Prospect to Pro: Alexandre Carrier's Bright Future with Nashville

What does the future of the Nashville Predators defense look like?
If you had to guess, it'd be safe to include blueliner Alexandre Carrier, who was voted to the 2021-22 NHL All-Rookie Team after a stellar rookie season with the Preds.

Carrier iced a record-setting rookie season with the Preds, tallying 27 assists and 30 points - both the most by a rookie defenseman in franchise history. He also led the Predators and placed third among NHL rookies with a +26 rating, the franchise record for any rookie skater.
The 25-year-old Québécois quickly earned a top-four spot alongside veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm and from there another crucial role on Nashville's penalty kill unit.

"For a young guy coming in for his first NHL season, we kind of threw him right into the deep end, but he's a really smart player and very competitive, and I think he maximizes his talent," Head Coach John Hynes said. "He's not the biggest player, but because he's competitive and he's a good skater and really coachable, I think he finds ways to really be an impact player."
But none of it happened overnight.
Carrier made his NHL debut with Nashville in January 2017, though after just two games, was sent to play with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL.
After three seasons in Milwaukee, Carrier made another brief, three-game appearance with Nashville before he was sent down once more.
In 2021, Nashville came knocking again and the defenseman played with the Preds in 19 crucial games down the stretch and another six in the postseason.
Those 25 games were seemingly enough to convince Nashville's front office to double down on Carrier, and in 2021-22, the defenseman returned for 77 games.

"Alex is probably one of the most underrated defensemen in the National Hockey League," Assistant Coach Dan Lambert said. "He was a young player in his first year playing an 82-game season, and he played some of the hardest matchup minutes of any defenseman in the NHL… Here's a young man that has absolutely no fear and will do anything to make a play with the puck and will do anything to block a puck to make sure it doesn't get to the net."
Carrier proved his fearlessness in that category night after night, ending the regular season with 124 blocked shots - the third-most among NHL rookies and just nine behind team leader Roman Josi.

In one instance, Carrier exited a game early after blocking a shot up high against the Dallas Stars.
"He missed a few games and then he was right back in the next game blocking shots the same way," Lambert said. "There just isn't any fear in his game."
With a full season of NHL experience behind him, an excellent leadership group to look to in Ekholm and Josi, as well as a coaching staff ready to push his game to the next level, Carrier will no doubt return to the ice in October hungry for more.
"When you've come through the ranks the way that Alex has… Getting an opportunity to play with guys like Ekholm and Josi is almost a dream come true and that's why he plays the way he does," Lambert said. "I think the fact that he is there now means he doesn't want to lose that spot and he will do anything and everything to make sure that he deserves to keep it."