2009 NHL Draft class for the Nashville Predators

by Dirk Hoag on Jun 28, 2009 10:35 AM EDT

The Nashville Predators rounded out their 2009 NHL Draft class yesterday with a preference for size, with 7 of the 9 second-day draftees topping the 6-foot mark. In particular, fans hoping for a power-forward prospect should be excited by the 2nd-round selection of Zach Budish, a two-sport star out of Minnesota who drew this report from NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee:

"Zach is physically mature in stature, has a good shot in traffic and has a strong ability to dissect the game around him. He’s a force, he’s hard to move off the puck and he can snap a wrist shot from the blue line. With Zach playing football and the two seasons overlapping, his criticism has been that he hasn’t had his skating legs under him, but I’ve seen Zach since he was 15 years old. I’ve seen how he has carried the team and made people around him better. He reminds me of Keith Tkachuk or David Backes at the same age."

After the jump, you'll find the complete list of Nashville's selections, along with links to further information about each one...

Follow the links on the player names for various profiles or related articles:

Rnd	Ov	Player	Pos	League	Team	D.O.B.	Birth Place	Country	Hgt	Wgt
1	11	RYAN ELLIS	D	OHL	WINDSOR	1/3/1991	HAMILTON, ON	CA	5' 9"	173
2	41	ZACH BUDISH	RW	HIGH-MN	EDINA HIGH	5/9/1991	EDINA, MN	US	6' 3"	229
2	42	C OLIVIER ROUSSEL	D	QMJHL	SHAWINIGAN	9/13/1991	ST. EUSTACHE, QC	CA	6' 1"	196
3	70	TAYLOR BECK	LW	OHL	GUELPH	5/13/1991	ST. CATHARINES, ON	CA	6' 2"	205
3	72	MICHAEL LATTA	C	OHL	GUELPH	5/25/1991	KITCHENER, ON	CA	5' 11"	200
4	98	CRAIG SMITH	C	USHL	WATERLOO	9/5/1989	MADISON, WI	US	6' 1"	189
4	102	MATTIAS EKHOLM	D	SWE-JR.	MORA JR.	5/24/1990	BORLANGE	SE	6' 4"	194
4	110	NICK OLIVER	C/LW	HIGH-MN	ROSEAU HIGH	5/4/1991	GRAND FORKS, ND	US	6' 3"	184
5	132	GABRIEL BOURQUE	LW	QMJHL	BAIE-COMEAU	9/23/1990	RIMOUSKI, QC	CA	5' 9"	183
7	192	CAMERON REID	C	BCHL	WESTSIDE	8/25/1991	DELTA, BC	CA	6' 2"	185