BY ALEX FLETCHER – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
In the weeks leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Fan Fuel is re-drafting the first round of the six NHL drafts that took place from 2000 through 2005. The rankings in these blogs attempt to answer this question: If the draft could be redone today, in the same order it was done back then, and all teams selected the best player available, how would the first round go?
Today: the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins – Shea Weber, D
At the top of the best draft in recent memory is the whopping 6’4″ Weber, who is captain of his team, a consistent 40-plus-point scorer, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and very likely to earn his first Norris Trophy later this month as the NHL’s best defenceman.
Weber’s actual draft position: No. 49
Pittsburgh’s actual pick: Marc-Andre Fleury, G
Have your say: Have an opinion on the news of the day? Better yet, want to become a Fan Fuel blogger? Email us here. | Re-drafting the 2002 NHL draft
2. Carolina Hurricanes – Ryan Getzlaf, F
Getzlaf’s offensive production last season (57 points) was the lowest it’s been since his rookie year, but the centre’s combination of size (6’4″, 221 lbs), skill, and grit is among the best in the NHL. In each of the four seasons before last, he registered a point-per-game average above 1.04 and at least 126 hits.
Getzlaf’s actual draft position: No. 19
Carolina’s actual pick: Eric Staal, F
3. Florida Panthers – Eric Staal, F
Yet another 6’4″ Canadian star, Staal is a swift skater and, despite playing on a team that has missed the playoffs in six of the centre’s eight seasons, hasn’t scored fewer than 70 points in a season since his rookie year.
Staal’s actual draft position: No. 2
Florida’s actual pick: Nathan Horton, F
4. Columbus Blue Jackets – Ryan Suter, D
Suter doesn’t post gaudy offensive numbers (his 46 points last season were a career high), but he is a top all-around defenceman and finished third in the NHL in average ice time per game last season (26:30 minutes). He was relied on even more in the playoffs, beating out teammate Weber in average time on ice per game with nearly 29 minutes. Oh, and have you heard that he’s a free agent this off-season?
Suter’s actual draft position: No. 7
Columbus’ actual pick: Nikolai Zherdev, F
5. Buffalo Sabres – Corey Perry, F
Perry is Getzlaf’s other half, so to speak. The two are – and have been since their NHL debuts in 2005-06 – very frequent linemates with the Anaheim Ducks and were teammates with Team Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Championships, 2010 Winter Olympics, and 2005 IIHF World Junior Championships.
Perry’s actual draft position: No. 28
Buffalo’s actual pick: Thomas Vanek, F
6. San Jose Sharks – Zach Parise, F
The other player at the top of everyone’s free agent wish list is Parise. The left winger and captain of the New Jersey Devils owns an absolutely ceaseless motor that enables him to constantly whir around the ice. He has recorded at least 31 goals and 62 points in each of his past five full NHL seasons, and he is relied on in all situations.
Parise’s actual draft position: No. 17
San Jose’s actual pick: Milan Michalek, F
7. Nashville Predators – Brent Seabrook, D
Seabrook has notched a healthy 112 points over the past three seasons, but it’s his hulking frame (6’3″, 221 lbs), strong defensive play (an average of at least 2:28 minutes of shorthanded ice time per game in each of the past four seasons), and propensity to hit (at least 198 hits in each of the past four seasons) that leads his opponents to shudder.
Seabrook’s actual draft position: No. 14
Nashville’s actual pick: Ryan Suter, D
8. Winnipeg Jets – Loui Eriksson, F
The first non-North American on the list, Eriksson is often considered one of the most underrated players in the NHL. The Swede’s silky hands have quietly netted 71 or more points in each of the past three seasons. In addition, Eriksson takes regular penalty-killing shifts and has been confined to the penalty box for just 20 minutes over the past two years.
Eriksson’s actual draft position: No. 33
Winnipeg’s actual pick: Braydon Coburn, D
9. Calgary Flames – Ryan Kesler, F
During the 2006 off-season, Kesler signed a one-year, $1.9 million offer sheet extended by the Philadelphia Flyers, which prompted many hockey observers to label Bob Clarke, the Flyers’ general manager at the time, a complete fool. Over the past four seasons, Kesler has recorded 256 points, won the Selke Trophy as top defensive forward in the NHL, played in the NHL All-Star Game, and become one of the best two-way forwards in the league. Would anyone like to eat his (or her) hat?
Kesler’s actual draft position: No. 23
Calgary’s actual pick: Dion Phaneuf, D
10. Montreal Canadiens – Patrice Bergeron, F
Although he’s just 26, Bergeron already has eight NHL seasons under his belt. He hasn’t quite been able to repeat the 70-plus points he posted in his second and third seasons in the league, but he’s become one of the premier two-way players and face-off men in the game.
