What did the NHL Draft teach us?
An interesting 2024 haul shows us exactly what Barry Trotz is thinking.
The Nashville Predators drafted six forwards, one defenseman and a goalie with eight picks in the 2024 NHL Draft.
They didn’t trade for a top-line center. They didn’t package a bunch of picks and move into the top 10. They didn’t trade their top prospect. General manager Barry Trotz didn’t do anything that would offer any insight into his expectations for the upcoming season (Edit: That would come later on Monday when he spent $25 million on free agents).
His strategy decisions; however, illustrate how he views the Preds current farm system and future needs. So what did we learn?
1. They must love Andrew Gibson and Tanner Molendyk
The week before the draft, the Predators had one premier blue line prospect: 2023 first-round pick Tanner Molendyk. They might have some solid contributors in the pipeline but nothing like what Preds fans are accustomed to at the position.
Of the top 12 prospects in the Preds farm system, just one (Molendyk) plays along the blue line. Just days before the draft, Trotz gave up his highest second-round pick and forward prospect Jesse Kiiskinen to acquire former No. 42 overall pick Andrew Gibson from the Detroit Red Wings.
Trotz then proceeded to avoid the position almost entirely in the draft. He took only Viggo Gustafson with the 77th pick after passing on quality defensive prospects twice and trading down a third time.
So either he really didn’t like the players who were on the board or he really likes Gibson and Molendyk. Or both.
Gibson and Molendyk have the potential to be top-flight talents as both are elite skaters and both were high draft picks. There is a lot to like about both of them and the team spent plenty of assets to acquire the pair.
They are invested in the duo, but not much else at the position.
2. They are desperate for scoring… still
Despite 10 of the Preds’ top 12 prospects being forwards, Trotz clearly believed he needed to take a big hack at offense. He used three different strategies over the weekend.
He went risky upside as he “reached” for center Egor Surin with the No. 22 pick. He took great value and likely best available when Teddy Stiga fell to him with the 55th pick. And then used the quantity approach with the rest of his picks by using four more picks on forwards.
This team is still trying to answer the exact same question it tried and largely failed to answer under David Poile for 25 years: Can it draft and develop top-line offensive talent, in particular at the center position?
Surin and Stiga both have plenty of upside and add lots of pure offensive talent to the farm system. Miguel Marques (third round, No. 87 overall) and Erik Pahlsson (seventh round, No. 213 overall) both appear to have more offensive value than their draft position indicates.
Matthew Wood, Joakim Kemell, Zachary L'Heureux and Fyodor Svechkov might all develop into solid contributors. But Trotz clearly felt the need to throw a lot of offensive talent into the pipeline by using six of his eight picks on forwards.
3. They’ve got a plan in net
For the next nine years, Juuse Saros is scheduled to be the Nashville Predators goaltender. That’s the plan. However, this organization is clearly setting itself up to trade prized prospect Yaroslav Askarov. You don’t give an eight-year contract to your starter and then draft a goalie if you are not preparing for life without Askarov.
Nashville selected Canadian goalie Jakub Milota in the fourth round on Saturday with the No. 99 overall pick. Using a top 100 pick on a goaltender than many scouts believe has lots of ability isn’t something you’d normally do with a Vezina-calibur net-minder under contract for nine years and the No. 1 goalie prospect in the world on your roster already.
Could they trade Saros at some point down the road? Is letting Askarov marinate in Milwaukee until he’s ready and then marinate some more behind Saros in the NHL a good strategy? Absolutely. But after the contract, Trotz was on the phone taking offers for Askarov all weekend and then he proceeded to draft a goalie with a top-100 pick.
All signs point to using Askarov to answer that goal-scoring question via trade.
With Saros locked up and two quality prospects in the system, new-old director of goaltending Mitch Korn should have plenty to work with no matter who is in net.