Preds Trade Up to Select Tommy Bleyl With 31st Pick of 2026 NHL Draft

The Predators were scheduled to make one selection in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night in Buffalo. 

They did so at No. 10 when they called Wyatt Cullen’s name. 

But as Round One continued on, defenseman Tommy Bleyl was still available. Turns out, the opportunity to add one of the best blueliners in junior hockey was too good to pass up. 

So, in his first Draft with the Preds, President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland made a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes to move into spot No. 31 to snag Bleyl. 

Needless to say, the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year was thrilled. 

“It feels amazing,” Bleyl said of being drafted. “I mean, it's just the biggest honor and the best day of my life. The feeling when my name got called, it was just unlike anything else I've ever experienced, and just super excited to be part of the Predators organization.”

And the fact the Preds traded up to get him? Even better. 

“Somehow that means even more,” Bleyl said. “I mean, picking me in the first place, even if it was the regular pick, that would mean a lot. But then hearing that they traded up for me, I mean, that just proves [the Preds] really thought about me and everything. It’s really exciting.” 

Standing at 6-feet, the 18-year-old Bleyl is regarded as one of the fastest skaters among the Draft-eligible prospects. He recorded 63 assists and 81 points as a QMJHL rookie with Moncton last season before he then posted 28 points to lead all defensemen and added 22 assists to lead all skaters in the QMJHL playoffs. 

Bleyl was named not only QMJHL Defenseman of the Year but also Rookie of the Year, becoming only the second player ever to win both in the same season.

That offensive output, combined with his raw ability to skate and move the puck quickly and efficiently, explains why his potential is seemingly off the charts. 

And to hear Bleyl describe his game brings reason for excitement. 

“I would say I'm a two-way defenseman, and I have good feet, good hockey IQ, and I can break pucks out of the D-zone,” Bleyl said. “In the O-zone, I can make things happen, see pucks in through to the net, make good passes, and on defense, pretty good body positioning, good stick, good feet, can kill plays early. Just kind of a reliable guy and you can always trust to make those clutch plays for you.”

A self-proclaimed “big country music fan,” Bleyl says there was a certain tune that immediately started spinning in his brain when his name was read by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the Preds Gold took over the Draft stage. 

“The first thing that pops into my head is [the Chris Stapleton song] ‘Tennessee Whiskey,’” Bleyl laughed. “It’s actually one of my favorite songs, so as soon as Nashville called my name, I was just thinking ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ - like, I don't even know why, but my brain goes to pretty crazy places whenever I'm excited.”

Bleyl will fit seamlessly in the Music City - he says he plays the piano and violin, and he also enjoys cooking, hunting and fishing when he’s not at the rink. An upstate New York native, Bleyl is now understandably rather interested in planting roots in Tennessee one day. 

But before then, he plans to return back to Moncton next season before his commitment to Michigan State kicks in during the 2027-28 campaign. Those experiences to come will only help in his development as he works to become a defenseman the Preds hope will be a regular in due time. 

The clock read just after 11:30 p.m. ET as he continued to make the media rounds at KeyBank Center as the night wound down, but as Bleyl told a Draft staffer who inquired on the late night, “Oh, I’m wide awake.”

That energy doesn’t figure to slow down anytime soon, and Bleyl can’t wait for what’s to come. 

And when speaking to NHL.com ahead of the Draft, perhaps Moncton General Manager Taylor MacDougall said it best. 

"The exciting thing about him is I think he's still just starting to scratch the surface of what he's capable of," MacDougall said of Bleyl. "He's just a really competitive kid and he wants to get better, wants to be coached and he's a lot of fun to work with."