking guys. The other aspect is that Brunette clearly wants the 4th line to be a high energy, physical line and while Parsinnen is ok at that it isn't really his strength.

I do agree with all of that. For me, the bottom line is that Parssinen was just soooooo good in that 1st year, I'm not (quite) ready to let go of that vision yet. I mean, the only additional information we have is last season where we witnessed him being bounced around and the coach admitted he didn't give him enough opportunity. I don't think that's quite enough to make a final decision on. Yet.

But time does indeed march forward. We're in no kind of roster crunch right now, since L'Heureux and Wiesblatt are waiver exempt. And for that matter at least Jankowski is also a "known tweener" himself, and I'd waive him before Parssinen.

So indeed, I give Parssinen more runway. This is probably the last season he gets any. If he finds a landing spot in our regular lineup, great. If not, then we can waive him later in the season, and/or not bring him back for next season. I just don't think Parssinen is quite at the end of the runway yet. Getting closer.

 

[Armourboy]

We literally just had the best example of a guy that got on a good run and then was done in Jeannot. Why people are holding on to two years ago like it means anything is beyond me. He may have went on his good run that season and it's over. We haven't seen it since and I haven't seen anything out of him in the preseason against weak competition that makes me think he suddenly going to be something different.

If he earns a spot great. If he doesn't I have zero issue in waiving him. The next couple of seasons is not the time to be hoping and praying a guy can play.

 

[jumb0]

I think there is some novelty from everyone that we all want a C prospect that we actually drafted to develop into a top 6 guy. Parssinen showed some flash that he could be that guy despite being a 7th rounder. But I agree, if you can't beat out McCarron/Smith/Jankowski then best of luck in your next stop.

 

[wmupreds]

Am I the only one a bit.. concerned about the Stamkos-Novak-March line? Stamkos has had his struggles at 5v5 lately and none of them at this point are really known for their defensive chops. Marchessault at least is a good play driver but that line might really need to dominate possession to be effective and I'm a little skeptical on that front with 2 out of the 3.