Smashville Scope: Luke Evangelista Has Arrived

It has been a busy week for the Nashville Predators, who are riding a five-game road point streak (4-0-1) into Thursday's Central Division showdown with the Arizona Coyotes.
As the Preds head into the back half of their six-game road trip, here's a summary of the biggest storylines in Smashville this week:

Welcome to the Show

On Feb. 28, Luke Evangelista became the third prospect to make his NHL debut with the Predators during the 2022-23 season. He quickly made an impact for the Preds, both at even strength and on the power play, and he scored the first two goals of his NHL career in the third period of Monday's game at Vancouver.
"I was getting a bunch of chances there and I was gripping the stick a little tight, but I was just happy to be able to bury one tonight," Evangelista said after the game. "I've felt pretty good about my play. My mentality is that I'm just trying to earn one more game at a time. So, I felt like I was contributing in other ways, but I think at some point you do have to produce, so it was good to get a couple there tonight."
Tweet from @PredsNHL: First of many. Congrats Luke! pic.twitter.com/Kqq4KIaskN

Preds Busy at the Deadline

President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile and the Nashville Predators front office made
a flurry of moves
in a busy week leading up to Friday's NHL trade deadline.
The week saw the Preds pick up nine draft picks, three roster players and four prospects, in addition to signing two players to one-year contracts for 2023-24. Click here for a summary of Nashville's major moves and signings.

A New Era in Smashville

Poile, the only general manager in the history of the Nashville Predators,
announced last week that he will retire
from that position, as well as his role of president of hockey operations, on June 30, 2023. Poile will remain affiliated with the organization as an advisor, serving the team's ownership, its business operations leadership group, and the hockey operations department, including new General Manager Barry Trotz.
Trotz, the franchise's first-ever and winningest head coach,
takes the reins as general manager
on July 1, 2023. He will manage all facets of the Predators' hockey operations department, including the coaching and scouting staffs, player procurement and development, as well as minor league affiliations and operations. Trotz will work as an advisor for Poile and his management team over the next four months, ensuring a smooth, stable and efficient transition as he takes over just following the 2023 NHL Draft, which will be hosted at Bridgestone Arena on June 28-29.

Milwaukee Admirals Update

The Predators AHL affiliate wrapped up their weekend slate with a thrilling victory over the Central Division-leading Texas Stars on Sunday. Spencer Stastney scored with less than a minute remaining in the game to lift the Admirals to a 3-2 win. Michael McCarron, skating in his 400th professional game, recorded a goal and two assists, while Devin Cooley stopped 35 shots to earn his 12th win of the season.
Cole Schneider leads all current Milwaukee skaters with 34 points (20g-14a), and his 20 goals - including seven on the power play - are also a team high. The Admirals sit in second place in the AHL's Central Division with 69 points, just one point behind first-place Texas.

Goal of the Week

Assist of the Week

Save of the Week

Predators Official Podcast

Darren McFarland and Kara Hammer catch up with current Predators GM David Poile, who discusses the changes made to the roster prior to the NHL trade deadline. Darren and Kara answer some #AskPOP questions from Twitter and weigh in on everything that has happened in the last week.

Coming Soon to Bridgestone Arena

March 8-12: 2023 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
March 14: Detroit Red Wings vs. Nashville Predators
For more information on events and tickets, click
here
.