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 final edition: the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins – Sidney Crosby, F
If there were ever a no-brainer pick, this would be it. Despite his concussion issues, Crosby is the best player in the world by a significant margin. The centre’s career 1.40 and 1.32 regular season and playoff points-per-game averages are both the fourth-highest of all-time, and his hardware collection is much too long to even attempt to list. And he’s still just 24.
Crosby’s actual draft position: No. 1
Pittsburgh’s actual pick: Sidney Crosby, F
2. Anaheim Ducks – Anze Kopitar, F
Kopitar’s longest point-less streak last season was a mere three games. A model of consistency, the colossal, talented Slovenian’s points-per-game average has sat between 0.93 and 0.99 in four of the past five seasons.
Kopitar’s actual draft position: No. 11
Anaheim’s actual pick: Bobby Ryan, F
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3. Carolina Hurricanes – Jonathan Quick, G
The 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Quick posted the best save-percentage of any goaltender to play more than three games in the 2012 post-season, as well as the fifth-best save-percentage in the regular season. All of that came for a meagre $1.8 million cap hit.
Quick’s actual draft position: No. 72
Carolina’s actual pick: Jack Johnson, D
4. Minnesota Wild – Carey Price, G
One of the best young goaltenders in the league, the 24-year-old Price has played the third-most games of any NHL goaltender over the past two seasons and is a strong candidate to mind the net for Canada’s Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in 2014.
Price’s actual draft position: No. 5
Minnesota’s actual pick: Benoit Pouliot, F
5. Montreal Canadiens – James Neal, F
Neal is one of just 10 active NHLers to have scored at least 22 goals in each of his first four seasons in the league. He broke through with 40 goals and 81 points last season, earning himself a six-year, $30 million contract extension.
Neal’s actual draft position: No. 33
Montreal’s actual pick: Carey Price, G
6. Columbus Blue Jackets – Kristopher Letang, D
Only two defencemen were within 0.29 points-per-game (24 points per 82 games) of Erik Karlsson’s defencemen-leading 0.96 mark in 2011-12. Letang, at 0.82, was one of them. Letang hits, skates like the wind, and racks up points.
Letang’s actual draft position: No. 62
Columbus’ actual pick: Gilbert Brule, F
7. Chicago Blackhawks – Keith Yandle, D
Yandle is one of the top defencemen in the game at handling the puck. That, combined with his extremely nifty skating, helps explain why he is one of just three blueliners to have scored at least 11 goals in each of the past three seasons.
Yandle’s actual draft position: No. 105
Chicago’s actual pick: Jack Skille, F
8. San Jose Sharks – Bobby Ryan, F
The man picked after Crosby in 2005, Ryan’s 57 points last season were somewhat of a disappointment. However, the skilled power forward still potted 31 goals, making him one of just seven players to have scored at least 30 goals in each of the past four seasons.
Ryan’s actual draft position: No. 2
San Jose’s actual pick: Devin Setoguchi, F
9. Ottawa Senators – Jack Johnson, D
Johnson, yet another swift-skating, offensively-inclined defenceman, averaged 22:31 minutes of ice time with the Los Angeles Kings last season. After a late-season trade to Columbus, though, he was counted on for 27:25 minutes a night.
Johnson’s actual draft position: No. 3
Ottawa’s actual pick: Brian Lee, D
10. Vancouver Canucks – Paul Stastny, F
Over the last four seasons, the highest point total posted by a rookie has been 63 points. In 2006-07, Stastny, a rookie, accumulated 78. Despite that impressive total, the centre did not win the Calder Trophy. That’s what happens when you enter the league the same year as Evgeni Malkin, it seems.
Stastny’s actual draft position: No. 44
Vancouver’s actual pick: Luc Bourdon, D
11. Los Angeles Kings – Marc Staal, D
Staal missed 36 games last season due to a concussion, losing him his spot on the Rangers’ top defensive pairing and leading to his lowest average ice time since his rookie season. However, don’t count him out yet: his ice time shot back up to 25-plus minutes in the playoffs, where he looked more like his usual self.
Staal’s actual draft position: No. 12
Los Angeles’ actual pick: Anze Kopitar, F
12. New York Rangers – T.J. Oshie, F
Oshie’s offence hasn’t come a long way since his rookie season; in each of his four years in the league, his points-per-game average has landed between 0.63 and 0.69. However, among the many stats that support his reputation as an excellent all-around player, he has an astounding career takeaway-giveaway ratio of 3:1.
