Nashville Trades Into First Round To Select QMJHL Rookie of the Year

The Predators gave up two second round picks to jump back into the first round and select a defender.

Tommy Bleyl / @NathanGraviteh on Twitter

The Nashville Predators have traded two 2026 second-round draft picks to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for pick No. 31 in Friday's first round. The Predators used the 31st pick to select defenseman Thomas Bleyl from the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Nashville officially trades away picks No. 42 and No. 57, but walks away with a second first round pick for new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland.

TRADE 🔄

We've acquired the 31st overall pick in the 2026 Draft in exchange for picks 42 and 57 overall in this year's draft. pic.twitter.com/HLPZWxyeUJ

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 27, 2026

Bleyl stands at 6-foot, 165-pounds and is originally from Schenectady, New York. The 18-year-old played the 2024-25 season for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League before playing for the Moncton Wildcats in the Qubec Maritimes Junior Hockey league in 2025-26.

The defender became the second player in QMJHL history to win the Emile Bouchard Trophy for defenseman of the year and the Sidney Crosby Trophy as the league's rookie of the year, joining two-time Stanley Cup champion Dmitry Kulikov.

Bleyl is committed to join the Michigan State Spartans for the 2027-28 season, creating potential for him to face off against Predators' No. 10 overall pick Wyatt Cullen at Minnesota.

“Bleyl feels like the type of guy the general public loves significantly more than NHL Central Scouting," Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis said. "Personally, there’s a lot to love. He’s a highly skilled two-way defender who came out of nowhere to register 81 points as a QMJHL rookie. He’s exceptionally crafty, skates very well and doesn’t let bigger competition bother him. Bleyl plays a calm, collected game defensively while consistently getting himself into scoring lanes in the other zone. Right now, he needs to get stronger – he gets pushed around too often, especially in front of the net. But his mobility and raw hockey sense are definitely there. I’m interested to see if he can keep the numbers flowing at Michigan State.”

This story will be updated.

Nashville Predators 2026 NHL Draft Picks

• Round 1 - Pick 10 - LW - Wyatt Cullen
• Round 1 - Pick 31 - D - Tommy Bleyl

Nashville Predators 2026 NHL Draft Picks

• Round 1, Pick 10
• Round 1, Pick 31
• Round 3, Pick 70 (via Seattle and Dallas)
• Round 4, Pick 106
• Round 4, Pick 118 (via Pittsburgh)
• Round 5, Pick 138
• Round 5, Pick 148 (via Edmonton)
• Round 5, Pick 160 (via Carolina)
• Round 6, Pick 179 (via Utah)
• Round 7, Pick 202

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