Predators Call Up Former First-Round Pick

Denis Gurianov is getting another shot in the NHL, as the Nashville Predators have called the forward up to their roster from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Gurianov was added by the Predators during the offseason. The hope was that he would prove to be a low-risk, high-reward kind of addition for the team, but things started off poorly for him with the Preds. He did not make the team out of training camp and was assigned to the AHL after clearing waivers. However, he has been excellent at the AHL level, posting 30 points in 27 games. Now, his goal will be to turn things back around at the NHL level 

Gurianov was selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He began his career well, scoring 20 goals as a rookie in 2019-20 and having back-to-back 30-point campaigns following it. However, he struggled mightily this past season, posting just 17 points in 66 games split between Dallas and the Montreal Canadiens.

The Predators could use more secondary scoring, and it will be interesting to see if Gurianov can give them just that with this call-up. This is a good opportunity for him to show the Predators that he is still an NHL-caliber player. Let's see if he can do just that from here.

photo credit: © Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports