The Nashville Predators not only made the playoffs, they may have a very rich draft with eight picks in the first four rounds at this time. It could change if the Predators decide to make a trade or two to bring in talent, but they could very well dip into the free agent market and use all of their draft picks this year. For a non-playoff team to have as many draft picks in the first four rounds as the Predators do is impressive, but Nashville is in a place where they are a good team, already on the rise to the top, and have the opportunity to add a lot of talent to an already strong prospect pool. Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz speaks to the media following the team's trade of Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning. There have only been four other instances where the Predators have drafted at least eight times in the first four rounds in a draft. These came in 2023, 2009, 2003, and 1999. With that many high draft picks, all of the drafts except arguably 1999 were very successful. While it is too early to judge the 2023 draft and what NHL talent the Predators acquired, we can look back at the three previous drafts and why it is a game-changer to be in the position the Predators are. A COMPARISON TO THE PAST With eight draft picks in the first four rounds of the 2009 draft, the Predators took full advantage and selected notable NHLers like Ryan Ellis, Craig Smith, and Matthias Ekholm. These three players had a large impact overall and helped the Predators soon after. The 2003 draft is recognized as the best draft in NHL history and the Predators drafted both Ryan Suter and Shea Weber along with Kevin Klein who played over 600 games. Weber had more of an impact in Nashville for longer, but Suter was very good for a long time. Drafting was a bit less consistent the further back you go and the 1999 draft was an indication of that. While the Predators did have nine draft picks in the first four rounds that year, five of those played at least a game in the NHL to go along with three others from later in the draft. The only notable players were Martin Erat (7th round) and Adam Hall though. Hall did have his best three seasons of his 11 year career in Nashville, but Erat was the big hit from this draft, it just came with their 12th pick that year. These drafts where the Predators have a lot of selections closer to the beginning gives the organization a lot of room for forgiveness. No team is expected to hit on every draft pick, but the more opportunities the Predators have to hit on a few, the better. It has worked out in the past and should work out in a week. With this ability to compete and draft a lot of talent, it is a recipe to sustain a strong franchise for a long time. RECENT PREDATORS NEWS Nashville Predators' Three Best Draft-Day Trades [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-three-best-draft-day-trades] What the Jacob Markstrom & Darcy Kuemper Trades Mean for the Predators & Juuse Saros [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/what-the-jacob-markstrom-darcy-kuemper-trades-mean-for-the-predators-juuse-saros] Podcast: Why the Predators Should Spend Big This Summer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/podcasts/podcast-why-the-predators-should-spend-big-this-summer] Nashville Predators: What Would Make the Perfect Offseason [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/nashville-predators-what-would-make-the-perfect-offseason]
