Just when you thought the Nashville Predators couldn’t get any stronger it looks like they’re one step closer to agreeing to a deal with soon-to-be 19-year-old Finnish prospect Eeli Tolvanen.
The Preds selected Tolvanen with the 30th pick in last summer’s NHL Entry Draft, but he spent this season playing in the KHL with Jokerit Helsinki. However, now that they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, the KHL club officially parted ways with their standout rookie on Monday.
The club decided to terminate Tolvanen’s contract to give the youngster the opportunity to sign with his NHL club and to get a feel in the NHL before the regular season concludes.
“We got the team and the game itself to go. It was pretty easy to jump in and this has been the best team I've ever been involved with. Team spirit, how everyone came along with each other, and how close we came to each other during the year, was quite awesome,” Tolvanen told the team’s website.
Tolvanen’s time in the KHL was short but he will certainly be remembered for years to come. In 49 games, the 18-year-old produced 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points, a KHL record for players under the age of 19.
If he ends up signing with the Preds, he can play the rest of the regular season without it burning off a year from his entry-level contract.
(H/T Twitter/Jokerit_EN)
