With so much uncertainty and disagreement surrounding the 2025 NHL Draft, it is next to impossible to truly know who is going to be on the board when the Nashville Predators are on the clock at 5th overall on Friday.
It's hard to believe that the Predators have only picked higher than 5th overall twice in their history, selecting David Legwand in 1998 with the 2nd-overall pick and Seth Jones in 2013 with the 4th-overall pick.
Unless the Predators decide to trade back from 5th, which is also still on the table as a possibility, then they'll have a wide range of impact players to choose from. Exactly who is completely up for debate because the player rankings and mock drafts from scouts are all over the board.
Let's take a look at some of the most respected mock drafts out there and give our opinion on each of the Predators' three first-round picks.
Tankathon Mock Draft has Nashville Predators taking James Hagens at 5th
The first mock draft we'll take a look at is Tankathon.com, a popular draft simulator site who has all four rounds in their mock draft. They have the Team USA and Boston College standout James Hagens falling to the Predators at No.5.
There seems to be more and more belief that Hagens is going to slide a bit and give the Predators a chance to draft their future top line center. Hagens has seen his draft stock slightly dip over the past year due to his personal stats decreasing and other similar prospects around him growing in popularity, most noticeably Anton Frondell.
Even so, Hagens was once regarded as the top prospect in this draft class and still has elite skills at the center position due to his ability to dissect the play and generate offense for his linemates. Two absolute requirements from a top line center.
The Predators have always been snake bitten in drafting their elite future center to rise through the prospect ranks and become the homegrown NHL All Star at the center position. Hagens has the talent to be that guy one day.
Simply put, if Hagens is there then it will be very hard for the Predators to not take him. It will likely mean Frondell is off the board, which is the only other center I would consider taking over Hagens.
I love the other two first-round picks Tankathon is saying the Predators will take in their mock draft. A future goalie to be backup to Juuse Saros, and right shot defenseman that is also needed for the prospect pool.
Tankathon's first round mock draft for the Predators would be a perfect scenario is my eyes.
23rd Overall: Joshua Ravensbergen, G, WHL.
26th Overall: Blake Fiddler, RD, WHL
MyNHLDraft.com Mock Draft has Predators taking Caleb Desnoyers
And here is an example of a mock draft already showing disagreement on how the top-4 will unfold before it's the Predators' turn to pick at No.5. MyNHLDraft thinks that Hagens will be taken by the Utah Mammoth one spot before the Predators pick.
If this mock draft comes true, the Predators will have Frondell, Desnoyers, Jake O'Brien, Brady Martin and Roger McQueen all on the board as center prospects to consider. I break away from this mock draft and would take Frondell over Desnoyers without thinking twice about it.
Frondell's draft stock is soaring right now with many scouts highlighting his ability to play physical hockey against pro's already over in Sweden leagues, but Frondell also has sneaky good offensive traits as well.
I'll be very surprised if Frondell falls out of the top-4 and to the Predators. There is also trades you have to keep in mind that can shake all of this up. Someone might really wants Frondell and try to trade up into the top-4 to get him.
As for the selection of Desnoyers to the Predators, I certainly don't hate the pick if Hagens and Frondell are off the board. He would be my third-best option. I like his aggressive style of play and hockey IQ that will serve him well in a top-six center role one day. He would fit the Predators style of play of getting in close to the net and using an effective two-way game.
Only reason I put Desnoyers behind Frondell and Hagens is in my estimation his ceiling isn't as high, and when you're picking at 5th-overall, you need to hit a home run. However, I won't be mad if Desnoyers is picked by the Predators. Still a great player with a lot to like.
This mock draft is in agreement with Tankathon at 26th overall with the Predators taking right defenseman Blake Fiddler, while at No.23 they have the Predators taking center/left wing Ben Kindel of the WHL. A hard-working grinder type of a player who piled up the points in the junior ranks.
23rd-Blake Fiddler
26th-Ben Kindel
Corey Pronman of The Athletic also has Predators taking Desnoyers
A mock draft that carries a lot of weight and respect from the public is Corey Pronman's of The Athletic. His latest mock draft from June 17 also has the Predators taking Desnoyers, the 6'2" prototype center who just makes his linemates better thanks to his precision passing and puck movement.
Pronman states that he'll be surprised if the Predators don't select a center in this spot, and they'll have to pick through the leftovers from the top-4. Interestringly enough, his mock draft has the Mammoth taking Brady Martin at No.4 and the Blackhawks taking Anton Frondell at No.3.
In this scenario, the Predators are passing on Hagens and taking Desnoyers. It seems that many scouts think that Desnoyers is the safer pick while Hagens is more boom or bust. It's not an easy decision to make for Barry Trotz and the Predators between Desnoyers and Hagens.
My suspicion is if this mock draft comes true, a lot of fans will have another reason to be irritated with Trotz if he passes on Hagens.
There is a lot of agreement once again later in the mock draft with the Predators taking Fiddler at 23rd and Ravensbergen at 26th. Pronman brings up that Ravensbergen is a reset at the position and will come into the picture closer to the end of Saros' time. Way down the road, then.
More disagreement in the mocks about how the centers will be selected
Pro Hockey Rumors has Desnoyers and Hagens going in the top-4, respectfully. Desnoyers to the Blackhaws and Hagens to the Mammoth. In this case, I'm totally not even thinking twice about it, the pick is Anton Frondell for the Predators.
I love everything about Frondell's game. He's a physically imposing center who isn't afraid to hit, but has the combination of pure offensive skill as well. Perhaps his best trait is already performing well against other professionals over in Sweden. He has made the most of his draft year, which is why his draft stock is soaring the week of the draft.
Frondell's game already translates really well to the NHL. He's a big body that plays with an edge that will win puck battles on the board and win position on the ice. But he also possesses a great shot that will make him a future power play weapon and penalty killer. He's the total package and feels like the safest pick outside of Matthew Schaeffer.
Simply put, I will be thrilled if this mock draft comes to fruition. I'm not quite as thrilled about their later first-round picks this mock draft has the Predators selecting. But hitting a home run at No.5 is your top priority, obviously.
23rd pick- Sascha Boumedienne, LD, Boston University
26th pick- William Horcoff, LW/C, University of Michigan
Bleacher Report has Preds also taking Desnoyers, passing on Frondell and McQueen
So as you can see, all of the mock drafts we looked at are in agreement that the Predators are taking a center, it's just a matter of who. When it comes to Bleacher Report, they go with the most popular player taken by the Predators in Desnoyers.
This one likes Hagens in the top-4, going to the Mammoth at No.4. Also we haven't brought up Porter Martone in this roundup of mock drafts. Martone is the big-bodied winger of the draft class, and most of the mock drafts I've come across don't have Martone being on the board for the Predators to select.
Desnoyers is looking like the most probable selection for the Predators right now. With Frondell's stock going up and with teams not being able to resist the boom potential of Hagens, Desnoyers might end up being the odd man out to fall to the Predators. I'm totally fine with that as I believe Desnoyers has a bright future as at worst a quality second line center with an optimistic outlook of one day developing into a 1C.
A lot of scouts feel like Desnoyers is a very safe pick at No.5 as a well-rounded center who does almost everything really good. Not as high of a boom potential as Hagens or Frondell, but still a very safe pick.
Later in the first round if the Predators keep all of their picks, Bleacher Report has the Predators taking a right shot defenseman not named Fiddler like the other mocks, and center/winger Ben Kindel at 26th. Interesting to see Kindel pop up again in a mock draft. He's versatile and would add another weapon to the prospect pool that has lost some depth over the past couple of years.