Nashville Predators Reassign Ryan Ufko

According to a team announcement, the Nashville Predators have assigned defenseman Ryan Ufko to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Nashville did not make a corresponding roster move, leaving their active roster with 22 players.

Ufko, 23, just began his third full season with the Predators organization. Nashville selected him with the 115th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he began playing for the organization toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts. Ufko spent mostly his first full season with the organization with the Admirals, finishing with eight goals and 30 points in 72 games, with a +4 rating.

Although it was a decent rookie season, Ufko didn’t become a true long-term candidate for the Predators’ defensive corps until last season. He exploded offensively in the AHL, registering 11 goals and 44 points in 52 games with a -15 rating. That offensive prowess earned him a longer look in the NHL with Nashville, where he scored two goals and 11 points in 18 games, averaging 13:53 of ice time per game. Still, as efficient as he was on the offensive side of the puck, Ufko struggled with possession, finishing with 12 giveaways and a 44.6% CorsiFor at even strength.

The Smithtown, NY, native played in half of Nashville’s preseason contests and became one of nine defensemen to make the opening-night roster. Unfortunately, Ufko left a lot to be desired in the Predators’ first regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. According to team beat reporter Brooks Bratten, head coach Andrew Brunette spoke of Ufko’s play, saying, “Well, a few things. Obviously, I thought his play tapered a little bit. We’re hoping for a little better effort last night from him, and he got overwhelmed a little bit in that hockey game. And I think we’ve got some things to figure out on the backend, and we don’t really want him sitting out.”

Regardless of Ufko’s demotion, the outcome was expected, though not necessarily for Ufko specifically. The Predators began the season with 12 forwards and nine defensemen on the active roster, which likely wouldn’t have been sustainable in the long term. Although they didn’t make a corresponding roster move today, Nashville will likely recall a forward before squaring off against the Dallas Stars tomorrow evening.