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Nashville Predators: The 5 Best Draft Picks in Predator’s History

By Chad Minton

OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 21: 38th overall pick, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators poses for a portrait at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 21, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 21: 38th overall pick, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators poses for a portrait at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 21, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images) /
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David Legwand
27 Jun 1998: First round pick David Legwand of the Nashville Predators meets with Predators personel during the 1998 NHL Entry Draft at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport /

The guy who was there from the beginning

You couldn’t complete a list of best Predators’ draft picks without having the first ever draft pick of the franchise, David Legwand. He was actually the second overall pick in the 1998 draft, and obviously an important one.

The best thing about Legwand was how he responded to the pressure of being the first ever draft pick of an expansion team in a non-traditional market. He could’ve easily ended up a bust for a franchise that was literally just getting started. Instead he was one of the team’s go-to goal scorers and easily a fan-favorite. How could you not love the missing teeth?

Legwand’s goal totals are not astronomical, but he also played for teams that had very little offensive firepower around him. Instead he was the model of consistency. He’s the first face of the franchise and is the all-time leader in game appearances for the Predators at 956.

You also can’t forget that Legwand was a major factor into those Predators teams that finally started making the playoffs on a regular basis. He scored six goals in the 2011 playoffs that led the Predators to the second round of the playoffs, which was a first for the franchise.

It was hard to not see Legwand retire in a Predators uniform because of a trade to the Detroit Red Wings, of all teams, in 2014. That trade actually led to the acquisition of Calle Jarnkrok, an ascending player on the current roster. It’s still a tough pill to swallow losing the organization’s original draft pick in a trade to a rival.

Legwand had a lot of kind things to say about the Nashville Predators organization after making the Stanely Cup Final, per the Player’s Tribune. He also spoke about how it was early on playing in Nashville:

"Some pundits said that our odds of succeeding early on were not good, but we tried not to listen to anyone on the outside. We jelled quickly as a team because, like I said, all we wanted to do was play hockey. Really, that was the only thing any of us had any control over."

Very cool stuff from who I believe is the best draft pick in Predators history, and probably always will be. Really, it’s not even close.

Next: Preds Future on Forsberg's Shoulders

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