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Preds hoping for Weber, Suter-like haul after drafting Jones, Diaby

Jones-Diaby

Over at the Nashville City Paper, David Boclair has a really interesting look at two of Nashville’s first three picks at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft -- defensemen Seth Jones and Jonathan-Ismael Diaby.

In the piece, the Preds talk not just about their selections, but how the organization hopes to replicate what it did at the draft 10 years ago -- when it selected Ryan Suter with its first pick, and Shea Weber with its fourth.

“If you think about the characteristics that [Jones and Diaby] have — the way that they both control the entire ice surface, the way they can change games both offensively and defensively,” Preds assistant GM Paul Fenton explained. “To have two guys with that stature and to be able to take that that early in the draft, we were just thrilled to take it.”

Jones, obviously, is the far more recognizable prospect and would be the “Suter” of this analogy (Suter went No. 7 overall in 2003 and was the first blueliner taken in the draft.)

Jones came into the ’13 draft as Central Scouting’s No. 1-ranked North American skater. His fall to No. 4 overall surprised some -- including the Predators, who were thrilled to get him.

“Seth is a franchise-type player,” Preds GM David Poile told The Tennessean. “I really feel good about the direction our defense is headed.”

Diaby is more of a wildcard.

Physically, he’s already got NHL size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) but his game lacks offensive refinement. That said, Fenton is convinced the Preds got a steal with Diaby at No. 64 overall -- not unlike Weber, who went 49th overall in 2003.

From the City Paper:

They got Diaby to potentially play alongside [Jones] one day.

A 6-foot-4, 220-pounder (he’s a little bigger and heavier than Jones), out of the Quebec Hockey League, he calls to mind Weber, whose most celebrated traits when he was drafted were his size and power.

Diaby is the kind of player who takes care of things in his own end, which seems to be a good fit for the smooth-skating and offensively gifted Jones.

“Diaby is a gigantic specimen in himself,” Fenton said. “When we interviewed him back in May he informed us that he was already 250 pounds.

“This kid is an absolute skyscraper that plays with a mean sense to his game.”

All told, the future of Nashville’s defense looks very bright. Jones and Diaby are now set to join a young group that features Ryan Ellis (22 years old), Roman Josi (23) and Mattias Ekholm (23).