With the 2025 NHL Draft fast approaching, rookies across the world are looking to get their first big break. And the feeling is mutual for the teams as well, since many franchises are looking to rebuild their teams in the hope of a playoff berth.
One of the teams most desperate for this rebuild is the Nashville Predators. The Tennessee outfit is desperate for talent. With just 30 wins and 68 points in the regular season, Nashville was arguably one of the most underwhelming teams this season.
One thing the Predators want to add is a good center forward who can get plays in the deep end.
Nashville Predators Are Desperate To Sign a Good Center
The answer to the Predators’ woes for a good center forward might come in the form of Swedish center and HockeyAllsvenskan star Anton Frondell. Bleacher Nation recently released a mock draft and projected the Predators to take Frondell.
A key player for the Stockholm-based Djurgårdens IF, Frondell has been one of the key players for them across the two seasons.
With 11 goals and 14 assists across 29 games of the league phase, Frondell has stood out in a team full of upcoming talents. With the Predators getting the fifth overall pick in the NHL draft, chances are that if they will draft him if he is still available.
Currently, the Predators have only left-winger Filip Forsberg as someone they can depend on to score the crunch-time goals. With 76 points across 82 regular-season games, Forsberg is one of the biggest reasons the Predators did not to end up at the bottom of the Central Division.
But the stats show that they can’t continue to depend on him. Frondell, with his 6’1″ 204-pound frame, has shown again and again that he can take a mean tackle and still keep his mind on the matter. Not to mention, he already has experience in elimination games, as he did for Djurgårdens this season.
Frondell believes that he can be someone from the frame of Sacha Barkov. If the young Swede is to be taken seriously, then this is nothing but music to the ears of Predators’ GM Barry Trotz. After all, with a hammer of a right shot, Frondell will perfectly complement Nashville’s existing front line.
Even beyond Frondell, the Predators will have two more chances at a first-round draft pick, with them having the 23rd pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Tanner Jeannot trade and the 26th pick from the San Jose Kings. With three first-round picks, the Predators might very well build a stronger team this season.
