We’re just 30 minutes away from day #2 of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and the Nashville Predators have nine selections. For the second straight year, they did not have a first round choice and that makes this day very important.
Here’s where the Predators are scheduled to pick.
Round 2 / 37 overall
Round 2 / 50 overall
Round 3 / 66 overall
Round 4 / 112 overall
Round 5 / 118 overall
Round 5 / 142 overall
Round 6 / 164 overall
Round 6 / 172 overall
Round 6 / 179 overall
While most of the exciting action happens in the opening round, General Manager David Poile and his team have a long history of making shrewd late round selections. Nashville’s second leading scorer all-time Martin Erat was taken in the seventh round (1999), fan favorite Jordin Tootoo was selected in the fourth round (2001), the team’s leading goal scorer last season Patric Hornqvist was 2005’s Mr. Irrelevant (the final pick in the draft) and then there’s back-to-back Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne who was chosen so late that the round doesn’t even exist anymore (eighth round, 2004).
You can watch all the action starting at 9am Central on NHL Network and be sure to follow Predators bloggers @smashville247 and @puckscenedotcom as they’re live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania covering the event on the draft floor.