Predators make defensive call-ups after injuries to Carrier, Lauzon
In what's been an eventful month for the Nashville Predators defensive corps; Ryan McDonagh is on the IR list after taking a puck to the face, the team announced that Alexandre Carrier is out week-to-week, and Jeremy Lauzon is out day-to-day, both with upper-body injuries. Both defenders left Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators. For […]
In what's been an eventful month for the Nashville Predators defensive corps; Ryan McDonagh is on the IR list after taking a puck to the face, the team announced that Alexandre Carrier is out week-to-week, and Jeremy Lauzon is out day-to-day, both with upper-body injuries. Both defenders left Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators. For the rest of the weekend, there was a lot of speculation that they would not be available for Monday's game in St. Louis. The announcement today that they both, in fact, are dealing with injuries that will keep them out of the lineup shines a light on the need for call-ups.
Both players leave a pretty big hole in the defensive lineup for the Preds. First, Carrier had been paired, quite nicely, with Mattias Ekholm and even scored his first goal of the season in front of his father during the Predator Dad's trip against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Lauzon has recently been paired with Dante Fabbro on the 3rd pairing. Both pairings were developing chemistry that the defense had been lacking at the beginning of the season. Neither defender has been placed on the IR list.
To fill those holes, the team has called up two defenders from their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.
The first defenseman making the trip is Kevin Gravel, a 30-year-old who currently has 6 points (all assists) in 22 games with the Admirals. He came to the Predators organization in the offseason from the Stockton Heat (now the Calgary Wranglers), the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. Gravel stands 6'4" and weighs in at 210 pounds and looked defensively sound during the preseason. Gravel won the Calder Cup in 2015 with the Manchester Monarchs (now the Ontario Reign).
The second defender headed to big club is Roland McKeown, a 26-year-old who's currently tied for the lead amongst Milwaukee defenders in points with 2 goals and 6 assists in 22 games. He came to the Predators organization as a free agent in the offseason from the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. McKeown stands 6'1" and weighs in at 198 pounds. He also won the Calder Cup in 2019 with the Charlotte Checkers. McKeown also scored a goal during a preseason game against the Florida Panthers at Bridgestone Arena.
Looks for both players to make their regular season debuts tonight against the St. Louis Blues.
-featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports-
