Nashville Predators Offseason Grades: Free Agency, Draft, Trades
By Chad Minton
2021 NHL Entry Draft Grade: A-
The Predators absolutely nailed their first two picks in the entry draft this year. Getting a defensive-minded and all-around center like Fedor Svechkov at the 19th pick really addressed a major need for the prospect pool.
Svechkov brings a skill set that should fit nicely into how the Predators want to play, which is smart defensively and being able to set up offensive zone time to prolong the attack.
Perhaps the more exciting of the first two picks was winger Zachary L’Heureux, who brings a toughness and tenacity to his game that this Predators team as a whole has really lacked during their four-year decline.
Just check out L’Heureux’s scouting report from Elite Prospects if you’re not convinced on this pick, which the Predators traded back into the first round to get:
"“So much of L’Heureux’s game is defined by his physicality. He’s an enthusiastic hitter, one who’s put more than his fair share of poor opponents into the boards or onto their asses. He’ll get under his opponent’s skin after the whistles. He’ll fight.”"
The Predators only had four more picks after their first two picks that seems to please everyone. They took three defensemen in a row, which is smart as they’ll need to start replenishing that position as well as they head into this competitive rebuild and start calling more guys up.
Right winger Simon Knak comes in as the Predators’ final pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. On paper at least, there’s hard to find anything wrong with the selections the Predators made, so I give them nearly a perfect grade.