It's that time of year; it's time to begin looking at what prospects the Nashville Predators could, and should pursue in the NHL Draft.
This year's possesses one of the stronger drafts we've seen in a hot minute, and while it may not have the most generational depth, it certainly holds a lot of potential for many clubs.
Our first prospect on the radar is one of the more highly touted prospects in the draft: Tynan Lawrence. While he is projected to go near the top five for many analysts, the idea of him dropping down isn't all that crazy. We've seen talented players drop a few spots before, like James Hagens. Considering the huge need of defensemen by many teams, a forward such as Lawrence could easily fall back.
Lawrence has the build of a future 1C
Lawrence, 17, is a centerman for Boston University in the NCAA. He scored 10 goals and 17 points in 13 USHL games before transferring to BU mid-season, scoring two goals and seven points in 18 games. He struggled to produce offensively in the first half of his Terriers tenure, but he thrived in the second half. In his last five games, Lawrence scored two goals and six points with a +3 rating.
Primarily a center, Lawrence also plays on the wing, making him a versatile piece on any team. He's recognized for his elite two-way playstyle, similar to Dylan Larkin. Lawrence has high hockey IQ, meaning he is aware of is surrounding at all times and plays accordingly.
Peter Baracchini from The Hockey Writers conducted his own profile of the talented centerman, and here's what he had to say about him:
"Lawrence provides great awareness and support with his play off the puck. He has great habits defensively, helping on backchecks, taking away passing lanes to intercept plays and showing the physicality and mindset to win battles to regain possession. He’s unrelenting when it comes to puck battles as he will do whatever it takes to get control of the puck."Peter Baracchini, The Hockey Writers
It's quite obvious why some picture him as the next Larkin. His two-way skills are something the Predators would benefit greatly from. As a team that heavily relies on its centerman to direct plays and shift position, Lawrence would be the go-to guy.
On top of his defensiveness, Lawrence possesses great talent in the O-zone. Baracchini noted that Lawrences carries a winning mindset and is always in the right position to set up a play. While he isn't "flashy" according Baracchini and other analysts, Lawrence drives the play with precise passing and elite puck handling. With Matthew Wood in the lineup, we could only imagine the levels of goal scoring we'd see out of the two.
How Lawrence would slot into the lineup
Lawrence committed to BU for next season, meaning the earliest we would see him in the Preds lineup would be at the end of next season, if he even makes that jump. He would most likely need at least half-a-season of AHL play before he makes the jump to the NHL. This would purely be for development and allow Nashville to make moves based on its season accordingly.
When Lawrence does enter the lineup, we could expect Brady Martin to already be in the middle-six ranks. Lawrence would likely begin his journey as a bottom-six centerman or winger, but over time would make his way up the ranks and into the top-six. At his peak, Lawrence could become Nashville's number one centerman.
At his lowest potential, Lawrence could be a middle-six power play scorer. It's been a while since we've had a 1C prospect in the system, so let's hope Lawrence would pan out to be one if he is drafted by Nashville.
In terms of how likely it is the Preds would draft him, it's very uncertain. Even if Lawrence somehow does fall back into the draft and into the hands of Nashville, we can't be certain that management would select him. Lawrence's playstyle does mirror familiar franchise players like Mike Fischer, so that might be a point for management to consider.
Add us as a preferred source on Google