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NHL Draft History: Top 1st Rounders drafted by Nashville Predators

By Nick Kieser

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 21: (L-R) Jack Diller, David Poile, first round (#7 overall) draft pick Ryan Suter, Paul Fenton, Ray Shero and Craig Leipold of the Nashville Predators pose for a portrait on stage during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at the Gaylord Entertainment Center on June 21, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI)
NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 21: (L-R) Jack Diller, David Poile, first round (#7 overall) draft pick Ryan Suter, Paul Fenton, Ray Shero and Craig Leipold of the Nashville Predators pose for a portrait on stage during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at the Gaylord Entertainment Center on June 21, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI) /
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The Nashville Predators and the NHL await the Draft Lottery selection on May 8.

While sitting at an 0.5% chance to win the Lottery, the Nashville Predators have the upper hand with an NHL high 13 picks in this year’s draft.

General Manager David Poile and incoming GM Barry Trotz accumulated some extra draft capital before the torch is officially passed on to the franchise’s former first-ever coach.

Nashville will have two first round picks this summer after dealing Mattias Ekholm to the Edmonton Oilers.

The only other time Nashville has had two picks in the top 25 was in 2008 when the Predators selected forward Colin Wilson (7) & goaltender Chet Pickard (18). This is also Nashville’s third time in franchise history they’ve held two 1st rounders with the only other years being 2008 & 2021.

As far as picks inside the top 15 Nashville has taken 10 skaters and two goalies since the Predators’ first draft in 1998 when they selected David Legwand second overall.

"As far as picks inside the top 15 Nashville has taken 10 skaters and two goalies since the Predators’ first draft in 1998 when they selected David Legwand second overall."

Nashville has only picked inside the top 10 seven times and hasn’t since 2013 when the Predators sat at No. 4 overall. Legwand going second overall is the highest ever pick Nashville has ever had and then at four in 2013 when Seth Jones was picked from the Portland Winterhawks.

Looking Back at 1st-Rd Picks by Nashville Predators

There have been prominent skaters selected by Nashville since joining the NHL. Some didn’t pan out, i.e., Brian Finley Alexander Radulov, Ryan Parent, Teemu Laakso, Blake Geoffrion, Jonathan Blum, Magnus Hellberg, and Eeli Tolvanen.

This will be Trotz’s first draft as an NHL GM, however, he’ll have Poile around as an advisor. Nashville has only had six players in the last five draft classes make their Predators debut.

Forward Philip Tomasino leads those skaters with 107 games played while spending some time in Milwaukee as well.

Related Story. Looking Back at Five Memorable Moments in Predators Playoff History. light

Nashville has not had 13 picks since they last hosted the draft in 2003. Out of the 13 players picked just four played in the NHL. A combined total of 3,158 games were played between Ryan Suter, Kevin Klein, Shea Weber, and Alexander Sulzer.

"The most games played by a Nashville draft class is 3,158 which does belong to the 2003 class. Mainly built by Weber & Suter who spent 1,305 games with Nashville. This class also leads the Predators drafted players in points with 1,429 during their careers."

The second most points accumulated by a Nashville Predators class of drafted players is 1,114. Six players from the 2009 class played in the NHL during their careers.

Only Craig Smith and Ekholm are still actively playing in the NHL. Defenseman Ryan Ellis has yet to play in an NHL game since 2021 due to injury.

The last two classes of players (12 skaters) have yet to debut for the Predators.

More prospects are on the way this summer, but a different face will make the final picks for the first time in team history moving forward.

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