Preds Confident Heading Into 2025 NHL Draft: 'We're Going to Get a Really Good Player'

What could be one of the more monumental NHL Drafts in Predators franchise history has finally arrived.

With nine selections in total - including the fifth overall pick and four picks in the Top 35 of the Draft - the Preds are certainly set to add plenty of talent to their prospect pool on Friday and Saturday.

“I think we're going to get a really good player [at fifth overall],” Preds General Manager Barry Trotz said Tuesday from Nashville. “We’re fortunate that there are a number of good centers in this Draft. They all bring different elements… There’s always good players…[and there are even] guys in the second and third round that are going to make an impact in this League.”

The Predators enter the Draft with three picks in the first round - No. 5, No. 23 and No. 26 - plus two more in the second round. And not only does the 2025 NHL Draft carry immense importance for the Predators, but this year’s edition is unique in a way that has never been seen in League history.

For the first time, the NHL Draft has been decentralized - meaning instead of all 32 NHL Clubs being on site in the same city, Predators scouts and management will remain at home in Nashville while the League’s top Draft-eligible prospects will be on site in Los Angeles for the festivities.

That setup will provide unique circumstances as the picks will have to wait to meet with their respective teams, but Nashville’s draftees will soon have that chance - the Preds just have to make the choices.

“You’re looking for a player that can handle all that [comes with being a pro] and grow and become a really good player,” Trotz said. “And as much as there's great success in the Draft, there’s a lot of failures in the Draft. So, these scouts have done a wonderful job, not only our team, but all the teams. They put a lot of time, energy and wisdom and experience into the pursuit of finding the next star in this League.”

Just days after the prospects hear their names called, the Preds will host their annual Development Camp in Nashville beginning June 29 and culminating with the Future Stars Game presented by Ticketmaster at Ford Ice Center Bellevue on July 5. The week of camp will come with plenty of on-ice practices, off-ice training, meetings, teaching sessions with experts from around the organization and a community day to get out into the Music City and give back.

All in all, the next 10 days will go a long way toward determining - and developing - the next wave of Predators players, and it begins Friday evening in Los Angeles.

“We feel very confident,” Trotz said. “If we [sit] at the Draft and the picks go exactly like our list, we're going to get a really good player. If they don't go exactly like our list, we're [still] going to get a really good player. So, I feel pretty confident we're going to get someone that will be a really good Nashville Predator for a long time.”

The Preds are the only club with three picks in the first 28 selections of this year’s Draft. Nashville also owns two picks in both the second and sixth rounds of the Draft, and one in each of the third and fifth rounds.

The 2025 Draft will be held at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round will be held June 27 (6 p.m. CT; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (11 a.m. CT; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1).

Join the Preds on Friday, June 27, starting at 5:30 p.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena to watch the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Find deals at our popular Used Equipment Sale, and test your skills with fun hockey challenges. Plus, enjoy photo ops, giveaways, special guests, and much more. Click here to claim your free ticket.