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.
MORE: Analyzing every Nashville Predators first round NHL Draft pick: 1998-2002
2003: Ryan Suter (defenseman, 7th overall)
While it took a bit for the Nashville Predators to see defenseman Ryan Suter make his NHL debut, the wait paid off.
He was selected seventh overall out of the United States National Development Program, recording 24 points in 42 games. After being drafted, he'd play a season at Wisconsin, recording 19 points in 39 games.
Suter was expected to debut at the start of the 2004-05 season, but the NHL lockout forced him to make his professional debut with the Milwaukee Admirals. The following year, in his rookie season, he had 16 points in 71 games.
However, his numbers quickly grew as one of the most promising young defensemen in the NHL. From 2007 to 2012, Suter recorded at least 31 points per season, with the peak coming during the 2011-12 season (46 points in 79 games). He also had a plus/minus of 20 during the 2010-11 season.
He also represented the United States during the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. Suter was also named to the NHL All-Star game in 2012.
Suter's exit from the Predators may be one of the most memorable moments of his career as he signed a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild alongside New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise.
While Suter solidified as one of the better defensemen in the league, his numbers peaked in the late 2010s. The Wild eventually bought out Suter's contract in 2021, and he signed with the Dallas Stars on the first day of free agency.
In 2024, he was bought out by the Stars and signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues,
While Suter is undecided on his future, he has played over 1,500 NHL games, only the third American player to do so. With this potentially being his final upcoming season, he could make a return to Nashville.
2004: Alexander Radulov (forward, 15th overall)
Alexander Radulov has been in and out of the NHL since he was drafted by the Predators in 2004.
Selected 15th overall out of Russia's second-tier professional league, Radulov came to North America and played with the Quebec Remparts for two seasons.
During his time in the QMJHL, he put up two monster seasons. In 2005, he had 75 points in 65 games and 11 points in 13 playoff games. In 2006, he recorded a whopping 152 points in 62 games off 61 goals and 91 assists. In the playoffs, Radulov had 55 points in 23 games.
He had a solid first two seasons in the NHL, recording 37 points in 64 games in his rookie year and 58 points in 81 games during the 2007-08 season. Radulov would then leave the NHL to play for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, leading to a complex contract dispute among the Predators, Radulov, and Salavat Yulaev.
Radulov's signing with Salavat Yulaev while still under contract with the Predators led to Radulov getting suspended from international play by the IIHF and by the Predators for the 2008-09 season.
He'd eventually return to Nashville for the 2011-12 season and have his suspension lifted. Radulov scored seven points in nine games and six points in eight playoff games before getting suspended by the Predators again due to a violation of team rules.
Nashville announced it would not extend Radulov's contract, and he'd return to Russia to play for CSKA Moscow. Radulov came back to the NHL in 2016, spending a season with the Montreal Canadiens and five seasons with the Dallas Stars.
In 2022, Radulov returned to the KHL and recently won the Gagarin Cup with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.
Radulov had the potential to be a franchise player for the Predators, but was limited by his off-ice behavior and clash with Predators management.
2005: Ryan Parent (defenseman, 18th overall)
While defenseman Ryan Parent had a short stint in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, he never played a game with the Predators.
Selected 18th overall in 2005, Parent embodied the physical presence that Nashville had been looking for. The year after he was drafted, Parent returned to the Guelph Storm, where he recorded 21 points in 60 games and 122 penalty minutes.
He eventually joined the Milwaukee Admirals in the 2005-06 playoffs, playing in 10 games. The parent was sent back to Guelph for a fourth and final season, where he recorded 10 points in 43 games and accumulated 86 penalty minutes.
In 2007, Parent was traded to the Flyers, alongside fellow Predators first-round pick Scottie Upshall, for Peter Forsberg and a pair of draft picks. He played in 106 games with the Flyers, recording seven points before getting traded back to the Predators for the rights to Dan Hamhuis.
Nashville then traded Parent to Vancouver, where he was placed on waivers and sent to the AHL, where he spent the rest of his career.
While Parent had a physical side to his game that the Predators have traditionally favored, the scoring never came around.
2007: Jonathon Blum (defenseman, 23rd overall)
After trading its 2006 first round pick for Brendan Witt, the Predators selected defenseman Jonathon Blum 23rd overall in 2007, its highest pick in two years.
Nashville went for a more offensively minded defenseman as he was fresh off a 51 point season with the Vancouver Giants during the 2006-07 season. He'd return to Vancouver the following two years, recording 63 points (2007-08) and 66 points (2008-09).
He'd spend his first three professional seasons in Milwaukee before cracking the Predators roster during the 2010-11 season. Blum had eight points in 23 games in his rookie season and seven points in 33 games the following year.
Blum flipped back and forth between Nashville and Milwaukee, posting strong numbers in the AHL but struggling to replicate that production in the NHL.
As a free agent, Blum signed with the Minnesota Wild for the 2013-14 season, but continued to flip between the NHL and AHL. In 2015, Blum left the NHL for the KHL and has spent the rest of his career in Russia, Sweden and most recently Germany.
Blum had 179 points in 336 AHL games, but just 24 points in 110 NHL games. It's a big "what if" Blum was able to transfer his AHL production to the NHL.
2008: Colin Wilson (center, 7th overall)
The Predators moved around the board during the 2008 NHL Draft, trading the ninth overall pick and a second round pick for the seventh overall pick .
The bump up two spots allowed the Predators to select Boston University center Colin Wilson. In his draft season, Wilson netted 35 points in 37 games and upon returning to Boston for the 2008-09 season, he recorded 55 points in 43 games.
Wilson split time between Nashville and Milwaukee in his rookie season, but quickly cemented himself as a regular on the Predators main roster.
He spent eight seasons in Nashville from 2009 to 2017, recording 237 points in 502 games.
In 2017, Wilson was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2019 fourth round pick where he finished his NHL career in 2020.
While Wilson wasn't a franchise player with the Predators, he proved to be a consistent producer.
2008: Chet Pickard (goalie, 18th overall)
In the Predators second move in the first round, they'd trade the 15th overall pick to the Ottawa Senators for the 18th overall pick and a third round pick.
Ottawa ultimately won this trade, selecting three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman William Karlsson with the pick. Nashville took another risk by selecting a goalie in the first round, Chet Pickard, from the Tri-City Americans.
In his draft year, Pickard posted a 46-12-4 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.32 goals against average. He was named CHL Goaltender of the Year in 2008 and would win a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Pickard played for the Milwaukee Admirals during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, before getting sent down to the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). A 3.39 and 3.12 goals against average during the 2011 and 2012 seasons saw Pickard leave for Sweden for a season.
He returned to North America for the 2013-14 season, starting the year with the Oklahoma City Barons before being demoted to the Bakersfield Condors after posting a 5.34 goals against average over six games.
In 2015, he left for Europe again, playing in Germany for the rest of his professional career till 2022.
With Nashville selecting Pekka Rinne in the eighth round of the 2004 draft and Juuse Saros in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, the Predators should steer clear of goalies in the first round.
