How the Predators evaluate draft prospects

From Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean:

Scouts travel worldwide to watch how potential top picks act and react on and off the ice. As the draft nears, the team sets up individual interviews to appraise attitudes and ask about troubling instances. This is where the Predators said they put the most stock.

“There are so many different ways of evaluating players whether it’s statistics or hands-on experience,” Fenton said. “But I always revert back to you have to trust your eyes. I have been in this for a long time, and I can’t honestly say too many players have fooled me in an interview. At the end of the day what you see is what you get.”

Red flags with prospects include poor one-on-one interviews, unbecoming evaluations from teammates, coaches and family, and unwavering selfishness. Fenton said he also keeps an eye on problem players or potential problem players in other leagues and sports.

Read the entire article here.

Always fascinating to read what a team considers most important when it comes to draft time. Good work by Hopp.