Bergeron’s actual draft position: No. 45
Montreal’s actual pick: Andrei Kostitsyn, F
11. Philadelphia Flyers – Dustin Brown, F
Brown has been a force in the 2012 playoffs, but that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. In each of the past four seasons, he has posted a point-per-game average between 0.66 and 0.70 and hasn’t finished lower than third in the NHL in hits. How’s that for consistent?
Brown’s actual draft position: No. 13
Philadelphia’s actual pick: Jeff Carter, F
12. New York Rangers – Mike Richards, F
Richards’ award collection does not yet feature a Selke Trophy, but it easily could. To go along with his average of 65 points over the past five seasons, Richards consistently logs over two minutes of shorthanded ice time per game and can be a nightmare for opposing players to line up against.
Richards’ actual draft position: No. 24
New York’s actual pick: Hugh Jessiman, F
13. Los Angeles Kings – Joe Pavelski, F
Joe Thornton is usually the one referred to as ‘Big Joe’, but it appears there’s a new ‘Big Joe’ in San Jose. Last season, for the first time in the six seasons that they’ve played together with the Sharks, Pavelski edged out Thornton (by eight seconds) in average ice time per game. A proficient all-around player, Pavelski has also recorded points-per-game averages higher than 0.73 for four straight seasons.
Pavelski’s actual draft position: No. 205
Los Angeles’ actual pick: Dustin Brown, F
14. Chicago Blackhawks – David Backes, F
A first-time Selke Trophy finalist based on his play last season, Backes has posted a points-per-game average higher than 0.60 and thrown more than 200 hits in each of the past four seasons. Among NHL forwards last year, he trailed only Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle in combined hits (226) and blocked shots (72).
Backes’ actual draft position: No. 62
Chicago’s actual pick: Brent Seabrook, D
15. New York Islanders – Jeff Carter, F
The Blue Jackets acquired Carter last off-season thinking they had finally landed a bona fide number one centre. Instead, he battled injuries and tallied a relatively pedestrian 25 points in 39 games (including a hat trick in his final game in Columbus) before being dealt from the worst team in the NHL to the squad that is now a single game away from its first Stanley Cup. Not only that, but I hear that Los Angeles, the home of his new team, isn’t a bad place for a young multi-millionaire to live.
Carter’s actual draft position: No. 11
New York’s actual pick: Robert Nilsson, F
16. San Jose Sharks – Dion Phaneuf, D
Phaneuf burst into the NHL the season after the lockout; with 20, he recorded the third-most goals of any rookie defenceman in NHL history. He followed that up with two years of increasing point totals, reaching 60 in 2007-08. His performance since then hasn’t been quite as remarkable, but he remains one of the league’s better defencemen and sits eighth among blueliners in scoring since the lockout.
Phaneuf’s actual draft position: No. 9
San Jose’s actual pick: Steve Bernier, F
17. New Jersey Devils – Brent Burns, D
It’s not difficult to believe that Burns was drafted as a forward. Yet another towering player on this list (he checks in at 6’5″), Burns is fleet of foot and his offensive talent is rivaled by few NHL defencemen. Despite having missed 58 games due to injury between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, he sits eighth among defencemen in goals since 2007-08.
Burns’ actual draft position: No. 20
New Jersey’s actual pick: Zach Parise, F
18. Washington Capitals – Thomas Vanek, F
One of only six Austrians to ever lace up in the NHL, Vanek is about as proficient a goal-scorer as you will find in the league. The seven-year, $50 million contract that was bestowed on him in 2007 will always be absurdly expensive, but the winger has finished with at least 25 goals in every season since 2005-06 (his rookie season), a feat that only six players can boast.
Vanek’s actual draft position: No. 5
Washington’s actual pick: Eric Fehr, F
19. Anaheim Ducks – Marc-Andre Fleury, G
If the 2003 draft were redone today, Fleury wouldn’t be taken first overall like he was originally, but he would very likely be the first goalie taken. His rookie season was rough (a 0.898 save-percentage for the worst team in the Eastern Conference), but Fleury is an athletic goaltender capable of making highlight-reel saves, and he’s played in at least 62 games in each of the past four seasons.
Fleury’s actual draft position: No. 1
Anaheim’s actual pick: Ryan Getzlaf, F
20. Minnesota Wild – Tobias Enstrom, D
Enstrom, a slick Swedish puck-mover, is arguably the best player from the eighth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. That doesn’t sound like much – the eighth round doesn’t even exist anymore -, but that round remarkably produced two other veterans of 380-plus NHL games: Dustin Byfuglien and Shane O’Brien.
