As we reported yesterday, the Nashville Predators have sent rookie winger Filip Forsberg to the Milwaukee Admirals in an effort to get him top line minutes. The AHL-affiliate of the Preds will play back-to-back-to-back games in the state of Texas this weekend.
The one thing we didn’t anticipate, however, is the recall of Taylor Beck. The 2009 third round pick impressed during his first ever call up last season. On a decimated Nashville squad, Beck posted seven points in 16 games and looked poised to get a roster spot out of camp.
Then July 5 happened.
Nashville signed four forwards on the opening day of free agency. The addition of Viktor Stalberg, Matt Cullen, Eric Nystrom and Matt Hendricks made it nearly impossible for Beck to start the season with the big club. It gave the Predators 15 NHL-caliber forwards and, with Beck being the only one of the 15 being waiver-exempt, he was an easy cut.
As odd as it sounds, Forsberg should benefit from the assignment.
“One of the things you find as a coach, you cannot give a player confidence,” Head Coach Barry Trotz told 102.5 The Game‘s The First Quarter on Wednesday morning. “A player has to produce to have confidence. You can pat him on the back and encourage him but it doesn’t give him confidence. All it does is encourage him. With Filip, I don’t want him to lose too much confidence in his own abilities.”
Playing 20 minutes a night will certainly give him that chance.
The official press release is below.
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Nashville, Tenn. (November 7, 2013) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has recalled forward Taylor Beck from Milwaukee (AHL) and has assigned forward Filip Forsberg to the Admirals.
Beck, 22 (5/13/91), has posted five points (3g-2a) in eight games for Milwaukee in 2013-14, helping the Admirals to a 6-0-2 record. The 6-2, 206-pound right wing saw his first NHL action with Nashville a season ago, amassing seven points (3g-4a) in 16 games. Nashville’s fourth choice, 70th overall (third round), in the 2009 Entry Draft also led the 2012-13 Ads in points (11g-30a-41pts), assists and ranked second in power-play points (3g-9a-12pts) despite playing in only 50 of the team’s 76 games.
The Nashville Predators continue their franchise-record 17-day road trip tomorrow night when they take on the Winnipeg Jets at 7 p.m. CT (102.5 FM The Game, FOX SportSouth). Following the completion of their seven-game trip which still has stops in New York (to face the Islanders), New Jersey and Pittsburgh, the Preds return home to Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, Nov. 16, to face the Chicago Blackhawks. McDonalds Family Four Pack tickets, available for every Saturday and Sunday night home game, start at just $33 each, and allow you to receive four gold hats and four items from McDonalds with every McDonalds Family Four Pack purchased. For more information about how to purchase tickets, visit nashvillepredators.com or call 615-770-7800.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Fuqua (used with permission)