On Thursday, the National Hockey League announced the current order of selection for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which will be held on June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The host Nashville Predators own a League-high 13 selections, including two in the first round (No. 15 and No. 24 overall). Nashville's 13 picks are also tied for the most picks made by a club in one year since the introduction of the seven-round draft in 2005 (New York Islanders in 2006 and 2008, Florida Panthers in 2010 and Carolina Hurricanes in 2021).
If history is any indication, the Preds are in good company this year. Online database HockeyDB.com has a comprehensive list of the top players selected across all NHL drafts for each draft position, with inclusion based on "ranking #1 for their career across all players selected in that draft position in the categories of games played, goals, assists, or points." At each of Nashville's current draft slots, the list reads like a who's who of Hall of Famers, Stanley Cup champions, NHL Award winners and more.