"You always say anything can happen," Predators Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jeff Kealty said. "I don't think there is a great chance we get up higher in the draft, but we never know. But with that being said, we still have five picks going into it, and there is a lot of work to get ready for that."
That preparation has been ongoing since the day after the 2017 Draft that saw the Predators make six selections, including Finnish forward Eeli Tolvanen with the 30th overall selection. Tolvanen, of course, made his NHL debut in March and skated in three games at the NHL level with Nashville after obliterating every KHL rookie record with Jokerit and representing Finland at the 2018 Winter Olympics - all as an 18-year-old.
And while not every prospect can make an impact just months after hearing their name called at the draft, Nashville's scouts believe they have identified those who could be available starting in the third round at pick No. 89, the first time the Predators will announce a selection into the microphone.
The examples on the Nashville roster of late-round success is plentiful, too. Forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Craig Smith, defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Anthony Bitetto, as well as goaltenders Juuse Saros and Pekka Rinne were all taken in the fourth round or later in past years.
It's that 363 days of homework that leads into the weekend known as the Stanley Cup Final of scouting. And everyone wants to come home with a prize.
"This year more than ever, those late-round steals are what we're looking for," Kealty said. "That's where you really rely on your scouts and your staff to identify those guys, know about those guys, know where they may be available in the draft. And again, it really comes down to the preparation part of it.
"A lot of those guys you get later on, I can't give you many examples where we got someone in the fourth round and we thought he was going to go in the second. A lot of times it's you really had a good feeling that he was going to be there and you did all your homework and you are prepared to take him… And we have a lot of examples where we can make it work."
While the chances are high Predators brass won't come to the stage on the first night, Saturday (Rounds 2-7 start at 10 a.m. CT on NHLN) promises to bring another class of teenagers eager to realize their childhood dreams. It's just up to the Kealty & Co. to find them.
"Especially in the later rounds, these picks go boom, boom, boom, and you have to be ready with your lists and be able to react on your feet," Kealty said. "The scouting has been done, now it's all about getting everything aligned and being ready to go on our game plan come draft day… This is what you live the whole calendar year for."
