With Nic Hague injured, the Predators call up veteran defenseman Jordan Oesterle. His AHL hot streak and NHL experience could be crucial against the Kings.
The Nashville Predators will likely be without defenseman Nic Hague on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings, as they have recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle from the Milwaukee Admirals.
Hague suffered an apparent upper-body injury in the Predators' game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and left the game early.
Oesterle is having a strong season in the AHL, recording 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 65 games. Prior to the recall, Oesterle was riding a seven-game point streak, tallying 11 points in that run.
He's had six points in his last three games.
Oesterle is a veteran defenseman, now in his 14th professional season. From 2016 to 2024, he played full-time in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames.
Over his career, he's tallied 96 points in 408 NHL games. Despite this being his first call-up of the 2025-26 season, he's a veteran presence on the blue line that the Predators could benefit from.
Oesterle saw action in 15 games last season, recording three goals and an assist for four points and logged two penalty minutes.
The stakes are high in Monday night's game as two points would break a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for the final Wild Card spot. Both teams have 71 points, but Nashville has the regulation wins tiebreaker.
Puckdrop is at 9:30 p.m. CST.