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Predators draft four centers, seven overall at 2015 NHL Entry Draft
With the speculation abound that the Predators could try and move back into the first round of the draft, nothing ever seemed to come of it. Neither was the case for Nashville to make any sort of splash on the trade market, either.
All in all, it was a very quiet and laid back weekend for the Preds. A bit different from last year when Nashville made plenty of noise, trading for forward James Neal during the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
After seven rounds of young prospects finding their newest homes throughout the NHL, the 2015 NHL Entry Draft came to a close in sunny Florida.
While my thoughts were that Nashville should have set its targets on re-stocking the defensive cupboard, management went in a more predictable route grabbing a plethora of centers with the first three selections available to the Predators.
Granted, without any action until the 55th pick, Nashville had plenty of time to sit back and watch the action while surveying the landscape for any changes that David Poile and his crew would have to make on their own draft board.
When the dust settled, the Predators had selected four centers, one defenseman, two goaltenders and zero wingers. That's not to say that Nashville won't invite a handful of undrafted players to development camp in the coming weeks.
Talking to media after the seventh round, Predators Chief Amateur Scout Jeff Kealty said this year's draft was a "near perfect" one.
Overall, it's interesting that Nashville selected the players it did, but only time will tell if they'll develop into the players that the Predators are hopeful they will one day be.
Pick 55: Yakov Trenin, Center -- Gatineau, QMJHL
Trenin was the first player Nashville selected in the draft and marked the second straight year that the Predators selected a Russian in the second round.
Born in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Trenin made his way to Canada after last years CHL Import Draft, helping the Gatineau Olympiques into the second round of the QMJHL playoffs before being dispatched by the eventual winners, the Rimouski Océanic.
Trenin notched 67 points in only 58 games with the Olympiques, ranking fifth in rookie scoring across the QMJHL.
At 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, Trenin already has the size and skill to play in the NHL. He also has the ability to switch between center and wing, as he played at the latter position for the early part of last season.
Nashville has seen plenty of use from the "natural center pushed to wing" model as of late -- in the cases of both Colin Wilson and Craig Smith -- so seeing what it can get from a potentially NHL-ready player in Trenin remains exciting to say the least.
Pick 85: Thomas Novak, Center -- Waterloo, USHL
Novak was ranked as the 28th best North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting organization. Drafted with the 85th pick in the draft, Novak gives the Predators another solid option at center for the future of the organization.
Out of River Falls, Wisconsin, Novak was drafted third overall to the Des Moines Buccaneers in phase one of the 2013 USHL Draft. One year later, prior to hopping on the ice for his first shift in the USHL, he was promptly traded to the Waterloo Black Hawks.
Recording 48 points in 46 games -- two straight players Nashville drafted who registered over a point-per-game last season -- Novak ranked 13th in the league in assists and was tied for fourth overall in power play assists.
His hockey intelligence has been ranked as "first-rate", however he could stand to increase his size over the next handful of years. Coming in at just six feet and 180 pounds, Novak has room to grow but should be a skilled addition at center when he's ready.
Pick 110: Anthony Richard, Center -- Val-D'or, QMJHL
The third consecutive center drafted by the Predators in 2015, Richard comes to the team after three straight seasons with the Val-D'or Foreurs of the QMJHL.
While he wasn't very productive in his first season, Richard has put up a solid batch of numbers in his last two -- notching 68 goals and 75 assists in 132 games. A total of 143 points and a 1.08 point-per-game ratio, the third straight player drafted by the Predators to post higher than one point-per-game.
The biggest obstacles that come up when discussing Richard are his size and discipline.
Richard lists at only 5-9; an inch taller than former Predators forward Steve Sullivan. While that's never stopped anyone before, he was one of only a handful of players with 80 or more points to be north of 75 penalty minutes last season in the league.
Richard can potentially be a very dynamic playmaker for Nashville in the future. Skill-wise, he's there. However, there are some rough edges to smooth over before he transitions his play to an NHL-level.
Pick 115: Alexandre Carrier, Defenseman -- Gatineau, QMJHL
A teammate of the aforementioned Trenin drafted in the second round, Carrier comes to Nashville as one of the highest scoring defensemen in the QMJHL -- even being around the same size as current Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis.
He finished last season third in the league in scoring and tied for second in assists among defenseman. Easily fitting the mold of what Nashville has sought out from its offensive defenseman -- small, mobile and great hand-eye coordination -- Carrier's selection by the Predators may be enough to bolster their defensive prospect depth until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
One of the best at his position in the QMJHL, Nashville needed to draft a highly talented defenseman at some point this year and did so with Carrier.
Pick 145: Karel Vejmelka, Goaltender -- HC Pardubice U20, Czech U20
Vejmelka was one of two goaltenders selected by the Predators in this years draft.
Since the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and prior to Saturday, Nashville had selected a total of eight goaltenders to find a possible successor for Pekka Rinne one day and to shore up the potential backup situation that they've yet to find an answer to over the previous handful of seasons.
Of those eight goaltenders selected, three of those have already played in the NHL and the heir-apparent to Rinne will be heading over to play in North America this season.
Vejmelka is another goaltender of Czech descent to be drafted by the organization, the last being Marek Mazanec three years ago in the sixth round.
He posted a 0.928 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against-average in 37 games last season with HC Pardubice's under-20 team. In addition, Vejmelka added another 10 games to his resume playing for HC Dynamo Pardubice -- posting a 2.86 goals-against-average and 0.922 save percentage in that span.
While only 6-3, which may be a tad on the short end for Predators goalie prospects, Vejmelka has plenty to offer Nashville at a position they always excel in at drafting.
Pick 175: Tyler Moy, Center -- Harvard, ECAC (NCAA)
Nashville's fourth and final center drafted in 2015 was a familiar name for at least one current Predators prospect in the pipelines.
Forward Jimmy Vesey, who will find his way to the NHL most likely in the next 12-18 months, has played alongside Moy for the previous two seasons at Harvard University.
Moy's ability to switch between center and right wing in his freshman year led to better success in his sophomore year, which saw him nearly triple his previous point totals the year before to 27 points in 37 games this past season.
A 6-1, 194 pound player out of San Diego, Moy placed fourth among the Crimson last season in points and third in goals. Moy also registered 119 shots on net, second only to Vesey's 158 shots.
As long as he continues to develop at his current pace, the sky's the limit for Moy. His selection in the sixth round could be a true sleeper pick for Nashville if he pans out in the coming years.
Pick 205: Evan Smith, Goaltender -- Austin Bruins, NAHL
Nashville's final selection of the day was another goaltender that could pay heavy dividends down the road.
A largely unknown goaltender out of the Austin Bruins in the North American Hockey League -- the first player drafted by the Predators directly from that league -- Smith has the size that Nashville has been used to with players like Rinne, Mazanec and Magnus Hellberg.
Towering over others at 6-6, Smith's size alone bodes well for his future development into an NHL-caliber goaltending prospect. In 19 games total this season -- splitting four of those with the Victoria Royals of the WHL -- Smith compiled a 12-1-2 record, including a 1.73 goals-against-average and 0.923 save percentage.
Although he's very tall, weighing in at 174 pounds will be something Smith will need to work on.
Ultimately, Smith has the skillset and the stats that the Predators are looking for in goaltending prospects. He could very well be a name that you hear in Nashville's future.
