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The Nashville Predators came into the 2004 NHL Draft basking in the glory of their first post season appearance since their inaugural campaign of 1998-99. The Predators have been adamant that their team be built through the draft with General Manager David Poile indicating earlier in the year that the fan base would likely become impatient if the organization’s strategy did not pay off soon.

 

From an organizational standpoint, the Predators largest deficiency is down the middle. After David Legwand the team lacks in quality pivots. Greg Johnson is 33 years old and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the upcoming NHL season. The team has also soured on 24-year-old center Denis Arkhipov, making strong, but unsuccessful attempts to trade him at the March trade deadline. Within the system, Nashville has no up and coming center to meet the needs of the future, so the 2004 NHL Draft was expected to yield at least one projected future center for the Predators.

 

Poile had also indicated a willingness to move down in the first round of the draft, having only a first and third round pick on Day 1, and hoping to acquire additional picks. This did not occur so the Predators ended up making 11 selections over the nine rounds. Of the 11 selections the Predators selected seven players from Europe, even increasing their previous European drafting percentage of 47.6 percent since 1998.

 

The Predators also maintained that size was an issue and drafted players with an average height of 6’1.5” and 8 of 11 players that weighed greater than 190 lbs on draft day. They also drafted for all positions over the course of the draft with three centers, four defenseman, two goalies and one of each wing.

 

Here is a summary of each player selected in Carolina.

 

Alexander Radulov Round 1, 15^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
July 5, 1986	Nizhi Tagil,	RU	6’1	178	RUS 1	TVER	RW

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
42	15	16	31	102

 

Alexander Radulov is a skilled winger whose ability to keep his cool has been questioned. Radulov showed his intense nature by racking up a 102 penalty minutes in only 41 games for Tver. Radulov will need to continue to improve in all areas, but his greatest strength is his puck skills that are quite a bit above average. He has no problem making pinpoint passes and also has a good scoring touch around the net. Radulov also needs to work on his defensive zone coverage as well as the mental part of the game.

"He’s a little inconsistent but he can skate and he has great hand skills. When he has the puck he’s hard to knock of it and he’s hard to pin. He did that a lot in Minsk. He’s very talented, probably the second most talented Russian behind Malkin," one NHL scout told Hockey’s Future before the draft.

The Predators decided to select a skilled player rather than an all around player and they might receive the payoff sooner than expected. Radulov has turned down all contract offers in Russia and hopes to move to the CHL next year.

 

Vaclav Meidl Round 3, 81st Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
May 27, 1986	Prostejov, Czech Republic	CZE	6’4	198	OHL	PLYMOUTH	C

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
67	14	28	42	108

 

After the first round loss in the playoffs to Detroit, it was clear that the Red Wings have the Nashville Predators beat down the middle handily. Strength and size with grit is what the Predators accomplished with their third round pick after trading their second round pick away to acquire Steve Sullivan. Vaclav Meidl was the ninth pick in the CHL 2003 Import draft and came to North America for his draft year to ply his trade in the OHL. Meidl is a solid skater, and is skilled but many questioned his hockey sense and decision making throughout the year. This compounded with a poor effort at the CHL top prospects game had Meidl drop from his 28^th North American ranking down to the 81^st selection.

 

Although there are deficiencies within Meidl’s game, there is much to like. Meidl plays a very North American game and was considered an average prospect until he started to fight regularly to gain more attention. His willingness to stick up for his teammates and show the physical side of his game is a strong suit. His size at 6’4 and skating ability mean that Meidl has a solid chance to reach the NHL. What he does when he gets there is up to him.

 

Nick Fugere Round 4, 107^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
September 20, 1985	Shawinigan, Quebec	CAN	6’2	230	QMJHL	Gatineau	LW

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
54	10	13	23	121

 

With their first pick on the second day of the draft the Nashville Predators decided to hedge their bets on the Vaclav Meidl pick by selecting a player whose scouting report had some of the similar traits. Fugere is a strong skater with good balance that should be hard to knock of the puck and at the tender age of 18 already tips the scales at 230 lbs.

 

But as the Predators have decided to add players with size and toughness, Fugere was a player that helps them continue to that end. This past season was difficult for Fugere because as his draft year he suffered from inconsistency and lack of clarity of his role. He saw his penalty minutes drop in half from the previous season and his point production didn’t evolve as he would have liked. This inconsistency and lack of development caused Fugere to drop from a CSS rank of 51 at the midterm to 118^th North American on draft day.

 

Although listed at 230 lbs by Central Scouting, Fugere had dropped to a playing weight of 223 lbs during the Memorial Cup. With some solid play during the pinnacle of Canadian Major Junior the Predators opted to take a chance on what could be a tough two-way center in the future.

