2014 NHL Draft: Scouting the Southeast’s Top Picks

Nashville Predators, Kevin Fiala

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Kevin Fiala poses for a photo with team officials after being selected as the number eleven overall pick to the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

For the Nashville Predators, missing the playoffs is not considered acceptable. More so when they fall short in two consecutive seasons. Because of this, their drafting becomes very important.

After selecting top defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall back in 2013, the Preds decided to upgrade their offense by first acquiring Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal in exchange for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling, then picking center Kevin Fiala.

Standing at 5′ 10″ Fiala’s one of the smaller players in this years class, but that didn’t stop him from putting up big numbers in some of Sweden’s top leagues last season. In fact, he put up nearly a point per game for both HV-71’s junior and Swedish elite league team.

Offensively, Fiala skates well and has no problem finding the back of the net with a lethal but accurate shot.

While it’s unlikely Fiala jumps straight to the NHL this season, his overall offensive instincts and speed make him a big-league player 2-3 years down the road.

Rating: 2 stars