Miikka Salomäki has been a curious case for years. He’s showed promise on paper, but never really put it together on the ice. One of the first things I wrote for On the Forecheck was a piece looking at lineup options for the 2017-18 season, where I optimistically predicted that Salomäki’s transition play and passing skills could be a real boost to the fourth line.
That, uh, that didn’t end up happening.
Likewise, his defense has looked good on paper by multiple metrics, but putting him in high-stakes defensive situations has never been something the Predators have done—nor should they have.