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Nashville Predators on The Hockey News
Predators' Unlikely & Underrated 2015 Draft Still Paying Dividends
By Rob Couch,
2024-05-15
The 2015 NHL Entry Draft is considered one of the best in history and even though the Nashville Predators didn't get any stars, it was a strong draft for them acquiring NHL talent.
It's not often a team can draft players who turn into NHLers with each of their first five picks and without drafting in the first round. Nowadays, drafting in the first round doesn't guarantee that players will find himself in the NHL, but there is obviously a much better chance.
The Predators drafted Yakov Trenin in the second round, Tommy Novak in the third round, Anthony Richard and Alexandre Carrier in the fourth round, and Karel Vejmelka in the fifth round.
While only Novak and Carrier are left, both played sizable roles on the Predators this season. The Predators never got a game out of Vejmelka, but he turned into a pretty good starter/tandem goalie for the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah). Trenin was just moved at the 2023 trade deadline to the Colorado Avalanche, but played 283 games over five seasons for Nashville. As for Richard, he isn't an everyday NHLer, but is a very good AHL player that arguably deserves more of a chance in the NHL with the points he puts up.
Novak and Carrier were both in the news this season for the Predators. Novak signed a three-year extension at $3.5 million AAV and it was well deserved. He had a stellar showing in the NHL last season after playing at a point-per-game pace in the NHL. He hasn't replicated the high offense for the Predators this season, but he did set career highs in goals (18) and points (45) in a full season. He is locked into the middle-six center role and provides secondary scoring that isn't all that easy to come by in the NHL.
Exit Interview: Tommy Novak (4:25)
Before the Predators turned things around and recorded at least a point in 18 consecutive games, there were rumblings that Carrier might be traded. He is a UFA now that the season has ended, but he played a key role on the back-end for the Predators. At the very least, he served as the Predators' own rental if he isn't able to be re-signed this offseason.
Carrier has gone about his business more quietly than most, but he gets the job done, even at his size. He plays in all situations and even though he averages just under 19 minutes per game of ice time, the defensive group is crowded in Nashville and always strong.
Exit Interview: Alexandre Carrier (7:13)
While it is a longshot to hit on sixth and seventh-round picks, those are understandably the only two picks the Predators didn't get NHLers out of in 2015. The team hasn't had a draft produce as many quality players since and nothing comes close until we look back further to 2009. Drafting and developing has been a strong point for the Predators and should continue that way.
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