Preds Believe Assigning Tolvanen to AHL is Best for Development

It's all part of the process.
The Predators would have been thrilled to see Eeli Tolvanen light it up in the preseason and solidify a spot on the Opening Night roster. But, as just about every other player in the Nashville locker room has done before him, one more stop is needed.
The Preds assigned the 19-year-old winger to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL on Wednesday afternoon to bring the NHL roster down to 26, just one week out from the start of the regular season.
For Tolvanen, it's an opportunity to continue to develop and improve as a player, something the Predators want him to embrace.

"Every player in that locker room has spent time in the American Hockey League or in the minors," Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. "As young players, it's really important just to go down there and learn the game… He did some good things at camp, but I remember saying during camp there are things he's working on to do better with the pace and the speed of the game, too.
"But he's a really good young player and a big part of our future. We just feel it's probably best at this point that he takes in some minutes in Milwaukee and really tries to work at his game here on this rink and at this level."
Laviolette discussed the size of the North American rink as a major adjustment point. Coming from the KHL last season, Tolvanen was accustomed to playing on an ice surface that is almost 100 feet wide, as opposed to the NHL-sized rink, which is only 85 feet in width - a craft that often necessitates extra work to master.
"There's no time and space," Laviolette said of the smaller rink. "You come from a big rink and there's lots of space out there, there's lots of time. He's a young player, so you can't rush that. It's very difficult for a young player to come in and have that impact right way."
As was previously mentioned, Tolvanen is hardly the first player to experience this situation. A highly touted prospect himself, Filip Forsberg spent almost a full season in Milwaukee before making the move to Nashville during the 2013-14 campaign.
Now a star for the Preds, Forsberg says it's not only an on-ice adjustment, but off ice as well as Tolvanen acclimates to living in the United States.

"It's obviously a great opportunity for him, just to get to learn how to play over here," Forsberg said of Tolvanen heading to the AHL. "In my opinion, it's the second-best league in the world, and it's definitely a great opportunity for him to get used to playing over here and living this way.
"Before I came over, I was living with my parents. I just moved over for the first time and got to play in Milwaukee, and it was good… I just played hard every night, played a lot of games and I think that's going to be the biggest thing. He'll get used to it pretty quick."
The examples of success with the stop in Milwaukee are numerous. Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala are three recent instances of players developing with the Admirals, only to become household names in Nashville in due time.
The Predators are hopeful Tolvanen will be the next in that lineage of prosperity, following in the strides of those before him.
"This is just the path that serves to be best for young players," Laviolette said. "For him to be out of the lineup or on a fourth line here, it just doesn't make any sense. This is the best way to get him acclimated and get the experience that he needs."
"It's definitely a great opportunity for him to get used to playing over here, living this way and obviously prove that how good of a player he is," Forsberg said of Tolvanen. "We'll be ready for him when he gets back."