 

Kyle Moir Round 5, 139^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
May 25, 1986	Mississauga, Ontario	CAN	6’2	190	WHL	Swift Current	G

 

GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO
46	22	15	4	2.90	3

 

In round No. 5 the Predators decided that they needed to add a goaltender to a stable that right now has Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason and Brian Finley as their only North Americans between the pipes. The recent signing of free agent Calder Cup MVP Wade Flaherty by the Vancouver Canucks means there is an opening at the Predators AHL affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals. There is no one that is presently coming in their organization to fill that spot unless the Predators sign one of their solid European goaltending prospects such as Rustam Sidikov of the Russian 2^nd league or Teemu Lassila of the Finnish Elite League.

 

Moir, ranked 13^th North American goalie by CSS, is a one of the newer generation of goalies that plays strong down low with his big frame covering much of the net. He does need to work on his body position as well as rebound control but does make up for some deficiencies with athletic ability. He had a solid season playing on a rebounding Swift Current Broncos team in the WHL and will continue his development in the WHL next season.

 

Janne Niskala Round 5, 147^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
September 22, 1981	Vasteras, Sweden	FIN	6’0	187	SM Liga	Lukko	D

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
55	21	15	36	73

 

One problem that a young franchise has is that the prospects they select in the NHL Draft take time to develop. The Nashville Predators have been in the league since 1998 and by this time they are only scraping the surface of where the strengths and weaknesses within the organization exist. The way to start filling some of these holes is by drafting older European prospects.

 

With their second pick in the fifth round the Predators attempted to add an NHL ready defenseman by selecting 22-year-old Janne Niskala. Niskala is an offensive defenseman that plays a strong game at both ends of the ice. He is a very calm and confident player that has drawn early comparisons to Marek Zidlicky. His first instinct is to shoot with his hard accurate shot, which allowed him to lead his team in goal scoring from the blueline.

 

Michael Santorelli Round 6, 178^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
December 14, 1985	Vancouver, B.C.	CAN	5’11	195	BCHL	Vernon	C

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
60	43	53	96	26

 

The Predators used their sixth pick in the draft to increase their skill by adding BCHL center/right wing Mike Santorelli. Santorelli ranked fifth in BCHL scoring although he was the only 18-year-old in the top 5 (behind such talents as New Jersey first round pick Travis Zajac and ahead of Calgary first round pick Kris Chucko). After accumulating 96 points in only 60 games, Santorelli led the Vernon Vipers in scoring by 29 points and was named team MVP and voted to the BCHL Interior Conference All Star team.

 

Santorelli was overlooked by all of the WHL teams in 1999 and not drafted to major junior from bantam due to his size at the time (5’2”). After contemplating giving up hockey, Santorelli decided to continue his career, and grew six more inches over the summer. Now tipping the scales at close to 6 feet tall and 195 lbs, Santorelli has not only the skill set but also the size to be a legitimate NHL prospect. He has committed to Northern Michigan University of the NCAA to work under former New York Ranger Assistant Coach and NMU Head Coach Walt Kyle.

 

Kevin Schaeffer Round 6, 193^rd Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
October 16, 1984	Huntington, N.Y.	USA	6’1	195	Hockey East (NCAA)	Boston University	D

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
35	5	12	17	20

 

Kevin Schaeffer was part of the six-man freshman class of the Boston University Terriers this season after a solid career in the Eastern Junior Hockey League culminating with the Triple Crown Championship with the New York Apple Core. BU Coach Jack Parker called Schaffer the best of the three BU freshman blueliners to skate for the team in 2003-04.

 

Schaeffer is a strong, skilled defenseman that can be thrust into any situation. He could be more physical, but plays positionally sound. He uses his long reach to his advantage and has very good hockey sense.

 

Schaeffer was the first Boston University defenseman in history to score a hat trick on November 30, 2003 and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2004. Schaeffer will again suit up for the Boston University Terriers in 2004-05.

 

Stanislav Balan Round 7, 209^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
January 30, 1986	Hodonin, Czech Republic	CZE	6’1	165	Czech 1 Czech 2	Zlin Zlin Jr	C

 

Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Zlin Jr	53	23	33	56	122
Zlin	4	1	0	1	2

 

The Predators with their seventh round pick continued to address their lack of quality centers in the organization by selecting their fourth center of the draft. The selection of Stanislav Balan added another skilled center that is no stranger to the defensive zone.

 

The selection of Balan was considered solid because he was ranked to go in the first four rounds by CSS (48^th European) but the Predators were fortunate to have him drop to the seventh round.

