The Nashville Predators Select Taylor Aronson in the Third Round of the NHL Entry Draft

The Nashville Predators selected Taylor Aronson from the Portland Pirates of the Western Hockey League with their third round pick (78th overall) at the NHL Entry Draft at the Staples Center.

The 6'0" 196 pounder played in 71 games for Portland last season and scored five goals and picked up 25 assists. He also logged 65 penalty minutes and dropped the gloves a couple of times last year.

In 2008-09 Aronson played for the LA Junior Kings scoring nine goals and picking up 16 assists.

After speaking with Aronson, he fully appears to be a Predators type player who will play a team game and give 110% every night. Several junior hockey experts that I have spoken with feel that we got a steal in a player that has plenty of upside as he develops.

Aronson is from Placentia, California and is friends with Preds prospect Jon Blum who also hails from California. This has been a big year for west coasters as Californians Beau Bennett (20th overall) was taken in the first round breaking Blum's record (23rd in 2007) as the earliest a Californian had been picked. Emerson Etem (29th) was also picked making it the first time two from the Golden State had been taken in the first round.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass