AHL: Suters Bloodlines Evident

Ryan Suter will be a key part in taking Nashville's franchise to the next level one day, but the young defenseman had to overcome some early struggles this season just to get his own game in order. Timofei Shishankov seemed to lack urgency this year, but that may just have been because he knew there was no chance of playing in the NHL this season. We've also got notes on four other Milwaukee Admirals: Scottie Upshall, Brian Finley, Kevin Klein and Andrew Hutchinson.

Timofei Shishkanov (Nsh), LW

Prized offensive prospect had a rough year despite being on one of the best offensive teams in the AHL .. numbers were down across the board despite playing in more games this year than last .. desire just wasn't there this season .. had impressed last year with a surprising amount of grit and defensive spunk, noticeably showing Nashville he could play a two-way game .. downfall could be partially because of NHL lockout, since he knew there was no chance to be called up .. top speed is just adequate and he is not a threat to burn defenders outside, but he's still a good skater .. has a back up straight, butt low kind of a stride where he keeps his legs out wide, allowing him to pull off impressive zig-zag motions .. keeps his balance when he's pushed by defenders .. extremely shifty .. great at planting his feet and moving laterally in a hurry .. dangerous one-on-one with some nifty moves .. has a water bug-like skating ability that is a rare and a hot commodity .. a natural sniper through and through .. quick wrist-shot release that is deceptive .. great at finding open lanes for his shot and loves to use it .. slap shot is also a deadly weapon that is both accurate and powerful .. playmaking skills are coming along but he still holds onto the puck a tad too long .. would benefit by simplifying things and moving the puck more .. play reads are quick .. quick hands help him move the puck swiftly with crisp tape-to-tape passes .. well built and ready to take his offensive game to the NHL .. magnificent while working with the puck in traffic .. dangles in-close and can be slippery in traffic .. has continued to add bulk and plays strong on his feet .. difficult for defenders to take him off the puck .. doesn't shy away from the rough stuff in the corners and will throw the occasional hit .. active with his stick .. defensive side of the game could use more determination .. his game lacked urgency this year, whereas last season he had that need to succeed.

Brian Finley (Nsh), G

Former sixth overall pick has had plenty of growing pains but still enjoyed his best season since he was drafted .. tall, lanky goaltender who plays a butterfly game that takes up a lot of the net .. doesn't use large pads .. had several shutouts, 36 wins, an impressive .921 SA% to go along with a 2.29 GAA .. consistency has improved and is no longer prone to long stretches of horrendous play .. has learned how to keep his team in games even on nights he is off his game .. has shown the ability to raise his game against the toughest of competition .. mental game could still use some work and he's not yet at the level where he'd be considered a sure thing in the NHL .. makes life harder than it should be against easier opponents .. can still be prone to bad goals where he moves too fast and opens up holes .. opposing forwards can be rewarded for their patience .. backs into his crease too far when the shooter carries the puck in close, although he shows great poise on breakaways – which comes in handy in shootout situations .. great at moving laterally and keeping position as he goes down into the butterfly .. tends to back down in traffic .. when his shots are limited to the perimeter he can simply be dominating .. gives up goals on wrap-arounds too often, which is surprising given his impressive lateral movement .. good instincts .. has a sixth sense when a guy is streaking in on his backside and has made some incredible saves that way .. can lose balance shifting back and forth from post-to-post .. shoulders take up a lot of the net but still leaves glaring holes on the top corners .. quick glove hand is superb .. capable of highlight real glove saves .. blocker can turn shots into the corners but many goals still beat him on that side .. rebound control has come a long way but he still doesn't look natural and seems to fight to keep pucks from escaping for rebounds .. legs are fast .. great use of his stick with the puck on shots .. can be a dominating shut-down goaltender if things go smooth early, but he can also get rattled too easily .. benefits from the solid defensemen in front of him .. physically ready, but still needs work mentally .. could be one of those goalies that comes out of nowhere to be a prized late bloomer.

Scottie Upshall (Nsh), LW

Stock is on the rise as much as any prospect in the Predators organization .. game has heart and sandpaper .. loves to battle in the corners .. fearless and effective on the forecheck .. always the first one in the zone and he finishes his hits .. has a lot of jam despite not being the biggest guy around .. defensive game continues to improve .. works hard in his own zone but still shows signs of not being the most instinctive player defensively .. blossomed offensively this year .. skating and hard shot are his biggest weapons .. strong legs with excellent acceleration .. can flat-out fly and win foot races .. good for a breakaway-per-game on average because of his speed .. dangerous outside but can be knocked off the puck and could stand to work on his balance .. packs a heck of a shot that is released quickly .. doesn't have sniper-like instincts or accuracy, but that doesn't stop him from shooting .. playmaking has improved, along with his vision .. if given time he can make the correct read, but he won't have that luxury at the NHL level .. a lot of his assists come on rebounds .. holds onto the puck too long at times .. good hands and in-close skills .. can dance around the top of the circles and maintain possession, especially on the PP, waiting for an opportunity to strike .. definitely on the rise after a breakout year .. may have surpassed Shishkanov, but doesn't have as high of scoring upside.

