While the Nashville Predators aren't the oldest franchise in the NHL, they have a lot of history of picking in the first round of the NHL Draft.
In its 27-year history, the Predators have selected 25 times in the first round. Amongst those first-round selections, some have had massive success in Nashville, others have found it elsewhere, and a few have been busts.
With the Predators picking fifth, 23rd and 26th overall in this year's draft, we take a look back at every first-round pick by Nashville.
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2022: Joakim Kemell (forward, 17th overall)
With the 17th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Predators selected the second-best European skater in the class, Finnish forward Joakim Kemell.
He played for JYP Jyväskylä in the Finnish Elite League during his draft year, scoring 23 points in 39 games. Kemell also played for Finland at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring 12 points in seven games and winning a Silver Medal.
After being drafted, Kemell returned to JYP Jyväskylä, where he recorded 15 points in 43 games. He'd later join the Admirals toward the tail end of the season, scoring 14 points in 13 games.
Since arriving in North America, Kemell has made significant progress and has become one of the Admirals' top producers. This past season, he had 40 points in 65 games and eight points in 10 playoff games.
It was the second straight season in which Kemell registered 40+ points in Milwaukee. He also made his debut with the Predators last season, appearing in two games.
Based on Kemell's progress, this could really be a breakout year for the forward and he could possibly earn a full-time spot in Nashville.
2023: Matthew Wood (forward, 15th overall)
Matthew Wood was greeted by an ovation from fans as he was selected by the 2023 NHL Draft host, the Nashville Predators, when he was selected 15th overall.
At 6-foot-5-inches and 205 pounds from the University of Connecticut, which sounds more like an NBA lineup announcement, Wood scored 34 points in 35 games in his first collegiate season.
He'd spend two more years in the NCAA, playing with the Huskies for the 2023-24 season and scoring 28 points in 35 games. He transferred to the University of Minnesota for the 2024-25 season, recording 39 points in 39 games.
Wood also made his Predators debut last season, recording one point in six games.
Wood has been putting up consistent, strong numbers over the last three years in the NCAA. It'll be interesting to see if he can translate that play in a longer professional campaign next year, whether that be with Nashville or Milwaukee.
2023: Tanner Molendyk (defenseman, 24th overall)
A trade with the Edmonton Oilers in February 2023, sending Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick to the Oilers for a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick, Tyson Barrie and Reid Schaefer, gave Nashville Tanner Molendyk at 24th overall.
Molendyk sold himself as an offensively minded defenseman, scoring 37 points in 67 games with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. He'd return to the Blades for the 2023-24 season, netting an impressive 56 points in 50 games.
This past season, he was traded from Saskatoon to the Medicine Hat Tigers. His production didn't fall off as he scored a combined 47 points in 49 games in the regular season. In the playoffs, he scored 20 points in 18 games, won the WHL Championship, and advanced all the way to the Memorial Cup Final.
Exhausting his junior eligibility, this is going to be a big year for Molendyk, arriving in the Predators system. He's proven to be a force in juniors, and if he can translate his game to the professional level, the sky is the limit for Molendyk.
2024: Yegor Surin (center, 22nd overall)
The future is slowly falling into place for the Predators after four strong first-round picks, capped off by Russian center Yegor Surin in 2024.
Selected 22nd overall, Surin spent the majority of his draft year with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's junior team, scoring 52 points in 42 games and logging 108 penalty minutes.
With a 6-foot-2-inch, 198-pound build, he could be the center the Predators have been looking for.
He returned to Russia this season and played for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's KHL team, achieving tremendous success. Surin scored 14 points in 41 regular season games, seven points in 19 games and won the Gagarin Cup at just 18 years old.
Surin still has one year left on his contract with Lokomotiv, which is set to expire on May 31, 2026.
