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Martin Erat News

Don't see Erat on the ice today: Per Trotz: "If he doesn’t practice (today), then I would say that he will miss the home opener.”

In his only game played Erat was held without a point, registering a minus-2 rating. Last season, Erat scored 17 goals and 50 points playing primarily on the top two lines. As an often injured forward, fantasy hockey owners need to temper their expectations.

Martin Erat
Trotz did not say, but defenseman Ryan Ellis may have played his best game of the preseason.

Ellis may have earned a roster spot with his play last night. The Freelton, ONT native scored 24 goals and 101 points in his final season with the Windsor Spitfires. If he stays on the team, look for him to help man the bottom pairing.

Ryan Ellis
Trotz liked the improvements of defenseman Ryan Ellis last night: “Ellis was 100 times better than he was in game one,” Trotz said. “He didn’t turn the puck over like he did. His first game he was a turnover machine early, then he started stabilizing. I thought he played a pretty good game.”

With Roman Josi injured, Ellis has a good chance of making the team. The former 11th overall pick scored 24 goals and a resounding 100 points last season in the OHL. He could replace Cody Franson nicely on the bottom pairing.

Ryan Ellis
Forward Martin Erat knows he will continue to have back pain for the rest of his career. The ailment, which caused him to miss 18 games last season won’t go away. But he believes he can manage it, which is why he worked on strengthening his mid-section in hopes of dulling the pain over the long haul of the season.

With a $6 million cap hit, the Preds certainly expect more from Erat. Following back-to-back 57-point campaigns, the Czech native posted at least 49 points over the past three seasons. If fully healthy, this top liners could be a nice sleeper pick.

Martin Erat
"We never have been an organization that will rush a guy and we like to say that they're ready when they're ready, and we'll let Ryan determine if he's ready or not."

With Francis Bouillon still injured and the departures of Cody Franson and Brett Lebda, there should be room for the blue-chipper Ellis. He will need to earn a spot over other prospects like Teemu Laaskso and Roman Josi in addition to outplaying vets like Tyler Sloan and Jack Hillen. Could be a very interesting sleeper pick in dynasty/keeper leagues.

Ryan Ellis