Preds Finalize Preparations Ahead of NHL Draft Unlike Any Other

Add the 2021 NHL Draft to the list of things that have never been done quite like this before.
The Predators are currently
scheduled to make eight selections
over the two-day event, which begins with the first round on Friday night at 7 p.m. CT, and Nashville's brass has been finalizing their lists this week to determine exactly who they'd like to take with pick No. 19 and beyond.
Yes, the virtual format the Predators and the rest of the NHL dealt with last year remains the same - Preds scouts and management will make their picks from inside a Bridgestone Arena conference room again instead of the floor of an NHL arena - but the preparations leading into this year's version of the annual event come with plenty of caveats.

As hockey leagues all over the world dealt with the pandemic during the 2020-21 campaign, many seasons were shortened - much like the NHL's calendar - and some teams and leagues didn't take to the ice at all.
Therefore, just about all of the top Draft-eligible prospects had less time to show off their skills to scouts from NHL clubs, and some players were never even seen in person. Instead, Predators scouts have had to rely on video reports more than ever before in their preparations, and that's made for a unique scenario heading into the weekend.
However, the entire plot may actually play into Nashville's favor - and every other team's, for that matter, especially as the Draft moves along.
"This has been probably the hardest year ever for Predators scouts with so many leagues shut down or in limited games, but depending how you want to look at the glass, half full or half empty, there are probably some great opportunities this year to get your player, if you will," Predators General Manager David Poile said Thursday as Draft prep continued. "I would say after the first round that this Draft could be kind of all over the place, meaning we're going to get our players and other teams are going to get their players, just because we all have a variety of different lists, again, because players did not get seen as much as in normal years. We did have the benefits of watching many games and players on video, and I'm excited about it."
\[Potential Preds: 2021 NHL Draft Scouting Report - Defensemen\]
\[Potential Preds: 2021 NHL Draft Scouting Report - Wingers\]
\[Potential Preds: 2021 NHL Draft Scouting Report - Centers\]
Predators Assistant General Manager Jeff Kealty and Chief Amateur Scout Tom Nolan know the prospects better than just about anyone in the Nashville organization, and once again, they'll be tasked with not only finding the best option at No. 19 in the first round, but also those steals on Saturday in later rounds - and that's all part of the fun.
"There's a lot going on in this year's Draft, and it's just a completely different evaluation process," Kealty said. "You're not seeing [players] live as much as you normally would, and that creates different gaps and whatnot, but I think that our group has done a really good job of using the video and other resources to really get to know the players as closely as you can. Although it's through different means, it still gives you a pretty good picture of players, and I think we're in a pretty good spot heading into the weekend here. There's no question that there's some gaps, and it's a bit of a different process for sure, but like I said, I think we're in a good spot."
As of now, the Preds will call one name on Friday night, and then seven more on Saturday, including a pair of picks in the second round, one in the third and two more in the fourth before finishing with one pick in the fifth round and another in the sixth.
Of course, any of that "currency," as Kealty refers to the picks, could be used to move up or down in this year's Draft or passed along for future considerations, but the Predators are bound to find at least a player or two in those later rounds who may end up becoming a household name soon enough.
However, the first-rounders always garner the majority of the attention, and just like this year's selection will receive plenty of it, the Preds remain high on their two most recent picks from Round 1.
Forward Philip Tomasino, taken by the Predators with the 24th overall selection in the 2019 Draft, has never had a better chance to make Nashville's Opening Night roster than now. Poile has said he expects Tomasino to contend for one of those spots when training camp begins in September, and others agree when it comes to the 19-year-old's development.

"He had a really good year," Kealty said of Tomasino's play in the American Hockey League during the 2020-21 season. "It was a really good step in his development. Although it was a little bit of a scaled down American Hockey League, it was still pro hockey and a good league with all the players and everything like that you really find there. You saw that the offensive talent that he has, but also the real competitiveness, drive and the will to succeed. His development process has been right on line with what we would have projected when we drafted him, if not better.
"He played very well at the World Juniors for Canada this past winter, and we know that he's knocking on the door, but like we always say, we want to do what's right for his long-term development in his career. We'll manage that the right way, but we feel that he's right there and are certainly hoping that he can make a good impact on our team here in Nashville this season."
The Predators used the 11th overall selection in 2020 to take Russian goaltender Iaroslav Askarov, a 19-year-old who has drawn comparisons to fellow countryman and Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy. Askarov will still take time to improve his game overseas before making the transition to North America, but the Preds are more than pleased with what they're seeing from another one of their top prospects.
"We're really excited with him," Nolan said of Askarov. "He's a top talent and he's got great confidence in his game. He's going to stay over there for the next two years, and then he'll hopefully get over here, but we can't wait for him to get over here and just keep getting better. He's going to be a franchise player, we believe."
In the meantime, the Preds will look to find another one of those franchise players this weekend, and no matter the circumstances, the groundwork for the future will continue with each selection.
"We really like players in every round, and we're excited," Nolan said. "We're going to find some guys like we always do. It's just been a really different year, but again, [our scouts have] done a great job, and we're excited for the Draft."