NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Predators have assigned forward Kevin Fiala, their top draft pick of 2014, to their American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee.

The Predators announced the move Thursday.

Fiala, 18, spent the first half of the season with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League. He had five goals and nine assists in 20 games for HV71 this season. The 5-foot-10 Fiala also played for Switzerland at the 2015 World Junior Championships where he tied for fifth among all skaters with four goals in six games.

General manager David Poile thanked former Predators player Andreas Johansson for mentoring Fiala over the past season and half as head coach of HV71. But Poile says playing the rest of this season in Milwaukee in the Predators' system will help Fiala.