Predators Biggest Draft Booms and Busts since 2000

[LastWordArmy]

As the 2020 NHL Entry Draft approaches, we decided to examine each team’s best and worst pick since the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The biggest boom is a player that had the best value relative to where they were selected. Meaning, no one in the first round will be considered a team’s best value pick. However, the biggest bust picks will almost always be in the first round. We will examine each player, why they were picked where they were, and what their NHL career was like. Today, we look at the Nashville Predators draft, and their biggest boom and bust.

Here is the article
Nashville Predators Biggest Draft Boom and Bust since 2000 - Last Word on Hockey

Here is a little taste with one of the honourable mentions.

Jonathon Blum

Taken in the first round, before the likes of P.K. Subban, David Perron, Jamie Benn and Wayne Simmonds in 2007, Jonathon Blum makes the final spot for Nashville Predators draft busts for similar reasons to Parent.

In his first few seasons in the NHL, his defending was abjectly bad and since he had no scoring ability, he began to gather bad stock. As his responsibilities were stripped and his minutes lessened, Blum started to sure up on the backend but offered very little else.

Blum became an unrestricted free agent in 2013 and signed with the Minnesota Wild rejoining former Predators’ teammate, Ryan Suter. He would only play 19 games for the Wild in two years before he left North America for the KHL.

In 5 NHL seasons, Blum played in 110 games and amassed 24 points. He scored 30 points in his first season with Admiral Vladivostock in the KHL. Blum currently plays for Farjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League.

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[GoldOnGold]

I was confused by Brian Finley's lack of inclusion, then I realized it was since 2000.

Poor Blum. I remember people being excited over him, especially early.

 

[PredsV82]

I was confused by Brian Finley's lack of inclusion, then I realized it was since 2000.

Poor Blum. I remember people being excited over him, especially early.

Damn our luck that he played his ass off during his "trade showcase" game or games. We ended up keeping him instead of trading him for I believe Sbisa was who was rumored.

 

[Adz]

I was confused by Brian Finley's lack of inclusion, then I realized it was since 2000.

Poor Blum. I remember people being excited over him, especially early.

I was because he had my birthday. Ha! Arbitrary, but I don't keep up with prospects til they're ours.
But I lost my love for him when he was sent down to Milwaukee. He consistently posted about partying or had thinly veiled complaints instead of showing that he was working hard to get back up to the NHL. I read something he wrote from when he ended up overseas (Sweden maybe?) and he did seem to have grown up a lot. So I don't harbor ill feelings at this point.

I am pretty sure he's the player who was very familiar with Nashville because his family had long owned property outside the city as a vacation home of some sort. Wonder if they still do or if his demotion turned them against Tennessee in general?

 

[braindead]

Blum was from California and I think originally grew up playing inline and was viewed as a very good skater. IIRC he had a sister- maybe twin?- who died in a house fire when they were kids. I always wondered if it impacted his game and his commitment- if so, I wouldn’t blame him. That was a crap draft and I have a pet peeve against fishing out an example (like PK for instance) twenty to thirty pucks later as proof of a bad pick. However, just looked it up and 3 of the next 5 picks were much better choices. The second round is a graveyard of white guys- only PK and Wayne Simmonds were keepers in that round. For god’s sake, Nick Spaling is third in games from that round.

 

[triggrman]

I think Ryan Parent's back injury was what held him back. He had multiple back surgeries, right?

 

[braindead]

I think Ryan Parent's back injury was what held him back. He had multiple back surgeries, right?

That is my recollection as well. He had the talent.

 

[adsfan]

Jon Blum, #3 in Milwaukee. He was too California laid back. He skated like a warm up lap for figure skating. Getting checked but not checking.

Nashville has a history of having offensive Dmen. Not Jon Blum. He had 2 good seasons in Milwaukee. First year in 80 games 11 G 30 A 32 PIMs +17.
The second year he played in 54 games with 7 G 27 A 20 PIMs +7. That same season in Nashville he played 23 games with 3 G 5 A 8 PIMs +8.

The next season, 2011-12, in Milwaukee he played 48 games with 4 G 22 A 36 PIMs and -11. For the Preds 33 games 3 G 4 A 6 PIMs and -14!

The 2012-13 season was worse. In Milwaukee, he played 34 games with 1 G 11 A 16 PIMs and -3. For the Preds 35 games 1 G 6 A 6 PIMs and -1.

He could have learned to play better. His first season in Milwaukee he had Dietrich, Sulzer, Franson and Ford for fellow dmen. The second year he had Ford and some guy named Josi, who was 4th on the team in scoring. He could have learned defense or offense. In 2011-12, he had Bartley, Ellis and Ford.

 

[Soundgarden]

A little off topic, but it feels crazy to me that Blum was still with Milwaukee in '13. Can't believe that's been 7 years already.

 

[hockey diva]

He ended up playing for the Wild’s farm team, I believe. Had the tools just no drive to get better.

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

Chet Pickard, what an awful pick, also instead of drafting John Gibson we chose Magnus Hellberg. We should never take goalies until like the 4th or later Rounds. A lot of our defenseman were booms, Shea Weber, Roman Josi 2nd Round, and Ekky was a 4th Round Pick. Craig Smith one of our longest lasting forwards was a 4th Round pick. Of course Peks was a steal, no matter how much I or we complain about him it’s a miracle that we’ve had an elite goaltender drafted in the 7th or 8th Round (I forget lol). Also, Juicy was a 4th Round pick. I could go on all day about our draft picks.

 

[hockey diva]

Eberle was available at Pickard spot.

 

[Predsanddead24]

John Carlson too. Not that he was necessarily on our radar and we probably don't take Josi with the next pick either, but imagine if we had him in our D corps too.

 

[glenngineer]

We also traded down to 18 to select Pickard. We stay where we are, we could've picked Karlsson at 15.

 

[Soundgarden]

We also traded down to 18 to select Pickard. We stay where we are, we could've picked Karlsson at 15.

I think if that were the case then we don't pick Josi with our 2nd that year and go for a goalie, who knows where Pickard ends up if we don't take him, but by the time we picked Josi the top 4 goalies were off the board. Maybe that changes and we draft one of McCullom, Markstrom and Allen though.

I think we definitely wanted a top ranked forward, defenseman and goalie out of our top three picks though, shame it didn't work out for Pickard, and to a lesser extent Wilson, but at least Josi panned out.