NASHVILLE -Some of the most interesting developments in Nashville's organization are happening in Milwaukee. Cole O'Hara is giving Predators fans a reason to follow along.
For fans whose hockey viewing stops at Bridgestone Arena, the Milwaukee Admirals are Nashville's American Hockey League affiliate, where players in the Predators' organization develop and work toward NHL opportunities. Following Milwaukee means getting to know some of those players before a recall makes introductions necessary.
Through the Admirals' first 10 games, O'Hara led the team with nine points, collecting four goals and five assists. Joakim Kemell was just behind him with eight points.
That puts O'Hara on the radar. An October afternoon against Chicago helps explain why he belongs there: With Milwaukee struggling to turn shots into goals, he answered twice.
Against Chicago on Oct. 25, Milwaukee put 40 shots on goal and still needed a shootout to settle the game.
O'Hara scored the Admirals' only goal in regulation. Then supplied the only successful attempt in the shootout, helping Milwaukee finish with a 2-1 victory.
According to the Admirals' game recap , Tyson Jost found him in the high slot for his regulation goal, and O'Hara's quick release beat Chicago goaltender Zack Sawchenko over the shoulder. In the shootout, he beat Sawchenko again, this time low on the glove side.
Keep this statistical distinction in mind: The shootout winner does not count toward O'Hara's regular-season goal or point total. His contribution to that afternoon, however, was larger than the single goal beside his name.
That is one reason to follow Milwaukee beyond occasionally checking its scoring leaders. The totals identify a player worth watching. The games explain why.
O'Hara's production has a foundation beyond one good afternoon.
When Nashville recalled him on April 16 last season, he led the Admirals by scoring 19 goals and 25 assists in 67 games during his first full professional campaign.
Before turning professional, he finished his junior season at UMass with 22 goals and 29 assists in 40 games. He earned Hockey East First All-Star Team recognition and was a finalist for the conference's player of the year award.
College and AHL production doesn't automatically translate into NHL success. They do give this season's opening month some context.O'Hara has already produced through a full professional season. Now he has begun another one by moving to the top of Milwaukee's scoring list.
That makes him a reasonable player to follow closely, without needing anyone to declare him Nashville's next great anything.
His late-October work also included a goal in Milwaukee's 5-2 loss at Cleveland on Oct. 30.
The Admirals' account described O'Hara receiving a between-the-legs pass from Kemell and beating goaltender Evan Gardner with a quick shot from the left circle, just 33 seconds into the second period. The following afternoon, O'Hara added an assist in Milwaukee's 4-1 win over the Monsters.
A goal in a loss does not rescue the result. An assist in a win does not demand a parade. Together, those contributions help explain why his name keeps appearing near the top of the team's numbers.
The next question is whether he can sustain that involvement as the season develops.
Fans should watch where his chances come from, how he contributes when he does not score, and whether his production continues over a larger sample. Those are more useful questions than treating every productive weekend as an instruction to rearrange Nashville's roster.
A recall also depends on openings and the role a team needs filled. Leading an affiliate in points earns attention; it doesn't settle every roster decision.
For now, O'Hara has supplied a straightforward reason to expand the nightly hockey routine.
Check the Predators. Check Milwaukee.
There might be a familiar name worth knowing before the next lineup debate begins.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/predators/onsi as Predators Fans Should Put Cole O'Hara on Their Radar .
