NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Predators drafted Finnish winger Joakim Kemell with their first round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old Kemell was highly ranked among pre-draft scouting websites with many having him being one of the 10 best players available.
The Preds made the selection Thursday night as rumors continued to swirl about whether Filip Forsberg will remain in Nashville.
Kemell scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 39 games played for club team JYP in the Finnish league.
He also featured for the Finnish Under-20 team in the 2022 World Junior U-20 Championships.
Joakim Kemell: Unreal hands. Unreal plays. Will be an unreal player for the @PredsNHL @leijonat @JYPJyvaskyla pic.twitter.com/Kin46KSyM6
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) July 8, 2022
