The Nashville Predators were a major disappointment last season, and it landed them the No. 5 pick in the draft. Well, the pick is in, and the Predators nailed it, selecting Brady Martin. And, Preds fans, this one is an epic steal, not a reach in the slightest.
Why is that? Oh, think Brad Marchand. No, he may not play in the NHL right away, but if you can land a Brad Marchand type of player, you take them.
Marchand is a pest, but that's not a bad thing in my opinion. You need players like that. Players who aren't afraid to play a little dirty before laughing when they score on an opponent.
That's Martin, and not only can he score; he's a true playmaker. He's got good size, too, at 6'0, 187 lbs. He just needs to keep refining his game, and when he does, the Preds might just have a player to build around. A younger one, too, and that's much-needed from this team.
Brady Martin can be the future of the Nashville Predators in a couple of seasons
Right now, the Preds are an aging team at crossroads. We know what happened with them last season. They had a good group of players. At least on paper. They had an outstanding outlook, and some even said they'd make a deep playoff run.
Then, they ended up getting a high lottery pick. Not because they lucked out like the New York Islanders. Instead, they were the second-worst team in the Central, and the third-worst in the West.
It was one of the most disappointing seasons in the team's relatively young history, and, if their fans needed a spark, it had to happen at the NHL Draft.
Well, the Preds landed a ringer, I can tell you that much. Again, the Brad Marchand comparisons should pump you up if you root for the Preds.
Marchand became one of the faces of the Bruins franchise, and it goes without saying just how well he played this postseason when he was a pivotal part of the Florida Panthers championship run. Overall, I'd give this pick an A-plus, even if some outlets had Martin ranked a little lower than fifth.
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