Admirals Coach Taylor Leading Preds Prospects at Rookie Camp and Beyond

Karl Taylor isn't shy when stating his team's intentions for their four-day excursion down to Tampa: he and the Predators prospects intend to prevail in each of their three outings.
In the grand scheme of it all, no one is going to remember the result of a rookie game five years from now, but that's just how a coach's brain is wired - to win. Taylor, the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals - Nashville's AHL affiliate - has led the Preds through a pair of practices as Rookie Camp got underway in Nashville, and now the group is headed south for the 2021 Prospect Showcase.
There, Preds rookies will face off against their peers from Tampa Bay, Florida and Carolina, hockey that is certainly meaningful to all involved, no matter if they're in front of or behind the bench.

And while winning is paramount, there is plenty more to gain for Taylor and the Preds in the coming days no matter their stature in the organization.
Most of the attention will be on players like forward Philip Tomasino and defenseman David Farrance, arguably Nashville's top two prospects most likely to make a jump to the NHL this season, but there are so many others on the trip who may one day find themselves on a true Predators roster, an exciting premise for all.
"Everyone wants to see all the draft picks and anyone that we've signed or brought in," Taylor said on Episode 143 of the Preds Official Podcast. "Obviously, we had Phil Tomasino last year, and we worked with him in previous development camps, as well as with [forward] Egor [Afanasyev], but it's nice to have a guy like [Admirals forward] Tommy Novak joining us and being in these tournament games. He knows what we expect and how we coach, and we'll lean on him heavily over the weekend to help lead our group because he's been in the American League for two years and knows what we're looking for.
"But it's fun to see all the new draft picks, and it's interesting from our perspective as the Milwaukee Admirals in the American League coaches. We're focused on everyone, but we're really focused on the guys that are expected to be pros this year. Some of these guys will be going back to junior and our scouts will be focused on them and how they're doing, and we're going to be focused on the group and the kids and the players that we're going to get our hands on. Obviously Farrance and [defenseman Marc] Del Gaizo on the back end are up in talent, we want to see those guys and see how they develop, and then we'll see how the goalie battle goes, because one of those guys is probably going to start the season with us as well."
That goaltending competition involves netminders Devin Cooley and Tomas Vomacka, both of whom figure to be in the running for a job in Milwaukee behind Connor Ingram this season. Cooley, who was signed by the Preds out of the University of Denver, started his pro career last season with the ECHL's Florida Everblades, while Vomacka, a 2017 draftee of the Predators, is ready to turn pro after his collegiate stint at UConn.
Now, it's up to the puck stoppers to determine who goes where, and that contest begins now.
"In this world of sports and hockey that we live in, the opportunities are few and far between, and when they get presented, you've got to grab them," Taylor said. "So, just because Devin was a first-year pro last year doesn't mean he gets handed the job. He probably has an expectation and a hope that he's going to have that job, but I guarantee you, Tomas is thinking, 'I'm going to knock him off, and I don't want to start in the East Coast League.' … They've got to make do with what they're given, and so this is a great opportunity for them to really shine and try to separate themselves as we move forward."
Someone else looking to rise above the pack is Tomasino, of course, a player many have penciled in as a potential to find his way onto Nashville's Opening Night roster in less than a month. Taylor agrees it's a matter of when - not if - Tomasino will make it to the NHL, but even if the speedy and skilled forward doesn't dominate at the showcase this weekend, don't be alarmed.
"Phil's going to play in the NHL for a very long time," Taylor said. "Whether it is this season or mid-season or next season, that'll be determined how things move forward, and the timing will be correct whenever he cracks the roster. That's the way I kind of look at it. I've been in the American League for a number of years now, so I've had lots of prospects come through. I've seen some guys get rushed, I've seen some guys over-ripe, so I think the time will be right when the time is right. And, I will tell everyone, this guy is going to play in the NHL for a very long time. That's a guarantee.
"It's really important that, as a group, we understand it takes time, and the NHL is the greatest League in the world. If you take a look at a great talent like [Predators forward Eeli] Tolvanen, [he] played basically two full seasons in Milwaukee prior to cracking the lineup and becoming a full time NHLer, so everyone's got their own path and their own timeline. We're excited to have young guys in Nashville doing well, and for Phil's sake, hopefully that works out for him, but if it doesn't, it won't be the end of the world for his development, that's for sure."
Whenever Tomasino, or anyone else under the tutelage of Taylor and his staff in Milwaukee gets that call to Nashville, the sense of pride is immense. Yes, winning is still the ultimate goal no matter the team, but those in the AHL also see the bigger picture.
What starts here in Rookie Camp will continue with the Admirals for many, but as the previous campaign in Nashville showed, the journey can lead to Tennessee at any moment. Contributions from rookies helped to save the Predators season last spring, and those who were once prospect hopefuls are now household names.
So, who's next? Taylor and the Preds will find out soon enough.
"We're very excited for the players [who make it to the NHL] to believe that we had some type of help to assist them in gaining that opportunity," Taylor said. "That's what we're there for, and that's our job in Milwaukee. We won't beat around the bush - we're there to win games because that's what coaches want to do, but we need to develop players, and we need to develop them quicker than people plan on, because that allows the Predators to manipulate their salary cap and have younger guys on the roster sooner. That's always our goal in Milwaukee is to push the envelope and get guys up sooner, which will allow them to do other things, and push money in different directions to assist the Predators to win a Stanley Cup. That's the ultimate goal for everyone."