The Predators recalled Troy Grosenick from AHL Milwaukee on Friday, per a team announcement. He’ll back up Kevin Lankinen tonight against the Blackhawks, allowing starter Juuse Saros to take a rest and avoid injury risk with three games left until the playoffs.
Grosenick, 34, has been one of the AHL’s premier goalies for most of the last decade. However, his success has never brought him close to a full-time NHL role. He’s only made four career top-level starts—two in 2014-15 with the Sharks and two in 2020-21 with the Kings.
The former Union College standout’s professional career began in 2013, inking an entry-level deal in San Jose as an undrafted free agent. He’s since bounced around on two-way deals with the Kings, Predators, Bruins, and Flyers. He returned to the Preds organization last summer on a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$175K) to mentor top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, his second contractual stint with the club after signing a one-year deal for the 2019-20 season.
That wasn’t his only previous campaign in Milwaukee, however. The Sharks loaned him there for a decent chunk of his time with the club, resulting in him playing 86 games with the Admirals between 2018 and 2020.
His return to Milwaukee has been solid but not overly triumphant. An injury kept him out for most of last season in the Flyers organization, limiting him to six appearances with Lehigh Valley. He’s failed to return to his former routine showings above a .920 SV%, posting a .907 mark and two shutouts with a 17-7-1 record in 28 games for Milwaukee this year. He’s only two years removed from a career-best campaign in the Bruins organization with AHL Providence when he led the league in GAA (2.00) and SV% (.933) in 30 appearances and earned a Second All-Star Team nod.
A pending UFA, Grosenick could make a fifth NHL start down the stretch if the Preds decide to let Saros rest for the remainder of the regular season. Entering tonight, Saros had started 11 of Nashville’s 15 games since the deadline. They’ve clinched a playoff spot and are guaranteed one of the two wild-card berths in the West.