Today the Nashville Predators recalled defenseman Spencer Stastney who has already played five NHL games this season.

The Nashville Predators have recalled Spencer Stastney from Milwaukee. 

Stastney most recently played for the Predators on November 26 against Winnipeg, his fifth NHL game of this season. The 23-year-old was first recalled on November 14. In his five games in Nashville, Stastney scored his first career NHL goal against the St. Louis Blues. Last season Stastney played eight games for the Predators in April. 

Recalling Stastney is in response to the injury sustained by defenseman Alexandre Carrier in Thursday night's game against the Minnesota Wild in which Carrier took a hit to the head from Kirill Kaprizov. The hit was whistled for interference and not called a five minute penalty or reviewed by the officials. 

The Predators played their last three games with eleven forwards and seven defensemen in an effort to give returning veteran Luke Schenn an opportunity to get back to game speed during a busy stretch of hockey that didn't provide for more practice time for Schenn. Schenn played the first game of the season before being sidelined with a lower body injury. He returned to the lineup on November 26 against Winnipeg. 

Andrew Brunette has not said if he plans to start eleven forwards and seven defensemen tomorrow as the Predators take on the New York Rangers in an afternoon game at Bridgestone Arena.