10:16 a.m.: Center Michael McCarron has been placed on injured reserve to create a necessary roster spot for the recalls of Blankenburg and Wilsby, according to Kieser. McCarron has missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury and will also be sidelined tonight against the Flyers, but he is eligible to return on Friday against the Lightning.
9:49 a.m.: The Predators have called up defenseman Nick Blankenburg from AHL Milwaukee ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the Flyers, as reported by Nick Kieser of 102.5 & 106.3 The Game Nashville. Adam Wilsby has also been promoted from the minors, according to Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean. Either of them could make their Predators debut after Jeremy Lauzon exited Monday’s loss to the Devils with an injury and did not return. Since Nashville has only one open roster spot, an additional corresponding move is likely imminent.
Blankenburg, 26, is in his first year with the Predators after serving as captain at the University of Michigan. He spent part of three seasons with the Blue Jackets before becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent last summer, whereupon he signed a two-year, partially two-way contract with Nashville.
Standing at 5’9″, the right-shot defenseman cleared waivers before heading to AHL Milwaukee at the end of the preseason. After his demotion, Blankenburg excelled with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 13 games, leading the Milwaukee defensemen in scoring.
Last season marked his AHL debut, where he played 24 games for the Blue Jackets’ affiliate in Cleveland. He also played a career-high 36 games for Columbus in the 2022-23 season, despite battling upper-body and ankle injuries, netting four goals and 10 assists for 14 points with a -16 rating. He has displayed real offensive potential at the NHL level while also having experience in top-four minutes. Interestingly, despite his smaller stature, he brings a surprising physicality to his game.
This makes him a valuable option for a Nashville team that has struggled with offensive production from its defensemen, aside from Norris candidate Roman Josi. Brady Skjei and Alexandre Carrier rank among the team’s top scorers with eight and five points, respectively, while the third defensive pairing of Lauzon, Marc Del Gaizo, and Luke Schenn have combined for just one goal, four assists, and a -13 rating.
Wilsby, 24, has already been recalled twice this month and appeared in three games without making his NHL debut. The Swedish left-handed player has recorded one goal and five points with a +5 rating in 13 games for Milwaukee in his third season in North America. While he remains waiver-exempt, Blankenburg is not; therefore, he can only stay on Nashville’s roster for 10 games or 30 days before needing to go through waivers again to return to the minors.
