The Nashville Predators had an aggressive 2024 Entry Draft that saw the team make six selections in the top 100. In addition to these picks, they have made six first-round picks in the past four drafts, helping build up a prospect pool filled with top-end talent and impressive depth.
Honorable Mentions: Viggo Gustafsson, Andrew Gibson, Semyon Chistyakov, Miguel Marques, Reid Schaefer, Kalan Lind, and Felix Nilsson
10. Aidan Fink, 19 Years Old (RW)
Aidan Fink was selected 218th overall by the Predators in the 2023 Draft due to a lack of experience in a premier junior league. He joined Penn State University for the 2023-24 season and dominated, leading the team in goals (15) and points (34) in 34 games. He is not the fastest skater, but he has elusive edges, allowing him to skate circles around defenders for premier positioning. He also has a precise wrist shot that allows him to put it past goalies from anywhere on the ice.
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Projecting Fink’s career is difficult given his late-round draft status, but he is likely to spend all four of his eligible seasons at Penn State before turning professional. Nashville has a deep prospect pool so it may be hard for him to break through at the NHL level, so he could be used as trade bait down the line. Regardless of where he plays, he projects to be a bottom-six winger who can contribute north of 10 goals and 35 points if his development continues.
9. Zachary L’Heureux, 21 Years Old (LW/C)
Zachary L’Heureux was selected 27th overall by the Predators in the 2021 Draft. Seeing him this low may be a shock to fans, but it is truly a testament to the team’s deep prospect pool. The Montreal native had 19 goals and 48 points in 66 games for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) during his first professional season. He proceeded to score 10 goals and five assists in 15 playoff games, too.
While drafted before general manager Barry Trotz joined the team, L’Heureux is the exact type of player Trotz loves. He is not afraid to get physical and likes to get under his opponent’s skin. He has a strong shot but also finds goals through scrums from around the net. He is likely to fight for an NHL spot this coming training camp and preseason, although a midseason call-up seems like a more likely time for him to make his NHL debut. He projects to be a 20-plus goal scorer if his development continues.
8. Ryan Ufko, 21 Years Old (RD)
Ryan Ufko…
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