The proof was in the handful of namebars Nashville had ready to put on the back of its potential first-round pick's jersey.
Kemell's name was not among them.
"We didn't even have a namebar for him because we didn't think he'd come to us," said Scott Nichol, the Predators assistant general manager and director of player development. "That's how highly ranked we had him on our list. For him to come to 17 … We were squeezing the table and waiting, hoping no one was going to take him. So we were super excited."
Nashville's hope now is that the 18-year-old forward prospect makes a name for himself with his play.
Kemell did that in 2021-22, his first full season with JYP of Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, with 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 39 games. Among Liiga rookies, he was first in goals and tied for second in points, and he was tied for second overall in goals for JYP.
Kemell was the fourth forward chosen by the Predators in the first round in the past four NHL Drafts, joining Philip Tomasino (No. 24 in 2019), Fedor Svechkov (No. 19 in 2021) and Zachary L'Heureux (No. 27 in 2021).
That led some to believe Nashville might choose a defenseman in the first round this year, but the Predators didn't want to pass on Kemell's goal-scoring ability. Before turning pro, he led JYP's under-20 team in goals (22) and points (36) in 38 games in 2020-21.
"He scores, he's dynamic and he's built really well (5-foot-11, 182 pounds) for a young kid," Nichol said. "We need some scoring. It's tough to teach goal-scoring, and he can score. He's got an NHL release and shot, and they find ways of going in."
With Kemell's frame and skill set, he has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak. Arvidsson (5-10, 185 pounds), a former Predator, has scored 147 goals in his eight-season NHL career, and Pastrnak (6-0, 195) has scored 240 goals in eight NHL seasons.
"I guess, yeah, Pastrnak," Kemell said during Predators development camp this month regarding the comparisons. "He has a good shot and he has really good hockey vision. He knows how to read the game and how to make the play to other players."
Nichol said of Kemell, "I think he's got a good motor on him like [Arvidsson]. He has a knack to score like Pastrnak. He finds areas. He knows where to go to score goals."
Kemell is likely to play in Finland again this season and is hoping to build up his strength and work on his defensive game.
He said the perceived drop to the No. 17 pick will serve as motivation.
"I just want to show everyone," Kemell said, "how I can play and who I am."
