Reporting to Camp, Preds Rookies Look Ahead to Prospect Showcase Games

Just weeks after the final day of Predators Development Camp, a pared-down group of Nashville's top prospects were back on the ice at Centennial Sportsplex for the start of Rookie Camp - a brief precursor to the much-anticipated
NHL Prospect Showcase in Raleigh, N.C.

Among the 23 skaters invited to Rookie Camp was forward Egor Afanasyev, who spent the bulk of last season with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals in perhaps his most significant step toward finally seeing NHL ice time since his draft day in 2019.
"I'm just trying my best and I'm going 100 percent," he said. "I'm trying to ramp it up for not just the rookie tournament, but also for the main camp and preseason games as well… I just want to dominate at [the NHL] level and I want to fight for a roster spot. So, I want to be able to dominate."
The 21-year-old Russian forward not only has the advantage of a full pro season under his belt, but the experience from three previous Dev and Rookie Camps as well. With his age and experience, Afanasyev knows there's an expectation for him to step up as a leader in the locker room and on the ice.
"I am one of the oldest guys here, so obviously I'm going to try my best to help the younger guys around the locker room," he said. "It doesn't matter if you're younger or older - I'm going to try to help."
Also returning for Rookie Camp are forwards Zachary L'Heureux and Juuso Parssinen.
L'Heureux, who iced an impressive 56-point season with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads in 2021-22, spent the weeks between Development and Rookie Camp putting in some extra work on and off the ice.
"It was fun being able to come out here for Development Camp in the summer and I think I learned a lot there," L'Heureux said. "I knew what they expected of me coming into Rookie Camp, so I worked a lot over the last couple months and just worked on my game - getting a little bit more in shape, a little bit leaner and a little bit faster. And I felt good on the ice today and just want to continue this streak."
Parssinen - who posted 32 points (9g-23a) over 41 games with the Finnish Liiga's TPS - could potentially spend much of 2022-23 in Milwaukee, and is excited for the opportunity to prove himself in front of Nashville's coaching staff once again.
"It's really exciting," Parssinen said. "Of course, this is a good place to show where we are as individuals and make an impact for the coaches to earn a spot later on on the team. But of course, it's a tournament and the main point of hockey is to win so that's also a big goal for us."
Another equally important goal of Rookie Camp is building camaraderie - perhaps best exemplified Wednesday by Russian netminder Yaroslav Askarov, who spent portions of his downtime joining in on corner drills and stickhandling through other prospects.

Askarov, who spent his summer in Nashville honing his skills on the ice after Dev Camp and learning English, spoke to media Wednesday with translation help from fellow countryman Afanasyev.
"He's enjoying every second of it," Afanasyev said - a widely-grinning Askarov beside him. "He's obviously very glad it's all starting because after Development Camp he stayed in Nashville. And he's very happy that he worked a lot and his work is starting to pay off… He feels good on the ice and he's definitely happy to get started."
Askarov, who captured some well-deserved attention during his first Dev Camp appearance, is poised to see plenty of ice time this weekend as Nashville's top goaltending prospect.
It all starts Friday at 12 p.m. CT when the Predators prospects take on the Tampa Bay Lightning's rookie squad. The Preds prospects will play twice more before moving on to their respective assignments - Carolina on Sunday and Florida on Monday, both at 9 a.m. CT.
But before the plane departs for Raleigh, there's one more practice left to gain some valuable last-minute guidance.
"It's fun having all the staff around me," L'Heureux said. "They're super open to any question - anything that comes to mind. So, it's fun to be able to work with them. It's not every day you get the opportunity to work with people that have the experience that they have, so coming to the rink with an open mind and listening to] anything they tell you just adds to my toolbox."
[Click here for a full Rookie Camp roster
and see below for the full Prospect Showcase schedule:
Friday, Sept. 16 @ 12 p.m. CT - Predators vs. Lightning, Invisalign Arena (Morrisville, N.C.)
Saturday, Sept. 17 - Day Off
Sunday, Sept. 18 @ 9 a.m. CT - Predators vs. Hurricanes, PNC Arena (Raleigh, N.C.)
Monday, Sept. 19 @ 9 a.m. CT - Predators vs. Panthers, PNC Arena (Raleigh, N.C.)