Why Moment-of-Truth Time is Nearly Here for Nashville's 2022 First-Round Draft Pick

The 2022 NHL Draft has led to exactly one goal scored by the six players selected by the Predators, but that could soon change.

Apr 4, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Nashville Predators right winger Joakim Kemell looks on before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Physical edge and a tremendous shot. That was the overriding assessment of Joakim Kemell when the Nashville Predators made the Finnish right wing its first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, No. 17 overall.

Four years later, though, and he only has one NHL goal to his credit, ironically on a play he didn't get a shot off. He was hauled down by a defender while trying to field a pass and both he and the puck went into the Tampa Bay goaltender and net. In 18 games played with the Predators, including 16 in 2025-26, he's tallied just three points.

Is he a top-six talent (meaning worthy of the the top two scoring lines)? Not now at least. But he could be a third-line physical presence in 2026-27, maybe until his scoring ability catches up and he gains more confidence and opportunities at the NHL level.

Regardless, he'll be one of the players new general manager Chris MacFarland will have to make a pretty big assessment on in the near future. In the final year of his entry-level deal, the 22-year-old Kemell is due to make $886,666 in 2026-27 before becoming a restricted free agent at the end of 2026-27.

In other words, it's make-or-break time for the Finnish forward, who many projected to be a top-10 selection four years ago. Few thought he would still be available for Nashville at No. 17 in the draft.

Overall, it wasn't a year for superstar players. Canadian center Shane Wright was widely regarded to be the consensus No. 1 selection through most of the preceding season, only to surprisingly fall to No. 4 and the Seattle Kraken. Instead, the host Montreal Canadiens, surprisingly took Slovakian power forward Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1, with another Slovakian, defenseman Simon Nemec going second to the New Jersey Devils, and American center Logan Cooley was selected third by the Arizona Coyotes (who have since moved to Utah).

However, the draft talent was believed to be deep in position talent, meaning that probably no two team draft boards probably looked alike.

Nashville’s second-round pick had been sent to Seattle as part of the trade bringing defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Predators. Last year, he and forward Colton Sissons were sent to Vegas in exchange for defenseman Nicolas Hague and a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Otherwise the had an extra third-round selection, but no sixth-round selection.

With the backdrop, Nashville wanted to make sure to hit with its first-round selection and was thrilled when the player rated as the No. 2 European skater by NHL Central Scouting fell he Predators, Kemell.

Name	Round	Pick	Pos.	Overall	Team
Joakim Kemell	1	17	RW	17	JYP (Finland)
Adam Ingram	3	17	C	82	Youngstown (USHL)
Kasper Kulonummi	3	19	D	84	Jokerit Jr. (Finland)
Cole O'Hara	4	17	RW	114	Tri-City (USHL
Graham Sward	5	17	D	146	Spokane (WHL)
Ben Strinden	7	17	C	210	Muskegon (USHL)

He had just finished his first pro season with JYP of the Finnish Liiga, tallying 15 goals and eight assists in 39 games to lead all rookies. Kemmell had also played for the national team in the 2022 World Junior Championship that won the bronze medal, and he was an alternate captain at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

He's been with the Milwaukee Admirals since the draft, minus the 18 games with the Predators, and started the last three seasons in the AHL. Does Kemmell go back one more time due to the level of rising talent in the franchise, or does he still have the potential to someday be a top-six player for the Predators?

As for the rest of Nashville's selections:

Adam Ingram: He was hailed as a smart forward with good size and playmaking ability when drafted, only to see his offensive production fizzle at St. Cloud State. Statistically, he had 72 points over four years, with 23 goals and 49 assists, but this last season had just three goals and 10 assists, with 43 shots on goal, over 25 games. At the end of the season he signed with the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL.

Kasper Kulonummi: The Finnish prospect has spent the last two years playing in that country's top league, Liiga, with Kiekko-Espoo. He had six goals and 11 assists in 47 games during the 2024-25 season, but subsequently backed it up with seven goals and 14 assists in 42 games. The right-handed shooting defenseman is set to play for Tappara this season.

Cole O'Hara: After being drafted played three season at Massachusetts, where in 2024-25 tallied 22 goals and 29 assists (51 points) and was named a Hobey Baker finalist. He subsequently signed with the Predators and last season and had 19 goals, 25 assists (44 points) in 67 games for Milwaukee (AHL), He was called up for the season finale against Anaheim and had an assist off a pass to Steven Stamkos. He has one year left on his entry-level contract that will pay him $935,000, but could get a long look during training camp.

Graham Sward: The 6-4 defenseman played at played Quinnipiac last season at the age of 22, an tallied five goals and 11 assists. Previously, he played a season as a pro, with two goals and 11 assists in 47 games in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals, and 11 playoff games. He also played one game in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose. Sward was an WHL All-Star in 2024. In 250 WHL games he had 180 points, with 33 goals and 147 assists with a plus-75 rating.

Ben Strinden: The forward wrapped up his collegiate career with a breakout season at North Dakota last spring after notching 15 goals and 20 assists as the team's alternate captain. He subsequently joined the Milwaukee Admirals on a tryout basis and played three games, and signed a two-year AHL deal that begins in 2026-27.

Note: This is the fifth story in an offseason series looking back on each of the Predators' drafts, and what happened to each player selected. The 2023 story can be found here. The series started with a revisit to the expansion draft in 1998.

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