Nashville Predators‘ 7th year defenseman Matt Irwin(52) is getting an opportunity to put his skills on display, possibly on a full-time basis, for the first time since 2014/2015, when he was on a 2-year extension with initial contract team San Jose Sharks and played in 115 NHL games.
He scored a career high 8 goals that season and had a best 17 assists the previous campaign with a combined +8 rating but left the team he’d started with for 5 seasons to join Boston Bruins in 2015/2016.
Looking to continue his big league play, the 6’1″ 209 lbs. blue liner was only in the lineup for a pair of appearances to start the season but after a shoddy start spent the rest of the time on reassignment to affiliate Providence Bruins.
He would have a strong showing in the minors scoring 5 goals and 25 assists in 64 AHL games.
Easily not enough for a player that knows he can contribute in the show, he signed a one-year two-way deal with the Preds on the opening day of unrestricted free agent and it looks like the decision is going to pay off nicely.
Matt Irwin(20) Worcester Sharks
First year d-man for the Worcester Sharks Matt Irwin(20) got the game winner with 3 seconds left for a 3-2 thriller vs. Portland Pirates last Sunday at the DCU.
He has a look up to the jumbotron for the replay . Yup, that was nice.
Matt Irwin(20) Worcester Sharks
Sharks‘ rookie defenseman Matt Irwin(20) is congratulated by his teammates after teeing up the go ahead slapper from the point on Sunday afternoon vs. the Sound Tigers, who would later tie it with 8 seconds left in the game.
Matt Irwin(20) Worcester Sharks
All of the sudden, 21 games into the season, Sharks‘ first year defenseman Matt Irwin(20) is finding the back of the net, which is a nice thing for the core of young blue liners the team is carrying.