Chris MacFarland said the Nashville Predators expect to make the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, setting the clearest public plan yet for the organization’s first-round night. The Predators held 11 picks as of Friday morning in Buffalo, and MacFarland said the team is entering the draft looking to leave the room better than it entered it.
That matters now because the draft is here, and MacFarland is making his first one with the Predators. He described the week as exciting and said getting to know the scouts is huge for him, while also saying he was eager to hear the names and get to know some of the players the club is focused on at pick 10. For a team with a first-round selection and a full collection of picks to work with, that is a meaningful starting point.
MacFarland’s comments also offer a window into how Nashville plans to approach the night. He said development will be an important part of the organization’s puzzle and stressed that the club cannot rush that process. He added that the team wants to get incrementally better with each move, starting Friday night with pick 10. In other words, the draft is not being treated as a one-shot decision, but as part of a larger effort to add long-term pieces without sacrificing the bigger picture.
The immediate wrinkle is that the expectation to make the pick is not the same thing as a guarantee. MacFarland said the Predators would be in conversations on anything that could make the team better, even while saying he expects to stay at 10. That leaves the door open to a trade if the return fits the organization’s plan, but the public posture is clear: Nashville is preparing as if it will make the selection itself.
MacFarland also said the Predators made a pair of trades over the last two weeks to bring Ross Colton and Jack Drury into the organization, a reminder that the front office is already trying to reshape the roster while the draft approaches. The next test comes Friday night, when Nashville has the chance to add another player at 10 and then keep working through the rest of its 11-pick haul.
