Top Predators Prospects to Watch Entering Rookie Camp

With Predators Rookie Camp and the 2022 NHL Prospect Showcase just days away, 23 young NHL hopefuls will soon be in Gold and Navy vying for a coveted spot on the team's 2022-23 roster.
Of the 36 skaters who participated in this year's Development Camp, 18 got the call to return for Rookie Camp. The number of skaters who could see NHL ice time this season is realistically even smaller.
That being the case, there are still a number of players entering camp this week who scouts and management will be paying close attention to. Here are five prospects to watch:

Yaroslav Askarov

Yaroslav Askarov, the Preds 2020 first-round pick, will join the Milwaukee Admirals for their upcoming 2022-23 season after an impressive outing with the VHL's SKA-Neva St. Petersburg in 2021-22.
Last season, the 20-year-old goaltender posted a .899 save percentage and went 5-2-2 over nine games. During the postseason, Askarov improved his save percentage to .937 with a record of 2-1.
At Development Camp, Askarov was placed on Team Navy for the Prospect Showcase Game and impressed, stopping every shot faced during regulation and
helping Team Navy to a 7-4 victory
. He even played up his skills to the crowd with a flying poke check during the Showcase's second shootout.

With a full season in Milwaukee just around the corner, Askarov could be poised to take his game to the next level - and it all starts at Rookie Camp this Wednesday.

Zachary L'Heureux

Back for his second Rookie Camp after going to Nashville 27th overall at the 2021 NHL Draft, forward Zachary L'Heureux is hungry for the next step and ready for another opportunity to prove it. In his 2021-22 season with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, L'Heureux showed off the kind of physical, productive play Predators Head Coach John Hynes and staff are looking for on the front end - putting up 56 points and 64 penalty minutes in just 46 games.
L'Heureux returned to his second Development Camp with added confidence and in more of a leadership role, and it will no doubt be interesting to see how that carries into the Prospect Showcase, both on and off the ice.

Luke Evangelista

This upcoming season, 20-year-old forward Luke Evangelista will take another step in his professional development with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals. Last season, Evangelista served as captain for the OHL's London Knights, tallying 55 goals and 56 assists across 62 games. Evangelista's 111-point season led the Knights to the playoffs and the forward shined again, scoring two goals and four assists in seven games.
During Development Camp this July, the 2020 second-round pick stood out once more, tallying twice to help Team Navy to a 7-4 win.
Coming off a strong season in the OHL and an impressive week at Development Camp, Evangelista is set to gain even more professional experience and could impress yet again with the Admirals this season.

Egor Afanasyev

Egor Afanasyev - picked 45th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft - made significant strides toward earning a spot in the NHL during his first professional season with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals last year and arrived for his third Dev Camp this July with the added confidence to prove it.
Afanasyev had plenty to be confident about. In 74 games, the 6-foot-4, 211-pound forward put up 33 points (12g-21a) - placing eighth in goals and seventh in assists among the Ads lineup.
With a full year of professional experience under his belt, Nashville's front office will likely be keeping a close eye on Afanasyev to see how it all translates to Rookie Camp and the Prospect Showcase.

Adam Wilsby

While earning a spot on the newly reconfigured Predators blue line might be a tall task for the young defensemen entering this year's Rookie Camp, 22-year-old Adam Wilsby could be staring down his first full season in North America with the Admirals.
In his latest season with the Swedish Hockey League's Skellefteå AIK, Wilsby put up 17 points in 51 games and finished third among Skellefteå skaters in goals (4) and fourth in assists (13). The blueliner led SHL defensemen in plus minus at +24, the highest from a Skellefteå defenseman since 2012-13.
Wilsby's impressive showing in the SHL earned him a call from the Admirals, and the blueliner got ice time in three separate postseason outings with Milwaukee. While it's likely more of an uphill climb finding an opening on the Predators blue line, Wilsby could easily begin the 2022-23 campaign on Milwaukee's if he makes a similar splash at Rookie Camp.
Click here for the full Rookie Camp roster
and see below for the full schedule:
Wednesday, Sept. 14 @ 1 p.m. CT - Practice, Centennial Sportsplex
Thursday, Sept. 15 @ 10 a.m. CT - Practice, Centennial Sportsplex
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.)