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Nashville Predators: Draft Picks You Wish They Could Have Back

By Ryan Veal

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 25: Head coach Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators shakes hands with Miikka Salomaki drafted 52nd overall by the Predators during day two of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 25, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 25: Head coach Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators shakes hands with Miikka Salomaki drafted 52nd overall by the Predators during day two of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 25, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images/NHLI)
(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images/NHLI) /

1998- Denis Arkhipov (Center)

Arkhipov played in the NHL for only four years,  and all of them were with the Predators.

From 2000 to 2004, he posted 138 points in 352 games played, which isn’t terrible, but the next center drafted was two–time Stanley Cup champ Brad Richards.

This obviously when the franchise was first building up, and those expansion rules were a lot more difficult than what we saw with the Vegas Golden Knights, and now in Seattle.

From 2000-2016, Richards posted 932 points in 1,126 games played. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner had a Hall of Fame worthy career.

Imagine if the Predators could’ve snagged Richards in this draft. Perhaps the long road from being an expansion team would’ve been kick started with a player of his talent level and leadership.

This is one you definitely wish you could have back in the early days of the franchise.

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