After taking Wyatt Cullen at No. 10 overall, the Nashville Predators traded back up into the first round to take defenseman Tommy Bleyl at No. 31 in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Predators sent picks No. 41 and No. 57 to the Carolina Hurricanes in return.
Bleyl, a defenseman with the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL), had 13 goals and 68 assists in 63 games last season. He’s committed to Michigan State for the 2027-28 season.
A 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed shooter, Bleyl has blazing speed out of the defensive zone. A highly skilled offensive player, his skating is his best asset and likely what gets him to the NHL.
The only downside is his defensive projection — he just isn’t physical enough yet to win important battles in his own zone. He’ll likely need to add some weight in order to find a top-four spot in the NHL.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. He never uses artificial intelligence when developing or drafting stories. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators trade back into 1st round, select D Tommy Bleyl at No. 31
