Predators' Impatience Cost Them a Very Talented Prospect

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Preds
By Rob Couch | Last updated 3/12/24

Every team makes cuts in training camp before the season starts, and there are always talented young players who can't make the cut in the NHL yet that may thrive if given a real shot. This is what happened with Samuel Fagemo and the Los Angeles Kings.

Fagemo is a Kings prospect that hit waivers during training camp. The Nashville Predators, being a young team, saw the opportunity to hopefully snatch up a skilled player who could make a difference in the NHL. He was claimed on Oct. 2, 2023 by the Predators and between then and when the Predators gave up on him on Nov. 10, he got into just four games.

The Predators play a system and don't have a ton of scoring. Not only does it take time to learn a new system, Fagemo wasn't given an actual shot to show what he has to bring to the team. He averaged under 10 minutes a game at the bottom of the lineup, so what do you expect from a young forward in that situation? Some players change their games and adapt, but Fagemo is a scorer and is proving that now, just not in the Predators organization.

While he managed to score one goal for the Predators in the four games he played for them, his time on the Ontario Reign, the Kings' AHL affiliate, has proven that he is a very good goal-scorer and is ready to take the next step. Fagemo leads the AHL in goals with 34 in 38 games and will most definitely find himself back in the NHL this season.

Unfortunately for the Predators, they didn't get a long enough look at him in the right situation and weren't able to get him back through waivers to play in their own system. This one might hurt down the road, just like another recent blunder in Eeli Tolvanen.