Scouting in the NHL is always a complicated process, and the draft outside of the first round has shockingly low success rates. Other times you look for players who haven't been drafted and sign them as free agents out of college. That's how the Nashville Predators found a bottom six staple Cole Smith.
Smith is now heading into his fourth season as a full-time NHLer, and over parts of six seasons, he's amassed 229 games. He's currently playing out the end of 2 year $2 million dollar deal that was signed during the 2023-2024 season, a time of hope that was almost immeditatlly dashed by the 2024-2025 season.