The wait is over. The Nashville Predators now know where they will be drafting in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The NHL Draft lottery was held ahead of tonight’s Minnesota Wild versus Colorado Avalanche second round playoff game. The Predators had high hopes of avoiding falling a spot or two in the lottery and had some hopes of even winning the lottery. In the first round of the draft, the Predators will be picking No. 10 overall. Going into the lottery, the Predators were projected to be picking 10th, with a 73.3% chance of it happening. Nashville also had a 3.5% chance of winning the lottery and also a small chance of jumping eight spots to the second overall pick. The Predators are coming off a season in which they went 38-34-10 and had 86 points in the Western Conference, four points shy of the final playoff spot. Nashville missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year as a below average finish to the season kept them out of the postseason picture.…