Nashville Predators: Top Realistic First Round Targets in 2022 NHL Draft

The first round of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft starts this Thursday in Montreal, and the Nashville Predators sit at the 17th-overall pick.

In an offseason with a massive dark cloud over it thanks to the ongoing contract talks with Filip Forsberg, the team desperately needs a strong first round draft pick that energizes the fanbase.

The Predators now have seven picks in this year’s draft after trading Mathieu Olivier to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the rights to Toronto’s 2022 fourth-round pick. A wise trade for a team that didn’t have roster space available for a player like Olivier.

Now the imposing question is who the Predators should realistically be looking at if they decide to not trade up in the first round and stick at pick No.17?

I’m still of the belief that the Predators should entertain trading up in the first round to get one of these dynamic scorers at wing or center. Not confident they’ll choose that draft strategy, but I wouldn’t be against it.

Here are five realistic players in this year’s draft class that the Nashville Predators could select at the 17th overall pick that have a strong chance of falling back to their spot on the draft order.

All scouting report information is via Dobber Prospects and their 2022 Fantasy Prospect Guide. 

Owen Pickering, LD, WHL/Swift Current

Pickering is a tall and physically imposing defenseman (6’4″) who has a promising blend of offensive and defensive traits. He also has some concerning weaknesses to his game that slides him back to the territory the Predators will be selecting at.

Let’s start with the good, and an offensive skill that has my antennas pinging in interest. Per Dobber Prospects 2022 Fantasy Prospects Report, Pickering has the abilities to be a “power play quarterback” type of player. Where do I sign?

Pickering also has the raw talent to evolve into an eventual everyday NHL starter, and maybe even be a second pairing player. The problem is, it’s going to take a lot of development and fine-tuning in his game.

Unfortunately, Pickering turns the puck over a lot, which is once again the reason why he’s not a high-end first round draft pick. He almost certainly will be available for the Predators if they want a long-term project that could eventually pan out as a quality top-four defenseman.

If all else fails and many of the Predators’ top preferred targets are taken, I wouldn’t be totally against taking Pickering. He’s also certainly not my first choice.

Conor Geekie, C, WHL/Winnipeg Ice

It’s almost never going to be a home run pick when you’re where the Nashville Predators are selecting at the 17th pick. Too far back to know for sure, and usually you have to take on a prospect with high upside, but plenty of concerning factors to go with it.

I’d say Conor Geekie fits into this category, but with those concerns comes the possibility that he plummets down drafts boards in the first round. He could also be a major steal at the 17th pick when it’s all said and done.

Geekie is a big-bodied center that has loads of upside to succeed in the NHL. He put up 70 points in 63 games for Winnipeg in the WHL last season, and has averaged over a point-per-game over his last two seasons.

So what’s the problem, and why is Geekie not projected across the board as a top-ten pick?

Geekie still needs a lot of development, primarily with his skating and just becoming an all-round player. Hey, no harm, no fould. That’s a pretty common requirement for most draftees.

There’s a high boom-or-bust potential with Geekie. If the Predators have Geekie available when it comes their turn to pick, it will be hard to resist taking a chance on him.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgardens

Let’s go international with this potential pick for the Nashville Predators, and that’s right winger Johanthan Lekkerimaki.

Many mock drafts have Lekkerimaki going near or just outside the top-10, but with the unpredictability of this year’s draft, I have my hopes he slides for some reason.

If you’re looking for someone in this year’s draft class that just has that uncanny ability to put pucks past netminder, look no further than Lekkerimaki. The dude just pots goals, but does his skillset end there?

Per Dobber Prospects, Lekkerimaki may end up needing talented distributors around him to really produce. He’s not exactly what you would call an “all-around player”. That’s not to say he can’t develop into one eventually, but as of now you’re taking him purely due to his high offensive output.

From Dobber Prospects:

“He’s likely the purest goalscorer in his class and although he’ll likely need good playmakers to find him in soft spots throughout his career, he could play a top-six role and fill the net.”

It’s no secret that the Predators need more goal scoring, and really need it at the wing position. Drafting Lekkerimaki wouldn’t be an instant fix, like most draft picks, but down the road could end up filling a major weakness for the Predators.

More so than the two previous players mentioned, Pickering and Geekie, Lekkerimaki really intrigues me and excites me at the promises of taking a high-end goal scorer.

Now it will be the job of the organization to build a roster that fits well around Lekkerimaki once he gets onto the NHL level. In the wrong situation, he has bust potential so take that for what it’s worth. I still like the idea of the Predators choosing him in this spot.

Nathan Gaucher, C/LW, Quebec Remparts

More so than any of the first three listed, Nathan Gaucher seems like a more conservative choice at the 17th pick. He has a lot of encouraging offensive tools, and his versatility to play wing or center certainly has me interested.

Gaucher has decent size at 6’3″, 207 pounds and has the potential to be a power forward type of player. Someone who uses their size and physicality to generate offensive space in the zone. Seems to fit what type of team the Predators want to be.

However, Gaucher does need to work on using his large frame more to his benefit, but there’s certainly an ecouraging foundation to start with for any team that drafts him. Looking at most mock drafts, Gaucher is likely to be avaible when the Predators make their first pick.

Gaucher amassed 57 points in 66 games in the QMJHL, while also coming up big in the playoffs with nine additional points. He does have a propensity to go to the penalty box, logging 74 PIM last season. Ah, he’ll fit right in with Nashville.