The Nashville Predators hired Matt Calvert as forward development coach on Thursday, bringing in a former NHL winger who spent 11 seasons grinding in bottom-six roles — and who knows something about exceeding expectations.
Calvert, 36, will work under Scott Nichol, the Predators’ assistant general manager who also serves as GM of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and director of player development. The role covers the full prospect pipeline: nutrition, off-ice conditioning, practice habits, and in-game evaluation of forwards drafted or signed by Nashville.
The Brandon, Manitoba native retired in July 2021 after 566 career games with Columbus and Colorado, totaling 203 points — 95 goals, 108 assists. That works out to 0.36 points per game, the profile of a depth forward who earned his roster spot through checking and penalty killing rather than scoring. His career high was 26 points with the Avalanche in 2018-19, and he cleared 20 points in seven different seasons.
What makes Calvert a natural fit for development work is his own trajectory. Selected 127th overall in the fifth round of the 2008 draft — a slot where the hit rate drops off a cliff — he played nearly 600 NHL games anyway. Fifth-round picks who reach even 200 games are statistical outliers. Calvert more than doubled that.
Before joining Nashville, he co-founded CAL Sports Management, serving as director of recruitment and development, and spent the 2021-22 season as a development coach for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, the same organization where he played from 2007 to 2010. He captained Brandon in his final junior season and was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team in 2009-10.
The hire also reconnects Calvert with Predators general manager Chris MacFarland, who was assistant GM in Columbus during Calvert’s Blue Jackets tenure and held the same title in Colorado while Calvert played for the Avalanche. That shared history across two organizations likely factored into the decision more than any résumé line.
Nashville’s player development infrastructure has taken on added importance as the franchise navigates a roster transition. The Predators have stockpiled draft capital and prospects in recent years, and converting those picks into NHL contributors is the bottleneck that determines whether a rebuild accelerates or stalls. A development coach who lived the experience of fighting for a roster spot — rather than one who was handed one — carries a particular kind of credibility with young players facing the same climb.
Calvert’s 566 games are the credential. The question now is whether the ability to survive an NHL career translates into the ability to teach one.