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2021 NHL Mock Draft: Top Targets for Nashville Predators in 1st Round

By Chad Minton

Nashville Predators players thank the crowd after being eliminated in overtime by the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Nashville Predators players thank the crowd after being eliminated in overtime by the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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After another early playoff exit for the Nashville Predators, it’s time to start thinking about what they can do to get back to being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. They showed a lot of resiliency by pushing into the playoff field, but there’s still a lot of fix.

This will probably be one of the hardest NHL Drafts to project thanks to last season’s pause. There’s limited film on many of these prospects, so there’s going to be a lot more guess work and going off gut instinct this year.

The Predators are on the fence between being really bad or possibly really good in the next year or two. However, this offseason will affect which side they end up falling on.

The prospect pool for the Predators has been steadily improving over the last couple of years, and it’s important to continue that in this upcoming draft as they currently hold the 18th-overall pick in the first round.

Picking just ahead of the Predators will be Winnipeg Jets at No.17 and the St. Louis Blues at No.16. The lottery teams are in the top-15. Check out The Draft Analyst for the updated draft selection order.

Another good spot to check out is The Draft Analyst’s update post-lottery mock draft.

Here’s a look at four players that are on my radar for the Nashville Predators to look at and possibly draft at pick 18 of the first round on July 23.

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