Predators have had relatively little luck between the second and fourth rounds in the NHL Draft

The third round never has been much good to the Nashville Predators anyway.

It was a bit of s surprise Saturday when General Manager David Poile traded this year’s third-round selection (89th overall) because it was the first opportunity the Predators had to make a pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He sent the pick to Florida in exchange for the Panthers’ 2019 third-round selection, effectively deferring the selection until next year.

The truth is that it might be best if Nashville never makes another third-round selection.

In the franchise’s 20 drafts prior to this year, the Predators had made 24 third-round selections. Fewer than half of those players have appeared in even a single NHL contest and only six ever have pulled on a Nashville sweater at least once. Those six combined for 321 appearances for the Predators.

The only third-round choice who ever made a significant contribution to the Predators was Cody Franson, the 79th overall choice in 2005. He played 164 games (the equivalent of two full seasons) with Nashville and 550 games overall for four different franchises.

Quite possibly, the best third-round pick Poile’s scouting department ever managed was forward Jimmy Vesey (66th overall in 2012). In four years at Harvard, he developed into a Hobey Baker Award winner.

Vesey (pictured) also took advantage of a rule that allows a drafted player who has completed his college eligibility to become a free agent in August following his senior season. His decision to spurn Nashville’s repeated attempts to sign him and to test the open market is one of the most dubious events in team history. He ultimately decided to sign with the New York Rangers and has played 159 games for that team over the past two seasons.

In 2003, when the draft took place at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville made a whopping 13 overall selections, including such notable ones as Ryan Suter (first round), Shea Weber (second round) and Kevin Klein (second round).

The Predators had more picks that year in the third round (four) than in any other. Three of those four never played in the NHL.

A rundown of the Nashville Predators’ third-round picks who have played in the NHL:

Player, Pos.

Year

Pick

NHL games

Games with Nashville

Cody Franson, D

2005

79th

550

164

Taylor Beck, RW

2009

70th

92

85

Alexander Sulzer, D

2003

92nd

131

53

Teemu Laakso, D

2005

78th

17

17

Libor Pivko, LW

2000

89th

1

1

Ryan Thang, LW

2007

81st

1

1

Jimmy Vesey, LW

2012

66th

159

0

Michael Latta, RW

2009

72nd

113

0

Brendan Leipsic, C

2012

89th

64

0



Nashville ultimately made four selections in this year’s draft — the fewest in franchise history. They took 6-foot-6 German center Jachym Kondelik, who has spent the past two seasons in the United States Hockey League, in the fourth round (111th overall). Two fifth-round choices were used on defensemen Spencer Stastney (131st overall), who is currently with the U.S. National Development Program, and Vladislav Yeryomenko (151st overall), a Russian currently playing for Calgary in the Western Hockey League. In the seventh round (213th overall) the Predators got Czech goalie Milan Kloucek.