The Nashville Predators have reassigned forward Joakim Kemell to the Milwaukee Admirals, the team announced on Oct. 16.
Kemell played in two of the Predators‘ first four games, including an opening night 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9. He was one of three rookies to play in the opener, along with No. 5 overall pick Brady Martin and defenseman Adam Wilsby.
The 21-year-old from Jyväskylä, Finland, started the season with Fedor Svechkov and Steven Stamkos on the second line. The Predators won both games he appeared in, but then he was replaced by Ozzy Wiesblatt in the Predators’ 7-4 loss to Toronto on Oct. 14.
Kemell had shown some promise in the preseason, but this move suggests the Predators think he needs more time in the American Hockey League before given a full-time role. In four career games, Kemell has nine shots, eight hits, two blocked shots, and one giveaway while playing 10:42 per night. He has yet to record a point.
A first-round pick by the Predators in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kemell was selected at No. 17 overall out of JYP in the Finnish League. In 146 games for the Milwaukee Admirals, Kemell scored 41 goals and had 53 assists, adding 29 points in 39 playoff games.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.