Is it October yet?
Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player.
Today's player profile is defenseman Nick Blankenburg.
24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series
As an NHL prospect
From Washington, Michigan, Blankenburg spent the early part of his career with Romeo High School. He scored 67 points in 39 games, helping Romeo win its first-ever state championship in 2016.
Blankenburg had made attempts at playing in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) but couldn't crack the roster. During the 2017-18 season, he joined the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, scoring 42 points in 57 games.
He'd return to Michigan to play at the University of Michigan, earning a roster spot as a walk-on.
Blankenburg played four seasons at Michigan, playing in 132 games and scoring 68 points. At the start of the 2021-22 season, he was named team captain and awarded a scholarship. Blankenburg was also awarded Michigan's Big 10 Medal of Honor, which is awarded to the player who shows "the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."
At the end of his senior season, 2021-22, Blankenburg signed a 1-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Professional career
Blankenburg joined the Blue Jackets at the end of the season, scoring three points in seven games. He also got the opportunity to play for the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
The following season, Blankenburg spent the entire season in Columbus, scoring 14 points in 36 games. For the 2023-24 season, he'd split time between Columbus and Cleveland, playing 24 games with the Monsters and scoring 13 points. He played 12 games with the Blue Jackets, scoring a point.
In the 2024 offseason, Blankenburg signed as a free agent with the Predators. He started the year off in Milwaukee, scoring eight points in 13 games before making the move up to Nashville. With the Predators, he had 16 points in 60 games.
He is currently in the second year of a 2 year, $1.55 million contract.
What role will he play this season?
Similar to Justin Barron, Blankenburg has the advantage of being a right shooter in a defensive unit with a ton of lefties. That means if he starts playing well, he could move up the lineup.
The Predators would likely want to balance out their pairings and have their defensemen playing on their strong side of the ice, but they're only going to push for that if they can have even lines.
Blankenburg has worked hard to get where he is today, but he really hasn't broken out. The good thing is he's scoring at the usual pace for a third-pairing defenseman and isn't taking a lot of penalty minutes.
He could develop into a solid defenseman. Blankenburg has just got to own his role in the Predators' bottom pairings, and he may get his opportunity.