Preds Using Scouting Meetings to Craft Strategy for 10th Overall Pick and Beyond in Upcoming NHL Draft

In just over a month’s time, the Predators will add another potential star player to their organization. 

Nashville is set to pick 10th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, and the preparations to determine which player will hear their name called by the Preds are taking place this week inside a conference room at Bridgestone Arena. 

The team’s annual scouting meetings are well underway, with all of Nashville’s amateur scouts in town to discuss their observations on the top Draft eligible players from across the world during the 2025-26 season. Those evaluations are now in the process of being formulated into a plan for the first round of the Draft and beyond, and those in charge are certainly intrigued by the opportunity for another Top 10 selection. 

“We feel [the Draft is] really deep, and we’re going to get a really good player,” Preds Chief Amateur Scout Tom Nolan said Wednesday afternoon during a break in meetings. “There may not be that [Connor] McDavid or [Sidney] Crosby or that type of player, [Macklin] Celebrini, but there's going to be some high-end players that are going to help your organization for a long time. So, we're excited.”

Set for June 26-27 in Buffalo, the 2026 Draft marks the second straight season the Preds will pick in the Top 10. Last year, Nashville made three selections in the first round for the first time in franchise history. While that luxury won’t be afforded this time around, there will be plenty of chances in later rounds as well. 

At the moment, the Predators own two selections in each of the second, third and fourth rounds of this year’s Draft, plus three picks in round five. While the Preds could easily use at least one of those picks as capital in trades leading up to or during the Draft, a total of 10 picks in the first five rounds affords a chance to continue to fill an already impressive prospect list. 

“We have a lot of picks in the middle part of the Draft, but certainly, with the 10th overall pick, we like the depth up to that point,” Preds Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jeff Kealty said. “We think that we'll get a really good player at that point, and that’s a big part of what we're talking about this week. In addition to everything, the picks we have, the strategy and to do our best to kind of use the whole Draft with all the picks that we do have, not just the early rounds; we want to do well in the third, fourth and so on.” 

Nashville’s prospect pool, which has been filled in recent seasons with first rounders like Matthew Wood, Joakim Kemell and Brady Martin, is regarded as one of the top groups across the NHL. All three of those skaters have already made their NHL debuts, with Wood and Kemell making an impact with the Preds last season. 

The next chance to find elite talent is closing in, and pinpointing those star players through the Draft continues to be a focus. 

“I think we're in a really good spot, and it's a highly ranked pool,” Kealty said of Nashville’s prospect depth. “We have a lot of different types of players, a lot of different types of positions and all that, and I think we're always looking to take the best player that we can. If you look at our pool, we have depth and a lot of different types of players. The biggest thing we need is the high-end guys, and those guys are hard to come by. We haven't picked very high in the Draft - we did last year - but in general, we haven't. So, I think that's one of the things that we’ve talked about is even picking at 10 or anywhere, we talk about upside a lot, trying to find those types of guys.

“It can come in the first round, but can also come in a second round or the fifth round. It’s been well documented that it can come in all areas of the Draft. Trying to find those high-upside guys is something we talk about.”

The Predators believe they may have found three of them last year. 

Martin, the fifth overall pick in the 2025 Draft, made his NHL debut with the Preds on Opening Night after making the team out of Training Camp. The centerman eventually went back to the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL where he captained his team to a playoff berth while winning the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy - an honor that recognizes the OHL team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey in his community. 

Martin, who was also one of Canada’s best players at the 2026 World Junior Championship, then made his AHL debut with Milwaukee in the postseason and scored a goal for the Admirals in their first-round series. 

Cameron Reid, also selected by the Preds in the first round last year, wears the ‘C’ for his club as well. In fact, the offensive defenseman led the Kitchener Rangers to an OHL Championship on Tuesday night and a berth in the Memorial Cup to vie for the Canadian Hockey League’s top prize. 

Then, there’s forward Ryker Lee, Nashville’s third and final first-round pick from 2025. The highly-skilled winger, who had an excellent freshman season at Michigan State, is set to represent the United States at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship in what could be quite the opportunity for a player the Preds are rather excited about. 

“Ryker Lee, he's our highlight reel guy,” Kealty said. “Those goals and plays that he makes; a really unique skillset with how creative and talented he is. He had a really good first season at Michigan State, and I would anticipate him taking a big jump next season. So, I think all three guys are on a really good track.”

Adding at least one more name to that echelon of talent is the goal for the Preds this time around, and while the player Nashville selects at 10th overall will likely need at least a couple of years to develop, there’s plenty of optimism for what’s to come - especially considering the preview already witnessed earlier this spring.

“We have a highly ranked prospect pool, and it's exciting when you're starting to see these guys come in and play,” Kealty said. “When you see what happened at the end of this past season, I think it was exciting for the future, all these young players that came up and helped keep us in the playoff race, and they were playing competitive games right down the very end. So, the experience that those guys got and having to not only just play, but contribute and be important parts of it as we're going through that, I think gives a good view of the future. But, these guys have to continue to take steps as well.”

Notes: 

Kealty was asked about Preds prospect Egor Surin, Nashville’s 2024 first-round pick who continues to play in the KHL. While Surin remains under contract overseas through next season, the plan is to bring the forward to North America as soon as possible. 

“We have to wait until his contract expires, and as soon as he's available, we plan on signing and bringing him over,” Kealty said of Surin. “I think he could play in the NHL right now with the way he contributes over there in a really good league, in a men's league, and the attributes that he has will translate right away over here. Certainly there will be adjustments with the small rinks and some cultural things and those sorts of things, but with the combination of size, strength, competitiveness and the offensive talent that he has; he had a really good offensive season, and I think he'll fit in and translate very quickly over here. 

“So, we’re really excited, and he's got an infectious personality as well. We’re certainly excited to get him over here, which we hope will be towards the end of next season.”

Meanwhile, former Preds forward Matt Cullen’s son, Wyatt, is expected to be a first-round pick in this year’s Draft, and he could be an option for Nashville with the 10th overall selection. 

“He checks a lot of boxes,” Nolan said of Cullen. “Highly skilled, and the interesting thing with him, too, is when he first got to the U.S. program, he was like, 5-6, 5-7, and now he’s 6-1, so he hasn't even grown into his body yet. He’s got high-end skill, high-end hockey sense, really good skater, so he checks a lot of boxes. We talked about hockey sense, speed, skill - he has a lot of that.”