The 1998 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 26, 1998, in Buffalo, New York. The draft was conducted to populate the initial roster of the Nashville Predators, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 27th franchise, which began play in the 1998–99 season.
The draft rules required the Nashville Predators to select one player from each of the 26 existing NHL franchises. To maintain competitive balance, existing teams were permitted to protect a portion of their rosters. Teams could choose one of two protection formats:
- One goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwards.
- Two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards.
In addition to these protections, teams were required to leave unprotected at least one goaltender, one defenseman, and two forwards who met specific "games played" experience requirements from the 1997–98 season. First- and second-year professionals were exempt from the draft.
The Nashville Predators, led by General Manager David Poile, selected a total of 26 players. Notable selections included:
- Tomas Vokoun: A goaltender selected from the Montreal Canadiens who eventually became the franchise's primary starter for several seasons.
- Andrew Brunette: A forward selected from the Washington Capitals who scored the first goal in Predators franchise history.
- Mike Dunham: A goaltender selected from the New Jersey Devils who shared starting duties with Vokoun in the team's early years.
- Mike Sullivan: A forward selected from the Boston Bruins.
Following the expansion draft, several of the players selected were traded to other teams or signed with different clubs as free agents before the start of the season. The event took place one day prior to the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, allowing the Predators to continue building their roster through amateur selections.
