The Nashville Predators have signed college forward and former draftee Grant Mismash to a rookie contract as the deadline approaches. The deal comes after Mismash and the University of North Dakota were eliminated from the NCAA hockey tournament. The entry-level deal is for two years, starting next season. Nashville announced the signing Monday morning.
Welcome to Smash, Mismash! https://t.co/mtLJ4G2v0y
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 5, 2021
Predators Sign Grant Mismash
Mismash slowly developed into a solid player during his four years at the University of North Dakota. He scored nine goals and 22 points in 38 games as a freshman. That eventually became 10 goals and 19 points in 20 games as a senior. The stats aren’t eye-popping, but his rate production did jump to almost a point per game on a very good UND team. Overall, the 6’0″ Minnesota native collected 32 goals and 71 points in 117 games.
The Preds originally drafted Mismash in the second round of the 2017 Draft. He is a fine skater with a quick first step, but he lacks elite top speed. And while he didn’t score a stunning number of goals in college, he still has the profile of a quick, heavy sniper who can play in a variety of offensive situations. The next step will be to work even more on his offensive game and improve on defence, which may be his significant weak spot. Mismash may not be an elite prospect, but he could be a quality middle-six skater for Nashville soon.
What This Means For The Future
We won’t see Mismash in 2020-21, but we can’t rule out a role for the former college senior in 2021-22. Nashville has multiple forwards reaching free agency after this season and very average prospect depth. He should have a path to playing time at some point next season depending on how the remainder of this year goes. The challenge for Mismash will be adapting to the Predators’ defensive scheme. It can give young players an opportunity without the burden of scoring, but it is a grind.
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