Nashville Predators Select Goaltender From Russian Hockey League
The Nashville Predators have made their first selection on the second and final day of the 2026 NHL Draft.
With the No. 70 pick in the NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators have selected Dmitri Borichev, a Russian goaltender from Loko Yarosalvl of the Russian Junior Hockey League
Borichev is 6-foot-3 and weighs 200 pounds as a 17-year-old. His bigger size for a goaltender usually draws the interest of NHL teams and it certainly did for the Predators.
Per his scouting report from The Hockey Writers, "Borichev is an athletic goaltender with a strong glove hand and elite puck-tracking ability. He understands where he needs to be to make the save without relying solely on his size, which can sometimes become a crutch for goaltending prospects while playing against junior-level opponents. This net presence is something that is hard to teach at any level of development, which should make him an appealing prospect for a team that believes they can iron out his technical issues."
Borichev was projeted to fall around the third round in mock drafts entering the weekend. In 23 games at the MHL level, Borichev has a save percentage of .930. The concern with Borichev is that the competition he has faced off against is not like what he will see pros, whether it is in the Nashville Predators minor league system or at the NHL level.
But experience will eventually come soon in his career. If he shows that he can put up numbers that are just as good against better quality competition, then Borichev could turn out to be a good find in the third round.
The Predators first pick of the second day of the draft is the franchise’s third overall pick in this year’s draft. Nashville took left winger Wyatt Cullen and defenseman Thomas Bleyel with picks No. 10 and No. 31 in the first round Friday night.
Here is a list of the picks the Predators have made and the ones they still have remaining in the final few rounds.
Nashville Predators 2026 NHL Draft Picks
Round 1, Pick No. 10: Wyatt Cullen, LW, USNTDP
Round 1, Pick No. 31: Thomas Bleyel, D, Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL
Round 3, Pick No. 70: Dmitri Borichev, G, Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL
Round 4, Pick No. 106
Round 4, Pick No. 118
Round 5, Pick No. 138
Round 5, Pick No. 148
Round 5, Pick No. 160
Round 6, Pick No. 179
Round 7, Pick No. 202
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Graham Baakko writes for both Nashville Predators On SI and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as an intern for GamecockCentral.