Another springtime, another Calder Cup Playoff berth for the Milwaukee Admirals.
The American Hockey League affiliate of the Predators has enjoyed tremendous consistency over the years when it comes to postseason play - this year marks their fifth-consecutive playoff berth - and the 2025-26 Ads are no different.
What makes this edition of the team particularly impressive, however, is the personnel that got it done. With a number of Nashville’s top prospects at the AHL level ending up with the Preds down the stretch due to a number of deals leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, the Admirals relied on the help of 16 different rookies over the course of the campaign.
So, clinching a playoff spot in the Central Division to earn the chance to face the Manitoba Moose in a best-of-three series that begins Wednesday night in Winnipeg is all the more impressive.
But, no matter the circumstances, that’s just what the Admirals seem to do.
“We’ve had lots of changes through the season with our roster, but we're excited about the opportunity to be back in the playoffs,” Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor said Tuesday from Winnipeg. “It's been a crazy season for us, but the players have done a great job earning the opportunity to play in the playoffs… We’re pretty proud of being able to find a way back in the playoffs, so a real credit to the players.”
A number of those players who were in Milwaukee throughout the season - Jake Lucchini, Daniel Carr, Oasiz Wiesblatt, Tanner Molendyk and David Edstrom, plus goaltender Matt Murray - did plenty to contribute to the team’s success. Cole O’Hara, who made his NHL debut in the Predators season finale, led the Ads with 19 goals and is back with the club, too.
And now, with Nashville’s season having come to a close, a number of reinforcements have also made their way back up north.
Forwards Zach L’Heureux, Reid Schaefer and Joakim Kemell, as well as defensemen Ryan Ufko and Admirals Captain Kevin Gravel have all returned. Additionally, Brady Martin, the fifth-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has joined the Admirals now that his run in the OHL playoffs has concluded.
Those are a lot of names to reintegrate back into the mix, and while there are certainly challenges that come with that, the chance to add a number of skaters who spent significant time at the NHL level this season never hurts a team’s chances.
“You have to balance both sides of it,” Taylor said. “There’s some people that have worked really hard to gain status and have really helped our team through some difficult times once those players were recalled. And so, we have to recognize that as a staff, but we also recognize and welcome back the very talented players that are now part of our team. We’re super excited to have them, but there's a little bit of balancing on both sides of it, respecting what people have done since those guys have been in Nashville, but also understanding how do we find the best mix, and how quickly can we get this stirred up and find a way to have the best mix for all everyone concerned? So, we want to put the best product and our best foot forward.
“They’re very talented people that we're happy to have, but how do you balance it? We were fortunate because we had a couple of games last weekend that we were able to kind of work through some things, and that's going to help us moving forward. It is a difficult balance, but we welcome back talented players with open arms all the time, and we welcome the challenge of bringing them into the group and finding the right mix that's going to help us play the best game possible.”
With the series against the Moose only being best-of-three, the Ads are well aware they don’t have time to dip their toe into the pool first. Instead, a cannonball off the high dive is probably more appropriate.
The Admirals are just fine with that, and they’ll simply rely on what’s made them successful all season long no matter who is in the lineup.
“They just play the game,” Preds Assistant General Manager and Admirals General Manager Scott Nichol said. “They’re young, they have smiles on their faces and they work hard… They’ve all done well in juniors. Some have gone to the Memorial Cup, and they all have some point of reference in their junior hockey or college hockey careers where they've been in big games and big moments. This is pro now, it's dialed up a little bit, but this is the best time of year. Just to be in the playoffs at any level is a privilege… It's a testament to our group that everyone stepped up at a different time and got us to where we are right now.”
