Nashville Predators Top 5 Draft Busts in Franchise History
By Ryan Ritchie
Nashville Predators Top 5 Countdown: Biggest Busts in Franchise History (1998-Present)
Nashville Predators are the next team in a series dedicated to the top five draft busts in franchise history. Over the next while, we plan to explore all 30 teams (in alphabetical order) big misses on the draft floor since their inception.
For those expansion teams from the early and late 1990s into 2000, their franchise draft history is obviously skewed in comparison to older teams. Even with a limited sample size to choose from, each and every franchise has been victimized by the imperfect art of selecting 18-year-old prospects.
Since their inception in 1998, the Nashville Predators have fared well both on the ice and on the draft floor. Even though we have less than two decades to work with, no team is immune from busts in the first/second round.
Honorable Mentions:
Daniel Widing – 36th overall in 2000
Timofei Shishkanov – 33rd overall in 2001
Zach Budish and Charles-Olivier Roussel – 41st and 42nd overall in 2009
Nashville Predators Top 5 Draft Busts
5. Jonathan Blum – 23rd overall in 2007
Blum was a standout CHL defender at the time of his selection. The offensively gifted blue liner even managed to post 41 points in his AHL rookie season. He didn’t have much issue producing at the NHL level either, but his defensive game was brutal.
Jonathan was eventually traded to Minnesota in 2013 and spent the next two seasons mostly with AHL Iowa (a couple short NHL stints). He took his talents overseas in 2015-16 joining Vladivostok Admiral of the KHL.
Blum recorded seven goals, 17 assists (24 points) in 110 regular season games. He also added a pair of assists in 12 postseason contests.
Picks after Blum: Mikael Backlund (CGY) – 24th overall, David Perron (STL) – 26th overall, P.K. Subban (MTL) – 43rd overall, Wayne Simmonds (LA) – 61st overall
4. Chet Pickard – 18th overall in 2008
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Chet was an elite CHL netminder for Tri-City in the WHL in the mid to late 2000s.
After underwhelming in his first two years of AHL action, Chet Pickard was eventually demoted to the ECHL – he unfortunately continued to disappoint over the next three seasons.
After taking a year off in 2014-15, Chet took his talents to Germany signing with Iserlohn of the DEL in 2015-16. Rumors continue to suggest he has North American pro aspirations.
Chet’s younger brother Calvin was a second round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2010.
On a side note, Nashville originally owned the 15th overall pick in 2008, but made a trade with Ottawa to move down three spots to acquire an extra third rounder – the Senators selected Erik Karlsson 15th overall.
Picks after Pickard: Michael Del Zotto (NYR) – 20th overall, Jordan Eberle (EDM) – 22nd overall, Tyler Ennis (BUF) – 26th overall, John Carlson (WSH) – 27th overall, Jacob Markstrom (FLA) – 31st overall, Jake Allen (STL) – 34th overall
3. Alexander Radulov – 15th overall in 2004
We know this highly skilled Russian would have easily been a productive NHLer, but it’s his loopy behavior over the years that place him squarely on this list.
This type of selfish, individualistic personality has no place in our sport. Good riddance, Montreal’s problem now.
Picks after Radulov: Lauri Korpikoski (NYR) – 19th overall, Travis Zajac (NJ) – 20th overall, Cory Schneider (VAN) – 26th overall, Mike Green (WSH) – 29th overall
2. Ryan Parent – 18th overall in 2005
Parent played a grand total of 10 games in the Predators organization (with AHL Milwaukee) before he was traded to Philadelphia as part of a monster deal to acquire rental piece Peter Forsberg back in 2007.
He appeared in 102 games for the Flyers over the next four seasons. Ryan joined Vancouver in 2010-11 playing his final four NHL games (to date). Parent has since spent the last four seasons playing in the AHL, most recently for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2015-16.
Picks after Parent: Tuukka Rask (TOR) – 21st overall, T.J. Oshie (STL) – 24th overall, Andrew Cogliano (EDM) – 25th overall, Matt Niskanen (DAL) – 28th overall, James Neal (DAL) – 33rd overall, Marc-Edouard Vlasic (SJ) – 35th overall, Ondrej Pavelec (ATL) – 41st overall
1. Brian Finley and Jonas Andersson – 6th and 33rd overall in 1999
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After watching the likes of Alexandre Volchkov, Jan Bulis, Daniel Tkaczuk, Denis Shvidki, Sheldon Keefe, Michael Henrich, and Brian Finley dominate the OHL growing up in Barrie, it’s astonishing to see the number of highly touted Barrie Colts prospects that turned into busts.
Finley is an interesting scenario. Even during his days dominating major junior, he still had that label of being a goalie that lets in the occasional softy. Brian posted respectable numbers with AHL Milwaukee, but his reputation followed him to the pro level and was eventually exposed.
Finley joined the Bruins organization in 2006-07, which would be his final season of professional hockey.
Nashville managed to swing and miss on their top two picks in 2005. 33rd overall selection Jonas Andersson spent three seasons in the AHL before leaving North America to play in Europe. He spent some time in Finland, Russia, and Switzerland before retiring after the 2014-15 season.
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Picks after Finley: Taylor Pyatt (NYI) – 8th overall, Barrett Jackman (STL) – 17th overall, Nick Boynton (BOS) – 21st overall, Martin Havlat (OTT) – 26th overall
Picks after Andersson: Jordan Leopold (ANA) – 44th overall, Niklas Hagman (FLA) – 70th overall, Niclas Havelid (ANA) – 83rd overall, Mike Comrie (EDM) – 91st overall, Chris Kelly (OTT) – 94th overall