Nashville Predators Select Forward Wyatt Cullen Tenth Overall
With the tenth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft the Nashville Predators have selected forward Wyatt Cullen from the US National Team Development Program.
This is what PBR’s prospect guru @OnTheFuturePBR had to say about Cullen:
One of the youngest players in this class, Cullen is nothing if not creative. If you watch just a few shifts, you’ll see eye-popping puck skills, shifty dekes, and impressive passing. He won’t necessarily be your top forechecker or your best defensive forward, but his vision with the puck is top-notch, and his transition skills are noticeable.
Cullen is a good but not great skater who relies on delays, turns, feints, and more to beat defenders, complete difficult passes, and pick corners with his strong shooting skills. If he can’t find his way to a high-danger scoring area, he’s likely to find a pass there instead. Cullen isn’t perfect in his playmaking, but his trial-and-error puck-handling should smooth out with development, and the skill is a great foundation for filling out other aspects of his game.
Cullen’s 2025-2026 season was derailed early by an injury. He missed over twenty games but finished the season with a solid 16 goals and 45 points in 40 games played.
The Moorhead, Minnesota native said bouncing back from his early injury was a positive part of his season.
“Having a late start with an injury, I think that was tough,” Cullen said. “I persevered through that, and I think that’s my biggest accomplishment this year.”
The 17-year-old wrapped up the season with the highest points per game percentage on the US National Under 18-Team roster.
Over the course of the year, Cullen also went through a major growth spurt shooting up from 5’8” to 6’1”. Adjusting to his new physique has expanded certain areas of his game.
“I really figured out ways I use my body a lot better and create more space for myself with the bigger body,” Cullen said.
Along with getting taller, Cullen also focused on getting faster and stronger this season.
Wyatt’s selection by Nashville is a full circle moment for the young forward and his family. His father Matt played 139 games as a Predator in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, and Wyatt shared what he remembered from those few years here in Nashville.
“I was six years old,” Wyatt said. “Just running around the practice rink. Those are the memories that I have - just watching practice and just being at the rink.”
Cullen is expected to return to Nashville this weekend as the Predators kick off their Development Camp on Sunday. He will then head to the University of Minnesota to play for the Golden Gophers in 2026-27.