Enstrom’s actual draft position: No. 239
Minnesota’s actual pick: Brent Burns, F
21. Boston Bruins – Braydon Coburn, D
What would you think about dealing a 21-year-old, 6’5″ defenceman who was recently drafted eighth overall in exchange for a 34-year-old defenceman in the twilight of his career? In 2007, the Thrashers apparently thought it was a good idea. Years later, Coburn remains a tremendous skater and minute-muncher. Meanwhile, Atlanta bought out its veteran acquisition, Alexei Zhitnik, after just one full season.
Coburn’s actual draft position: No. 8
Boston’s actual pick: Mark Stuart, D
22. Edmonton Oilers – Dustin Byfuglien, D
Since being dealt from Chicago, where he started his NHL career, Byfuglien has scored 32 goals and 106 points in 147 games – fantastic offensive numbers for a defenceman. In fact, he is second among NHL defencemen in both goals and points over the past two seasons. Many Jets fans would like to see him become less of a defensive liability, though.
Byfuglien’s actual draft position: No. 245
Edmonton’s actual pick: Marc Pouliot, F
23. Vancouver Canucks – Matt Carle, D
Teams who lose out on the Suter sweepstakes during free agency this off-season will likely pursue Carle as plan ‘B’. The Alaskan isn’t as strong defensively as Suter, but he’s a competent skater and offensive defenceman and has blocked 458 shots over the last three seasons.
Carle’s actual draft position: No. 47
Vancouver’s actual pick: Ryan Kesler, F
24. Philadelphia Flyers – Matt Moulson, F
Given that he inked a three-year extension with the Islanders that kicked in last season, hockey fans won’t likely soon see how much of Moulson’s goal-scoring prowess can be attributed to linemate John Tavares. Moulson was 25 before he finally made it as a full-time NHLer, but he’s posted 30-plus goals and increased his points-per-game average in each of the three seasons since. The ninth-round pick in 2003 couldn’t have done that without some skill.
Moulson’s actual draft position: No. 263
Philadelphia’s actual pick: Mike Richards, F
25. Florida Panthers – Milan Michalek, F
Michalek’s first two seasons in Ottawa, during which he managed just 67 points and missed 32 games, were a let-down. However, he stayed relatively healthy last season and smashed his previous career high in goals by netting 35. Among 35-plus goal-scorers last year, Michalek’s goals-to-assists ratio of 1.40 trailed only Perry, Alex Ovechkin, and Steven Stamkos.
Michalek’s actual draft position: No. 6
Florida’s actual pick: Anthony Stewart, F
26. Los Angeles Kings – Nathan Horton, F
Horton offers an enticing combination of size, speed, and talent. Following the lockout in 2004-05, he managed a six-season streak of 20-plus goals and twice hit 62 points before missing close to half of last season due to a concussion.
Horton’s actual draft position: No. 3
Los Angeles’ actual pick: Brian Boyle, F
27. Los Angeles Kings – Jaroslav Halak, G
Last season, Halak, who sported a 0.926 save-percentage, and fellow 2003 ninth-round pick Brian Elliott, helped the St. Louis Blues to an astoundingly low and NHL-best 1.89 goals-against average. That number is just over half of what the league-worst Lightning allowed on average (3.39).
Halak’s actual draft position: No. 271
Los Angeles’ actual pick: Jeff Tambellini, F
28. Anaheim Ducks – Jimmy Howard, G
It took him roughly six years to finally make it to the NHL (which was to be expected of the Detroit Red Wings, whose philosophy is to bring prospects along slowly), but Howard has provided goaltending that has, for the most part, been reliable. The Wings don’t really need better than that in order to win.
Howard’s actual draft position: No. 64
Anaheim’s actual pick: Corey Perry, F
29. Ottawa Senators – Kyle Quincey, D
Quincey won’t be asked to completely fill the shoes of Nicklas Lidstrom next season when the Red Wings will play without their captain and defensive anchor for the first time in more than 20 years. However, helping to fill the void may have been on general manager Ken Holland’s mind when he acquired Quincey, a big defenceman with all-around skills, near the trade deadline last season.
Quincey’s actual draft position: No. 132
Ottawa’s actual pick: Patrick Eaves, F
30. St. Louis Blues – Kyle Brodziak, F
Brodziak narrowly edges out several other players who are very deserving of the final spot in the first round of this re-draft. With the Wild, he is probably receiving more ice time than he would on a contending team, but Brodziak has certainly taken on a significant role on the squad; last season, he averaged the second-most shorthanded ice time and third-most overall ice time on the roster and finished among the top 25 NHL forwards in both blocked shots and takeaways.
Brodziak’s actual draft position: No. 214
St. Louis’ actual pick: Shawn Belle, D
Related read:
More NHL: 2001 NHL re-draft