Spencer Stastney

April 2022 – The Predators have officially signed Stastney to a two-year, entry-level contract that will begin in 2022-2023. The 22-year-old left-handed defenseman spent four years at the University of Notre Dame, where he scored 16 goals and 63 points in 143 games. Stastney was a key piece of Notre Dame’s blueline, especially this season where he consistently logged heavy minutes, including a game against North Dakota where he logged 32:22 in time on ice. His head coach, Jeffery L. Jackson, was quoted as saying that Stastney might be the best defender to ever come through Notre Dame’s hockey program. His offensive upside remains unclear as it took him until his final year to truly break out, but Stastney is a solid two-way defender who should slot into Milwaukee’s top six defenseman next season. Curtis Rines

April 2021 – Stastney just closed out another tidy season at Notre Dame. He factored in as one of the top two-point producers from the blueline with 12 points through 29 games, slightly down from the previous year. Stastney is first and foremost a defensive commodity and relies on his quickness, positioning, and anticipation. Looking ahead to his final year at Notre Dame, Stastney will be looking to continue to develop his offensive abilities and utilize his speed in the transition game to generate more opportunities for himself and his teammates. Nicholas Kawka

July 2020 – Statsney really stepped up his offensive presence this past season for Notre Dame and scored 20 points over 36 games.  With the absence of a large graduating class on the backend, Statsney filled the role as the key blueliner leading all defenders in points and finished tied for fifth in team scoring.  His skating ability and transporting of the puck are the reasons for Statsney’s breakout season.  He is an effortless skater and is always looking to distribute to teammates.  Increased minutes and more touches on the puck only helped his confidence.  It’s time to take notice. Nicholas Kawka

December 2019 – In his second season at Notre Dame, Stastney continues to push the pace from the backend.  His well balanced overall play is earning him a steady amount of ice time in the regular rotation. Seen as a dependable defender and transition passer, Stastney is starting to become more comfortable offensively.  He scored all of four points in 39 games last season and is already up to eight points through 17 games in 2019-20. Stastney’s play is getting noticed as he was named to the World Junior 2020 Team USA preliminary roster. Nicholas Kawka

March 2019 – Stastney had a bit of an underwhelming freshman campaign for the University of Notre Dame, only managing three assists in 36 games. Stastney plays a very disciplined game, only taking four penalties through those 36 games. He’s going to need another three years at Notre Dame before he’s ready for a professional contract, but the defensive side of his game translates well to the NHL. Matt Somma

October 2018 – Spencer Stastney has begun his freshman season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Predators selected Stastney in the fifth round, 131st overall in 2018 after a strong season with the U.S. U-18 team. Stastney has gone pointless through his first two games with Notre Dame but was moved up to the second pairing in his second game. Stastney has some offensive upside but will likely need three or four years of college hockey before he is ready to make the transition to the pros. Matt Somma