Brunette: Cody Glass is 'Still Not Out of the Picture'

Pragmatically speaking, Glass' removal from the lineup simply made the most sense for the Predators at this juncture. Since the Predators' 12-game point streak (10-0-2) began on Feb. 17, Glass had played nine straight games at right wing on a line with Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin; Denis Gurianov slotted in at left wing for one game when Trenin was traded to Colorado on March 7, but Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette has otherwise been hesitant to make any changes to the lineup so as not to disrupt any existing chemistry.

The Predators then acquired depth forwards Jason Zucker and Anthony Beauvillier at the trade deadline to help the them make a playoff push, and Brunette had some difficult decisions to make. Gurianov had since been dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers, leaving a vacancy on Sissons' left side, but there were two new players and just one spot in the lineup. 

Rather than alter multiple line combinations to make room for Zucker and Beauvillier, Brunette opted to alter just one line; Zucker and Beauvillier slotted in alongside Sissons, which left Glass as the odd man out.

Brunette noted that the recent lineup changes are not set in stone and that Glass would see game action again in the future. However, the first two games after the trade deadline were an immediate opportunity for Zucker and Beauvillier to acclimate to a new team and a new offensive system - even if it was at Glass' expense in the short term.

"He's still not out of the picture," Brunette said. ... He's a great kid. He's got a great attitude, and we'll get him better."

Glass has seen several highs and lows this season, from two separate stints on injured reserve to his first career hat trick earlier this month against Colorado. Brunette acknowledged that, while Glass' game has shown signs of improvement in his recent performances, there are still areas in which the young forward has room to grow.

"He's had a hard year with the injuries," Brunette said. "He lost his confidence, and then he got going again a little bit. But it's just a little bit of the inconsistency that's been there."

Glass is not the only young Predators forward who has struggled at times this season. Philip Tomasino and Juuso Pärssinen were reassigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals to continue their development after starting the season in Nashville; Tommy Novak's production suffered after he landed on injured reserve with a finger injury; and Luke Evangelista was healthy scratched in a pair of games earlier in the year as he adjusted to the rigors of playing a full season at the NHL level.

"[Glass is] going to get an opportunity, just like we've talked about with all of our young guys all year," Brunette said. "[Evangelista] and [Novak] have kind of got it figured out. We've just got to get Cody [to the point where] he brings the same thing every night. You can't just have a really good game and a couple bad games; we've got to keep building his game."

The Predators will look to extend their point streak to 13 games as they head to Glass' hometown of Winnipeg for an important Central Division matchup against the Jets. Spencer Stastney will draw in for the injured Dante Fabbro on the back end, and while Brunette did not specify whether Glass would return, he did not rule out the possibility of more changes to the lineup.

"It's a great test for us," Brunette said. "[Winnipeg is] arguably the best team in the NHL... We've been good on the road, and [we have to] keep building our game."