NASHVILLE, Tenn – The Nashville Predators have a strong history of drafting well with the taking the best player available attitude. The Preds pick 17th overall in the first round of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo. Nashville was considered a defensive minded team in the Barry Trotz days but those days are over.
Some of the top prospects on the Predators farm system are forwards and could swing Nashville back to the blueline in the upcoming draft. The last time the Preds took a defenseman in the first round was Seth Jones 4th overall in 2013. Prior to that it was Ryan Ellis in 2009. The Predators had some solid scoring throughout their lineup with two 30 goal scorers, two 20 goal scorers, and four players with 10 or more. Three of those double digit scorers are defensemen.
Prospect wise the Predators are good at left wing and center so if Nashville decide to go with a forward at 17 look for some right wing help. Keep the name Julien Gauthier in the back of your mind. If they decide to go for defense the Preds could be scary good on the blueline with more offense from a kid like Jake Bean who scored 24 goals in the WHL OR Nashville could go for some serious size such as 6’ 7” Logan Stanley from the Windsor Spitfires (OHL).
Nashville could make a trade for some goaltending for depth purposes. Other than that the Predators aren’t that far away from being in the Stanley Cup Final. The Preds might not find someone who is NHL ready at 17 but could trade some of their depth for some players who are. Look for Nashville to make the following announcement at the draft podium.
“With the 17th pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Nashville Predators are proud to select, from the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, Jake Bean.”
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