 

Balan is a good skater and has good skill when skating at top speed. Another strong suit of Balan is that he displays good hockey sense and has defensive awareness, which is not common among all 18-year-old players. Balan will have to increase his strength on his 165 lb frame before he will be considered a solid prospect. He has declined the option of coming to the Canada to play Major Junior hockey next season and will play next season for Zlin in the Czech Senior Extraleague.

 

Denis Kulyash Round 8, 243^rd Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
May 31, 1983	Omsk, Russia	RUS	6’2	199	RUS	CSKA	D

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
10	1	0	1	8

 

In their first pick of the eighth round the Predators selected 21-year-old defenseman Denis Kulyash who plays for the Red Army team in the Russian Super League.

 

Kulyash is a strong solid defender with decent hockey sense. The Predators selected him hoping he is a classic late bloomer. He does have a good shot that he could use more. He is also a decent passer and likes to play physical. After a good season in the Russian Junior League he was called up late in the year to test his abilities with Red Army in the Russian Super League.

 

GM David Poile indicated that selecting a few older players in the draft was by design hoping that their development is further along that the 17 and 18-year-olds in the draft. Kulyash is under contract for next season with CSKA.

 

Pekka Rinne Round 8, 258^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
November 3, 1982	Kempele, Finland	FIN	6’3	191	SM-Liga	Karpat	G

 

GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO
14	5	4	4	2.99	0

 

In the late rounds of the draft the likelihood of drafting an NHL player is relatively low. Here the Predators had looked to Europe with selections of Balan, Kulyash, and Niskala so that they could monitor their progress without the pressure to sign them unlike Canadian major junior players.

 

Continuing with this strategy the Predators selected goaltender Pekka Rinne, an older prospect (21 years old) that plays in the Finnish Elite League for Karpat. Rinne was mainly a back up to starter Niklas Backstrom. Rinne did play a couple of games in the SM-Liiga playoffs when Backstrom went down to injury. He was solid in both games, helping Karpat to the Finnish Elite League championship.

 

Rinne is another large goalie that uses his size to cover a lot of the net. He still has technical issues with his play and his positioning is not the strongest. He is another late bloomer that has just recently reached the highest level of play in Finland. Unless the Predators sign him with the intent of earning a position in Milwaukee as the back up to Brian Finley he will be back playing for Karpat. Rinne could use a team that will give him more playing time to assist his development, which it appears is not forthcoming.

 

Craig Switzer Round 9, 275^th Overall

D.O.B	Birthplace	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League	Amateur Team	Position
October 16, 1984	Calgary, AB	CAN	6’2	195	BCHL	Salmon Arm	D

 

GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
57	14	40	54	117

 

The last selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the Predators made their second selection from the BCHL in Craig Switzer of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Switzer is a solid defenseman who played on the same team as first rounders Travis Zajac and Kris Chucko.

 

Switzer has good offensive instincts and led the Silverbacks from the back end finishing in the top 5 in scoring for defensemen in the BCHL. He played in the BCHL 2004 All-Star game and was selected to the Interior Conference First All Star Team at the end of the season. His season concluded by being named the BCHL Interior Conference Top Defenseman.

 

Switzer doesn’t look to have the pedigree of a ninth round selection. He dropped to the ninth round because he was a year older than most other players in the BCHL that made him look more dominant against lesser competition.

 

Switzer has committed to play for the Hockey East Tournament Champion, the University of New Hampshire, for the upcoming season. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Richard Umile, Switzer will continue his development playing against stronger competition in the NCAA.

 

 

 

If the goal of the NHL Draft is set out all of your goals and then systematically meeting them, the 2004 NHL Draft will be a success for the Nashville Predators. The Predators ended up selecting 11 players from six countries. (Canada 4, Russia 2, Czech Rep 2, United States 1, Sweden 1, and Finland 1) GM Poile also showed that the Predators were strongest on the wing with only one flank selection over the two days. The addressing of center depth was made by four pivot selections. Finally the draft was rounded out by the selection of four defenders and two goaltenders.

 

The Predators also fed into their prospect system several players that they feel are more advanced in their development by selecting five players that were 19 years and older on draft day. The organization also took the pressure off the development of their players by selecting nine players whose long-term rights will remain with the team. Of those players six are European and will play in Europe (unless signed to pro contracts) with the exception of Alexander Radulov who has decided to play with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL in the upcoming season. Three others will ply their trade in the NCAA (Schaeffer, Switzer, and Santonelli) giving the Predators the ability to be patient with a large proportion of their prospects.

 

Copyright 2004 Hockey’s Future. Do not duplicate without written permission of the editorial staff.