Looking back at the Predators 2003 defensive draftees

Yesterday we looked at the Central Scouting reports of the five defensemen the Nashville Predators selected in the first three rounds of the 2003 NHL Draft. Here are the names to match the report given:

Player 1 – Shea Weber

Player 2 – Alexander Sulzer

Player 3 – Ryan Suter

Player 4 – Richard Stehlik

Player 5 – Kevin Klein

It is a fairly safe statement to make that getting Shea Weber with the 49th overall pick was a steal for the Predators. He finished fourth this season in the vote for the Norris Trophy, given to the league’s best defenseman. Central Scouting groups players into the following categories: North American Skaters, North American Goaltenders, European Skaters, and European Goaltenders.

Entering the draft, Weber was the 42nd ranked North American Skater after his first season of Major Junior hockey with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. His stock rose quickly that season, as he was ranked as the 60th best North American Skater in Central Scouting’s Mid-Term ranking.

Alexander Sulzer was the 23rd ranked European Skater going into the 2003 Entry Draft. The Predators selected him in the third round with the 92nd overall pick. Injuries have prematurely ended his last two seasons, but if he can stay healthy, he will be given every chance to be a regular on the Nashville blue line this season after signing a two-year, one-way contract during this past season. The one-way part of his contract means he will be paid the same whether he plays in Nashville for the Predators or in the minors with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Despite having a last name just five letters in length, the last name of Suter carries a tremendous amount of weight in the hockey world. Ryan Suter’s father Bob was a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic Hockey Team, and his uncle Gary Suter played over 1,000 NHL games with Calgary, Chicago, and San Jose. The expectations on Ryan became that much greater when the Predators selected him with the 7th overall pick in 2003. He was the first defenseman taken in that year’s draft.

Suter had a strong 2008-09 campaign. Paired with Weber as the team’s top defensive duo, Suter led the team in average ice time per game at 24:15. The 45 points he recorded were a career high, eclipsing the previous season’s total by 14 points. When the Predator’s season ended without a spot in the playoffs, Suter joined Team USA at the World Championships in Switzerland.

Suter had a strong performance on the ice in Switzerland, but his performance off of the ice was equally impressive. Colin Wilson, Nashville’s first selection in the 2008 draft, was Suter’s teammate on Team USA. Wilson had just signed with the Predators prior to the World Championships. In Switzerland, Suter spent a lot of time with Wilson teaching him about Nashville and the team, as well as what it means to be a professional hockey player.

Despite being Slovakian, Richard Stehlik was ranked among the North American skaters by Central Scouting because he was playing junior hockey for Sherbrooke in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was the 49th ranked North American Skater and was taken 76th overall by the Predators in 2003. Stehlik played 14 games with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League in the 2007-08 season, but has been playing in the Czech League ever since. It would be a long shot that Stehlik ever plays in the NHL.

Kevin Klein was selected 37th overall in 2003. Central Scouting was high on Klein, as they had him rated as the 18th best North American Skater that year. Klein finally got an opportunity at the NHL level last season, and he did a respectable job when given that opportunity. Even more impressive was the fact that Klein played well last season after being a perpetual scratch in the 2007-08 campaign that saw him suit up just 13 times for the Predators. He will have the opportunity to earn more ice time this season with the departures of Greg de Vries and Ville Koistinen from Nashville’s blue line.