Tommy Bleyl

ANALYSIS
Bleyl is a smooth two-way transition defender with a whole lot of skill. He finished as the top-scoring blueliner in the QMJHL with 13 goals and 81 points in 63 regular-season games in 2025-26. And he finished third overall in playoff scoring with 28 points in 21 games. Bleyl looks so effortless and cool with the puck that it's hard not to imagine him earning a top-four role and QB1 gig, too. Bleyl isn't very physical -- he uses his mobility and IQ to manage guys in his own zone. But he'll be hard-pressed to deal with 6-foot-4 forwards if he doesn't grow the snarl part of his game a bit. Bleyl's development curve will be slow -- he's heading back to Moncton for 2026-27 and has committed to Michigan State for 2027-28. But Nashville has had a solid track record of developing defensemen, and Bleyl is a steal this late in the first round.