First Round
Yegor Surin
The 17-year-old center Yegor Surin, chosen 22nd overall, spent much of last season with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL, though he did play three games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. He racked up 52 points (22G/30A) and 108 PIM in his 42 games with Loko Yaroslavl, which is an interesting combination to see for a first-round pick. He’d also captained Russia’s under-17 team the previous year.
Scouting consensus had him placed somewhat lower, so this might be a bit of a reach at 22nd, but EliteProspects describes Surin as a quick and determined skater with good puckhandling skills. He easily could have impressed Nashville’s scouts as they watched him play live.
Second Round
Teddy Stiga
Teddy Stiga, chosen 55th overall, may have fallen somewhat. The winger–a product of the USNTDP–has playmaking and game-reading skills that got rave reviews, and added 79 points (36G/43A) in 61 games with the NTDP and 38 points (18G/20A) in 27 games with the USHL last year.
Stiga is committed to Boston College for the upcoming year. According to CapFriendly, the Preds have until August 2028 to sign him.
Third Round
Viggo Gustafsson
Nashville got the 77th overall pick in a draft-day swap with the Philadelphia Flyers, trading their other second-round pick for a third-round pick this year and another next year. They used it to take their first defender of the draft, a 17-year-old Swede described as a solid defensive defender with great reach.
Again this feels like a little high to take a solid defensive defender, but Gustafsson has been a regular feature on Sweden’s junior national teams, despite not putting up big scoring numbers (in 41 games with HV71’s J20 affiliate this past season, he had three goals and 16 assists, as well as 44 PIM, in 41 games).
The Preds have until June 2028 to sign Gustafsson.
Miguel Marques
Continuing the trend of alternating players who might be a reach by scouting consensus with players who might be a steal by scouting consensus, Nashville picked up winger Miguel Marques 87th overall.
Marques is described as an impressive all-around offensive talent, who reads plays well and then makes them with skill and style. Last season was his third with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, where he had 74 points (28G/46A) in 67 games.
The Preds have until June 2026 to sign Marques.
Hiroki Gojsic
Drafted 94th overall, Hiroki Gojsic is described as a power forward with a great shot. The 6’3″ winger played last season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, a team that’s produced its share of Preds alums and where he scored 50 points (21G/29A) in 68 games.
Those scouts who ranked Gojsic were split–some saw him as a second-rounder, others as a fourth. Here’s hoping that what the Preds saw in his game blooms in development with Nashville. They have until June 2028 to sign him.
Fourth Round
Jakub Milota
The Preds’ first goalie of the draft came as the 99th overall pick. Again this seems like it might be a bit of a reach, but goalies are notoriously hard to evaluate and the Preds have done excellent scouting on that front in the past. He’s described as a good skater who tends the net with a calm and structured style.
After playing previous seasons in the Czech junior leagues, Milota headed to Canada and spent last year with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles. In his 33 games with them, Milota had a .905 sv% and a 2.82 GAA. He was also chosen to represent Czechia for the second year in a row, though the team again struggled in international play.
The Preds have until June 2026 to sign Milota.
Viktor Nörringer
With the #127th overall pick, Nashville chose another power forward. Viktor Nörringer does not have a scouting report or rankings visible on EliteProspects, but has been working his way up through Frölunda HC of the SHL’s junior affiliates since 2021. He had 12 points (8G/4A) and 18 PIM in 25 games for the J20 team this last season, and wore an A for the J18 team as well as doing considerably better in scoring.
This seems to be an obvious case of a Preds scout finding a player they loved while watching games or tape. Nashville has until June 2028 to sign him.
Seventh Round
Erik Påhlsson
With their final pick of the draft, the Preds took their first overager of the year, drafting Erik Påhlsson 213th overall. The 20-year-old Swede played last season in North America with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. He’s had a three-year streak of representing Sweden at international junior tournaments, as well, and has been a consistent goalscorer for them.
With the Fighting Saints, Påhlsson had 28 goals and 44 assists in 57 games. Scouts describe him as a good supporting player for a viable offense. He’s committed to the University of Minnesota for the upcoming year, and the Preds have until August 2028 to sign him.
Statistics, scouting, and contract information provided by eliteprospects.com and capfriendly.com.