2022 Draft: Potential Value Plentiful for Nashville with 17th Pick

With the 2022 NHL Draft less than three weeks away, General Manager David Poile and the rest of the Nashville Predators front office have begun readying their shortlist of potential picks who could best fit the team's identity and make an impact at the NHL level.
For just the second time in franchise history, the Predators will pick 17th in the first round of the draft. Fortunately, there is plenty of value to be found at the No. 17 spot, with a number of impact players joining the League from that position in the last decade alone.
Here are four of the top 17th overall draft picks from the last 10 years:

Tomas Hertl: San Jose, 2012
585 GP, 181 G, 206 A, 387 P
Ranked fifth among European Skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Tomas Hertl was selected 17th overall by the San Jose Sharks at the 2012 NHL Draft.
Recording four 20-plus goal seasons in his career so far, Hertl uses his 6-3, 215-pound frame to impact play on both sides of the ice.
The center, about to start his 10th season with San Jose and his fourth as an alternate captain, has undeniably become a core piece of the Sharks roster.

Travis Sanheim: Philadelphia, 2014
335 GP, 29 G, 87 A, 116 P
In 2014, the Philadelphia Flyers used their No. 17 pick to select defenseman Travis Sanheim from the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
Sanheim showed tremendous growth prior to the draft, climbing from 167th among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting's midterm rating, to 53rd in their final rating.
The blueliner has shown similar growth at the NHL level, finishing the 2021-22 season at plus-9, the highest plus/minus rating on the Flyers roster and a vast improvement from his minus-22 rating the season prior.
With a much-improved 2021-22 season in the rearview mirror, many are looking for Sanheim to show continued growth in 2022-23.

Kyle Connor: Winnipeg, 2015
384 GP, 178 G, 166 A, 344 P
Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff went looking for an offensive threat to add to his roster and found it in Kyle Connor - at the time the USHL's leading scorer - who was picked No. 17 in the 2015 Draft.
Since then, Connor has become a consistent piece of the Jets offense, tallying over 20 goals and at least 50 points in all but one of his six seasons in Winnipeg.
After a 2021-22 campaign that saw the winger nearly hit the 100-point mark and take home the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - awarded annually to the player displaying exemplary sportsmanship - it's safe to say Connor will continue to be one of the League's top offensive players for years to come.

Dante Fabbro: Nashville, 2016
174 GP, 11 G, 37 A, 48 P
Nashville does have recent experience picking the No. 17 spot. Just six years ago, Poile selected defenseman Dante Fabbro, at the time an alternate captain for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. Fabbro played with Boston University for three seasons, even becoming team captain, before he was called up to join the Predators in the midst of a playoff push during the 2018-19 season.
The six-foot, 189-pound blueliner has since played key minutes for Nashville through four regular seasons and four Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances, typically playing opposite veteran defenseman and Preds Captain Roman Josi.
With his big frame and young age, Fabbro fits snuggly into Nashville's new identity, and there's plenty of room for the defenseman to develop over time, especially with guidance from the fantastic leadership group already in place on the Predators back end.
Other Notable No. 17 Picks:
- Bobby Clarke: Philadephia, 1969 - Kevin McCarthy: Philadelphia, 1977 - Brent Sutter: New York Islanders, 1980 - Murray Craven: Detroit, 1982 - Kevin Hatcher: Washington, 1984 - Andrew Cassels: Montreal, 1987 - Jason Allison: Washington, 1993 - Zach Parise: New Jersey, 2003