The Nashville Predators officially brought one of their 2010 draft picks into the fold on Tuesday when they signed Swedish winger Patrick Cehlin to an entry-level contract. Cehlin was the Predators' fifth-round pick (126th overall) in 2010.
Cehlin, who turns 21 next month, recently finished his third full season with Djurgardens IF Stockholm of the Swedish Elite League. Cehlin scored a career-high 10 goals while handing out four assists in 48 games. The season was a struggle for Djugardens, which finished 11th in the Elite League and was relegated to minor league HockeyAllsvenskan following a loss to Timra IK.
The 5'11" Cehlin, ranked as Nashville's No. 4 prospect at right wing by prospects website Hockey's Future, is highly regarded for his speed and skill. He's one of three European players to sign with Nashville in the last three weeks, following forward Daniel Bang of Stockholm-based club AIK and defenseman Joonas Jarvinen from the Pelicans in SM-liiga (Finland's top hockey league), both of whom signed as free agents. Cehlin is expected to make his North American debut in the 2012-13 season, most likely for the Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
The Predators have not been fast to bring their prospects up to the NHL in recent years, as center Craig Smith is the only Nashville pick from the last three drafts to play a full season at the NHL level. Smith, a fourth-round pick (98th overall) in 2009, joined the Predators from the University of Wisconsin and recorded 36 points (14 goals, 22 assits) in 72 games in his rookie season. However, Nashville could be forced to start moving up its prospects sooner rather than later.
Fifteen Nashville players are due to become free agents this offseason. Most notable among the group are defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter - the latter being considered as a top target of the Detroit Red Wings - but also included are wingers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, centers Colin Wilson and Paul Gaustad, and agitator extraordinaire Jordin Tootoo.
Despite the uncertainty, it's highly unlikely that Cehlin finds himself in the NHL in the near future, but for the Predators, it's certainly wise to make sure that the minor-league system is well-stocked.