The Nashville Predators have made a roster move today, recalling forward Frederick Gaudreau from the Milwaukee Admirals while placing Yannick Weber on injured reserve. The move comes ahead of Nashville’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche tonight.
Gaudreau is well known to Predators fans after his impressive playoff debut last season. After getting into nine regular season games much earlier in the year, Gaudreau was called upon in the postseason after injuries ravaged the Nashville lineup. In eight games, the diminutive forward scored three times including two game-winning goals in the Finals against Pittsburgh (the only two games Nashville would win in the series). This season, he again was cut from the NHL roster near the end of training camp and has been playing in the AHL. With four points through three games, Gaudreau made an early case to be among the first call-ups for Nashville.
Weber has been dealing with an upper-body injury since taking a nasty check from Martin Hanzal in a game against the Dallas Stars last week. His absence (along with that of Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis) has helped open the door for young Samuel Girard, who has three points in three games and is proving he might be ready for the NHL already. The 19-year old can play six more games before burning a year of his entry-level contract, a decision that might come down to the health of the Predators’ defense corps.