Williams gains experience at Nashville training camp
After registering 23 wins and five losses in the 2013-14 season, Devin Williams headed for the NHL draft. But coming out of the event undrafted didn’t stop the 18-year-old goaltender from getting his shot at the big league.
Williams received phone calls from several teams the day after the draft regarding development camps, including the Nashville Predators. With his performance at the Predators development camp in July, Williams earned a return ticket for the team’s main camp.
“They really take a different approach to things,” Williams said. “I think I can definitely bring that experience back and help the younger guys out here.”
Included in the camp was an intrasquad scrimmage on September 21 that Williams played in. The scrimmage itself was nothing too out of the ordinary for Williams. His teammates, however, included NHL names such as Viktor Stalberg and Gabriel Borque. The opposing team? Erik Nystrom and Filip Forsberg.
“It’s guys you’re watching growing up, and now you get the chance to play against them,” said Williams. “It’s a real experience. It was a lot of fun.”
But fun or not, it all comes down to trying to win a job. “Obviously it’s tough as a junior guy going in there, but at the end of the day I day I have to stop the puck,” Williams said. “And I did, so that was good.”
The speed and intensity were different than what Williams has experienced thus far. “The guys are a lot faster, a lot stronger up there. The way they approach the game, they take a different mindset into practice. I like that.
“It definitely improved me,” said Williams.
Helping with the improvement was Williams’ goalie partner at camp.
“I got to practice with Pekke Rinne. Obviously I watched him growing up, and getting to share a net with him now, it was amazing. He’s a great guy and I learned a lot from him.”
The Predators’ 2004 draft pick holds franchise records in career wins, shutouts, goals-against average, and save percentage. With that kind of resume, Williams took in Rinne’s tutelage to apply to his own upcoming season.
“We talked a lot and he gave me a lot of pointers. He definitely took me under his wing for the short time I was there.”
The pointers seem to be paying off. Coming back to Erie, Williams has already made an impact in the team’s 3-0 start to the season, including a 7-1 win in his hometown of Saginaw to start off the regular season. His 2.29 goals-against average and .917 save percentage combined with the team’s offensive firepower have given the Otters a jumpstart on the standings.
“It was a great start for the season and the team played amazing,” Williams said. “Three games in four nights, it’s not easy, especially on the body. The way the guys handled it, it was amazing. Our defensive play for being early on in the season was right up where it was at the end of last year. It was remarkable the way we played.
“For myself, it’s obviously a confidence builder. I liked the way we looked.”
