There was massive speculation leading up to the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and what the host Nashville Predators would do in the first round, but in the end they stayed put by selecting Matthew Wood with the 15th-overall pick.
Wood is widely-regarded as a potential top-10 talent who could hit his ceiling of being a consistent goal scorer in the NHL. With that, there are also concerns around his skating that might not translate well to the NHL unless he shows major improvement in that area of his game.
Nashville Predators Stay Put at 15, Take their Swing for Matthew Wood
Leading up to the draft, the term of “taking some big swings” was the theme surrounding new General Manager Barry Trotz’s strategy.