The Nashville Predators have built a reputation for targeting forwards early in the NHL Draft, but the 2026 edition could see a significant shift in strategy. With the No. 10 overall pick, the team is seriously considering adding a top-tier defenseman to its prospect pipeline—a move that would break a nearly decade-long trend.

For years, the Predators have used their first-round selections to stockpile offensive talent. Brady Martin went fifth overall in 2025, Egor Surin was taken at No. 22 in 2024, and Matthew Wood was selected 15th in 2023. In fact, over the past nine drafts, Nashville has chosen a forward with its top pick eight times. The lone exception was goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in 2020.

But this year, the draft board is telling a different story. "It happens to be one of those years where there's a lot of high-end defensemen at the top," said Jeff Kealty, the Predators' director of scouting, during a media session at Bridgestone Arena on May 13. While Kealty stopped short of committing to a specific position, he made it clear that the depth of defensive talent in this class is impossible to ignore.

"They have a lot of those attributes that we talk about that are projectable to be top-four type defensemen," Kealty added. "We'll see how it plays out, but certainly there's going to be a lot of defensemen."

The contrast with last year's draft is striking. In 2025, defenseman Matthew Schaefer went first overall to the New York Islanders and promptly delivered a Calder Trophy-winning rookie season with 23 goals and 36 assists. Yet after Schaefer, only two of the next nine picks—and four of the first 20—were blueliners. The Predators themselves selected defenseman Cameron Reid at No. 21, the fifth defenseman off the board.

This year promises a much deeper crop. Elite Prospects' April rankings list five defensemen among the top 10 and eight within the top 20. One name generating buzz is Xavier Villeneuve of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, slotted at No. 6.

Tom Nolan, the Predators' head amateur scout, echoed Kealty's sentiments on May 13, hinting that the team is leaning toward shoring up its blue line. "It's a very deep draft in the top 15 for defensemen," Nolan said. "All of them bring a different type of skill set, but they all have size and are really good skaters. We're hoping that maybe one of them can fall to us."

Two names to watch closely are Rudolph and Verhoeff. Rudolph, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound right-handed defenseman, boasts impressive offensive instincts. He lit up the Western Hockey League this season with 28 goals and 50 assists in 68 games for Prince Albert, then added nine more goals and 14 assists in the playoffs. If the Predators decide to break their forward-first trend, a player of his caliber could be exactly what they need to build a more balanced future.