What Happened to Every Predators First Round Pick of the Past 15 Years
Since the franchise's inception nearly three decades ago, the Nashville Predators have made 30 first-round selections. Like any organization, the Predators have had their share of hits as well as draft busts.
Looking at the latter half of the franchise's history, we can trace the successes of the team through changing draft tendencies and patterns. While making playoff runs in the 2010s, the early draft picks were few and far between. In recent years, while rebuilding, the Predators have looked to add top talent through the draft, including several top prospects.
Here is how each of the Predator's first round picks have turned out across the past 15 years.
2024-2026
Across the past three drafts, the Predators have made a total of six picks in the opening round. Most of these selections have taken place in the lower third of the round. Although two names stand out, being the team's only top-10 picks of the past decade.
Player | Draft Year | Pick # | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Tommy Bleyl | 2026 | 31 | D |
Wyatt Cullen | 2026 | 10 | LW |
Ryker Lee | 2025 | 26 | RW |
Cameron Reid | 2025 | 21 | D |
Brady Martin | 2025 | 5 | C |
Yegor Surin | 2024 | 22 | C |
Earlier this year, Nashville took 17-year-old Wyatt Cullen, a left winger who will play this upcoming collegiate season with Minnesota. The top pick of the past three drafts to appear for the Predators is Brady Martin, the fifth overall selection from a year ago. In three games, Martin totaled a single assist before heading down to the juniors. Martin has played for Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the past three seasons, totaling 124 total points in that span.
Bleyl, another pick from earlier this year, will play alongside Lee at Michigan State while competing at the college level. Reid will compete for their duo's Big 10 rival at Michigan. Surin has been taking the ice for the Kontinental Hockey League, where he notched 37 points across 57 outings last year.
2020-2023
Nearly the entire batch of Nashville's early 2020s first-round picks have appeared for the Predators already. Among this group. three have been dealt to other organizations, while two remain active contributors to the Predators.
Player | Draft Year | Pick # | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Tanner Molendyk | 2023 | 24 | D |
Matthew Wood | 2023 | 15 | LW |
Joakim Kemell | 2022 | 17 | RW |
Zachary L'Heureux | 2021 | 27 | LW |
Fedor Svechkov | 2021 | 19 | C |
Yaroslav Askarov | 2020 | 11 | G |
Wood is the Predators' most prominent selection we have reached so far. He had a breakout campaign just last year, recording 17 goals, which was fourth-best on the team. His 71 appearances from a year ago hint toward a larger role moving forward. Kemell has also appeared for the Predators, but in a much smaller role. He has played in 18 games with little production so far, but remains a solid contributor for the Milwaukee Admirals.
L'Heureux and Svenchkov played in 87 and122 games for the Predators, respectively. They each offered serviceable depth, but were ultimately dealt to the Avalanche this summer. Still yet to make his NHL debut, Molendyk remains one of the organization's top prospects. He made his debut for the Admirals last year and played 60 games with the team. He is likely to be back in Milwaukee this year before he gets a chance to suit up for Nashville.
2010-2019
The Predators only made a total of six selections across the entire 2010s. The picks produced varying results, but none of them remain with Nashville to this day.
Player | Draft Year | Pick # | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Philip Tomasino | 2019 | 24 | C |
Eeli Tolvanen | 2017 | 30 | RW |
Dante Fabbro | 2016 | 17 | D |
Kevin Fiala | 2014 | 11 | LW |
Seth Jones | 2013 | 4 | D |
Trading Seth Jones at 21 years old feels like a what-could-have-been scenario. Jones showcased All-Star-like capabilities with Nashville, but he would never get to fulfill that potential in the Music City. He went on to participate in four All-Star Games for the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks and has totaled at least 30 points in a season 10 times since being traded. Most recently, he contributed to the Panthers' 2025 Stanley Cup win.
Fabbro became a fixture of the Predators lineup for over half a decade before moving. He appeared in 315 games with the organization before being waived in 2014. Fiala's stint was slightly shorter at five years with Nashville, but he reached higher highs than Fabbro. He totaled a tenure-best 48 points in 2018. Just a year later, he was sent to the Wild at the deadline. Since then, he has showcased top-level scoring abilities. Fiala has scored at least 50 points in five separate seasons with both the Wild and the Kings. That includes a career-best 85-point season in 2022 with Minnesota.
Tomasino flashed potential in his first year with the Predators. He totaled 32 points in his first season, but has yet to reach that mark again in his career since being traded to the Penguins in 2024.
Time will tell how the Predators' current crop of prospect will pan out, but history proves that not all top picks become franchise cornerstones. Some hardly suit up for the franchise at all, while others fulfil their potential with other teams.
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