Ryan Suter (Nsh), D

Seventh overall pick of Nashville only stayed in school for one year, leaving after a sub-par freshman season .. struggled early in the year and it looked like the move to sign him early wasn't paying off .. looked unconfident, struggled against the speed, size and strength of the AHL .. didn't show the will to be a difference maker .. has still managed to come a long way in a single season .. top pairing defenseman potential if you watch close enough .. didn't take it end-to-end much like he did at the WJC's but he has the skating and hands to do so .. focused on his own end and won't make mistakes .. has a good frame at 6'1, 195 and appears to be stronger than advertised .. maintains excellent gap control on rushing forwards and has exceptional agility and backwards acceleration to stay with rushing forwards .. swift cuts and lateral shifts help him handle one-on-one moves .. positioning in the corners is superb .. great at keeping his man pinned on the boards and he keeps his feet moving if the forward gets out .. won't take lazy penalties .. likes to finish .. can really jam a guy with a big hit .. periodically displays a nasty mean streak, getting carried away and punching a guy in the back of the head .. mean streak also presents with too much stick work which can lead to penalties, but it's still nice to see that edge in his game .. skating is impressive .. long, effortless stride comes from his leg strength .. hits full speed quickly .. deceptively fast, but while his top speed is good – it isn't elite .. still has the ability to go end-to-end .. picks his spots offensively more then ever .. has matured into a stable, reliable defenseman but shows the opportunistic qualities you love to see and will jump in the play .. low, hard shot has an exceptionally quick released .. great hand-eye coordination .. holds the zone well .. does a nice job of knocking pucks out of mid-air and getting them settled for a pass or shot .. poise on the point shows the makings of a PP QB .. outlet decisions are beyond his years .. has the ability to hit the home run pass from his own zone, but is smart enough to choose the safe route if the big play isn't there .. signs of dominance are there, but he still needs to put the pieces together at this level – something that should come with age and confidence.

Kevin Klein (Nsh), D

Consistently impressed with a mature two-way game that the Preds will love, although his upside isn't near the level of Suter .. likely a second pairing defenseman who can play the PK and PP, which is still a valuable commodity in the NHL .. isn't big by any means but plays a smart defensive game .. keen at taking the correct angles and positioning in the defensive zone .. good at pinning bigger opponents on the boards .. excellent at tying up his man all over the ice, using his stick as leverage on his man and neutralizing him .. an accomplished skater who can stay with a rushing forward .. keeps a close gap and does an effective job of not letting his man free .. played a two-on-one perfectly where he started off between the rushing offenders, then slowly and craftily worked his way over to the shooter and in the end poked the puck away before the forward knew what hit him .. has great agility, excellent hips and body control .. does a good job of changing direction and pace on a dime .. has a good first step and it allows him to close in on forwards quickly in his own zone .. top speed isn't special and could be upgraded, although he is still able to win those foot-races .. his ability to raise his game to the occasion is an eye-catcher .. early in the game he plays a safe defensive game and really picks his spots offensively .. if his team needs a goal his willingness to jump into the play increases dramatically .. he begins to show more competitiveness and a physical side when it is needed and you can see the change in both his game and the expression on his face .. if he could play like this consistently he would have been a first round pick with top two pairing potential .. poised with the puck .. makes good outlet decisions .. can't hit the home run like Suter but doesn't turn the puck over .. offensive game is coming along nicely .. shows good instincts .. needs to upgrade his shot velocity and accuracy from the point .. vision is top notch .. moves the puck from the point like a vet .. will need another year or two in the minors but the upside is showing through .. sometimes has problems with bigger opponents due to his small stature, but he makes up for it with smarts.

Andrew Hutchinson (Nsh), D

Starting to grow and mature into one of the AHL's best defensemen .. named to the AHL All Star game this year .. solid frame at 6'2, 190 but needs to add bulk .. gets worked physically by stronger opponents and may have a real problem with that at the next level .. doesn't pick good angles and needs to work on his positioning .. good at moving the puck out of the zone and makes good outlet passes .. prone to having long shifts in his own zone when the forwards give him headaches .. vision is his strength and he is great at moving the puck, especially on the rush or from the point .. likes to shoot and is good at getting them through .. shot is hard and accurate and his slap shot is especially dangerous .. creates rebounds for his teammates on the PP .. nothing breathtaking offensively – he's just a crafty defenseman who has exceptional distribution skills .. quick reads, accurate passes and the ability to make a beautiful pass that leads to an easy goal, especially on the PP .. point totals are exaggerated because he is on such a good team .. nowhere near the level of Hamhuis, nor does he have the potential of Suter .. smooth, firm skating stride with good stop-and-go speed and fine acceleration .. would benefit from a more up-tempo game with perhaps a bit more fire in his belly .. overrated defenseman likely will pan out as Nashville's fifth defenseman, although a lack of depth on Nashville's blueline could bump him up slightly .. time may be running out for this 24-years old defenseman.