Nashville's 2024 NHL Draft Wasn't About Immediate Gratification, But Restocking

The Predators weren't the talk of the town when Las Vegas hosted the NHL Draft, but they left with what they wanted, a lot of long-term value.

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Egor Surin is selected by the Nashville Predators with the 22nd-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

It was the big-splash NHL draft, which lots of unfortgettable glitz and glamour. Held at The Sphere, just east of the Las Vegas Strip, Macklin Celebrini was the top player available and went first overall , which obviously worked out pretty well for the San Jose Sharks.

Meanwhile, in comparison, the Nashville Predators had a solid, and quiet draft, the exact opposite of what the league's promoters were pushing, but that was much more in line with its identity and what the franchise needed. It had made the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a wild-card team, but for the third straight year was bounced in the first round. That effort had taken a toll on the franchise depth.

In many ways it was a typical Predators draft, with size (that Barry Trotz is especially known for) and skilled players, however it was also very much a build-for-the-future year. Nashville didn't have a top pick, having to wait to No. 22 to finally make its first-round selection, and while it made some deals, landing three third-round picks and a pair of fourth rounders, none were the kind that would set off bells like a slot machine hitting a jackpot.

But then, as if to shy aware from the glare some more, the Predators went heavy on international selections, including a Russian who wouldn't be around for a couple of years, three Swedes and a Czech goaltender, all of whim would need some seasoning.

None of them have made a splash yet in the National Hockey League, but none of them were expected to either.

Name	Round	Pick	Pos.	Overall	Team
Egor Surin	1	22	C	22	Yaroslavl Jr. (Russia)
Teddy Stiga	2	23	C	55	U.S. National Team U-18
Viggo Gustafsson	3	12	D	77	HV71 Jr. (Sweden )
Miguel Maques	3	22	RW	87	Lethbridge (WHL)
Hiroki Gojsic	3	29	RW	94	Kelowna (WHL)
Jakub Milota	4	2	G	99	Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Viktor Norringer	4	30	LW	127	Frolunda Jr. (Sweden)
Erik Påhlsson	7	20	C	213	Dubuque (USHL)

Here's a look at each player:

Egor Surin

You may not have heard much about Surin since he was selected with the No. 22-overall selection in 2024, but that's probably because he's been playing in the KHL, and with a reduced role due to the fact that he still only 19. He'll turn 20 on August 1. Even so, during his second full season with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Surin was third in team scoring (15) and fourth in points (37) in 57 games. That's up from second goals and seven assists in 41 games the previous season. He's still considered a top prospect, but is under contract for more more season and could join Nashville after next season. Also. he listed as 6-1, 197 pounds when drafted, last season he was at 6-2, 201.

Teddy Stiga

The left-shooting forward has played the past two seasons at Boston College. In 2024-25 he had 14 goals and 16 assists in 36 games to be named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. He played for team USA in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, and in 30 games with the Eagles had six goal and 14 assists as as sophomore. A dynamic playmaker who has a lot of potential, he turns 20 today.

Viggo Gustafsson

Spent most of the past season with AIK of the HockeyAllsvenskan (Swedish league), and helped Sweden win the gold medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship. On March 4, he signed his three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 season, and played six games with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, notching a goal, assist, +3 rating and six penalty minutes. He was listed as being 6-3, 186 pounds. Gustafsson is still only 19, and won't turn 20 until Sept. 11.

Miguel Marques

The 20-year-old out of British Columbia spent this past season notching 10 goals and 13 assists for Maine, but subsequently entered the transfer portal and will play next season at Northeastern. In 2023-24 he led the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes in scoring with 74 points (28 goals, 46 assists) in 67 games. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounds forward was almost on the exact same pace the following season, but missed half of it with an upper body injury.

Hiroki Gojsic

The big right wing (6-3, 210 pounds) was the third of the third-round selections. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Predators in Sept. 2024, and then in 2025 he was assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL, only the team decided to keep him with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. He's played three seasons there and posted similar numbers, but in fewer games — 19 goals and 22 assists in 55 games — and he's slashed (pun intended) his penalty mintes significantly. Still, he's probably looking at being a third- or fourth-line contributor at the next level. Milwaukee makes a lot of sense for next season as he turd 20 on Friday.

Jakub Milota

The goaltender's development hit a bump last year when suffered an upper body injury, but he looked good at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he went 3-1, .with a 882 save percentage and 2.99 goals allowed average in four games for Czechia. He spent the two previous seasons in the QMJHL with the Cape Brenton Eagles before being traded to Blainville-Boisbriand. Milota who turns 20 on June 1, is beginning to get a reputation as being a big-game goaltender. We'll probably soon find out as his next stop is Ohio State, where Sam Hillebrandt just left as a transfer to Arizona State, and Kristoffer Eberly is entering his senior year.

Viktor Nörringerin

Swedish power forward is 6-3, around 195 pounds, and will turn 20 right before the start of next season. Last year he was a first-round selection by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL Phase II Draft and he responded with 24 goals and 25 assists in 48 games. He might end up being a fourth-round steal as he already has an NHL-caliber shot. Nörringerin is committed to play at Boston University next season.

Erik Påhlsson

The Predators went back to Sweden in the seventh round and plucked the center, who has spent the past two seasons at Minnesota. He tallied 18 points (three goals and 15 assists) in 30 games as a freshman, but only had five goals and nine assists in 32 games last season during a down year for the Gophers. He's transferred to Ohio State.

Note: This is the third story in an offseason series looking back on each of the Predators' drafts, and what happened to each player selected. The 2025 story can be found here, and the series started with a revisit to the expansion draft in 1998.

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