The Predators hold the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft following Monday’s draft lottery.
Nashville, which finished with the third-worst record in the league, had an 11.5 percent chance of winning the lottery, the third-best odds behind San Jose (25.5 percent) and Chicago (13.5 percent).
But the New York Islanders jumped up nine spots from No. 10 to earn the top overall selection, and Utah jumped up 10 spots to gain the No. 4 overall selection.
The Predators were guaranteed to pick no lower than fifth.
“You have a little more clarity now because you know where you’re picking,” Predators General Manager Barry Trotz said. “Obviously, we were like everybody else, hoping for the first pick overall, and then you have a lot more options. I think at [No. 5], we’re still going to get a good player.”
Assuming Nashville holds onto the fifth pick, it will mark just the third time in franchise history that the Preds have made a top-five selection.
The first of Nashville’s two top-five picks occurred in the 1998 draft, prior to the organization’s expansion season, when the Preds selected center David Legwand with the No. 2 overall pick.
The other happened in 2013, when the Predators selected defenseman Seth Jones with the No. 4 overall pick.
Nashville has 10 picks in this draft, including three selections in the first round and four of the first 35 selections overall. The Preds have two picks each of the second and sixth rounds, as well as single selections in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
Trotz said it’s possible he could use that draft capital to move up in the first round from any of the Preds’ three spots — or to acquire a player or prospect.
“I think we’ll be trying to maneuver with our picks, either to move up or move back or collect extra picks,” Trotz said. “There’s all those scenarios that we’ll go through … Some of it will be reactionary. Some of it will be, once we make that first pick, then we’ll probably have scenarios one, two or three [in place], and we’ll do a lot of prep work before.”
Who might be available for the Predators at No. 5, when the draft takes place June 27-28 in Los Angeles?
Most analysts believe that 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer and 18-year-old center Michael Misa are the top two prospects, so it seems unlikely Nashville will have a chance at either.
The Preds might have a shot at 18-year-old center James Hagens, who totaled 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as a freshman for Boston College.
Other potential centers — for a franchise in desperate need at the position — include Brantford’s Jake O’Brien of the Ontario Hockey League, Moncton’s Caleb Desnoyers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Brandon’s Roger McQueen of the Western Hockey League and Djurgarden’s Anton Frondell of the Swedish league.
O’Brien was the most productive of that group with 98 points (32 goals, 66 assists) in 66 games, but Frondell impressed as a 17-year-old who totaled 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games against older competition.
Had the Predators gained the No. 1 pick, it would have marked the first time since 2016 that two major pro sports organizations located in the same city would have made No. 1 overall selections in the same year.
The Titans picked quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall selection on April 24.