Oshie’s actual draft position: No. 24
New York’s actual pick: Marc Staal, D
13. Buffalo Sabres – Tuukka Rask, G
Whether or not Tim Thomas takes a one-year hiatus from the NHL next season, it looks like Rask will be the Boston Bruins’ starting goaltender. He has played in only 97 games since his rookie season in 2009-10, but, over that time, he has posted the second-best save-percentage in the NHL (curiously, his 0.927 is just 0.001 ahead of third-place Thomas).
Rask’s actual draft position: No. 21
Buffalo’s actual pick: Marek Zagrapan, F
14. Washington Capitals – Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D
A reliable puck-mover and defensive presence, Vlasic hasn’t come anywhere close to the 36 points he posted in 2008-09, but he routinely plays big minutes for his team and finished twelfth in the league in shot blocks last season.
Vlasic’s actual draft position: No. 35
Washington’s actual pick: Sasha Pokulok, D
15. New York Islanders – Martin Hanzal, F
Hanzal’s massive 6’6″, 236 lbs frame is well-suited to the Western Conference and, in particular, the Pacific Division, where big centres are ubiquitous. The Czech’s all-around play is his calling card, but, despite having improved his point-per-game average for two straight seasons, his offensive totals could still improve.
Hanzal’s actual draft position: No. 17
New York’s actual pick: Ryan O’Marra, F
16. Winnipeg Jets – Ondrej Pavelec, G
Pavelec is another sizable Czech, but he plays goal. His numbers worsened somewhat in his second 55-plus game season, but he has been known to steal the occasional game for his team, and, still just 24 years old, he has time to improve.
Pavelec’s actual draft position: No. 41
Winnipeg’s actual pick: Alex Bourret, F
17. Phoenix Coyotes – Devin Setoguchi, F
It’s too early to say for sure, but Setoguchi’s chances of replicating the 65 points he posted in his first full NHL season in 2008-09 look decreasingly promising. In the three seasons since, the closest the swift scorer has come is 41.
Setoguchi’s actual draft position: No. 8
Phoenix’s actual pick: Martin Hanzal, F
18. Nashville Predators – Steve Downie, F
Downie is one of just five players to have recorded one season in the past three with a points-per-game average of at least 0.54 and at least 130 penalty minutes. However, he hasn’t recorded just one – he (along with Scott Hartnell, the only other player to do so) has accomplished the feat in all three.
Downie’s actual draft position: No. 29
Nashville’s actual pick: Ryan Parent, D
19. Detroit Red Wings – Niklas Hjalmarsson, F
Hjalmarsson would be a natural fit with the Red Wings. 59 Swedes played a game in the NHL last year, and Detroit was responsible for nine (15%) of them. The defenceman’s career high in points is just 17, but, in 2010, his shutdown ability was enticing enough for the Sharks to justify making him just the sixth player to sign an offer sheet since the 2004-05 lockout.
Hjalmarsson’s actual draft position: No. 108
Detroit’s actual pick: Jakub Kindl, D
20. Florida Panthers – Sergei Kostitsyn, F
There’s no doubt that a trade to Nashville benefited the younger Kostitsyn brother’s career. He’s posted 93 points in two seasons with the Predators and, although he hit a few bumps in the 2012 playoffs, has typically been a component of one of the team’s top two lines.
Kostitsyn’s actual draft position: No. 200
Florida’s actual pick: Kenndal McArdle, F
21. Toronto Maple Leafs – Patric Hornqvist, F
The very last pick of the 2005 draft, Hornqvist is one of five seventh-round picks from that year who have over 100 games of NHL experience under their belts. He has also recorded the third-most goals of any Swedish NHLer over the past three seasons.
Hornqvist’s actual draft position: No. 230
Toronto’s actual pick: Tuukka Rask, G
22. Boston Bruins – Mark Fayne, D
The 2012 playoffs were a chance for the hockey world (or at least, whatever portion of it was still watching) to find out who the heck Fayne was. A solid but very unspectacular player, the 6’3″ defenceman is a good puck-mover, decent defensive presence, and played over 20 minutes a game in the post-season.
Fayne’s actual draft position: No. 155
Boston’s actual pick: Matt Lashoff, D
23. New Jersey Devils – Chris Butler, D
Another obscure blueliner who logged significant minutes for his team (more than 21 per game) last season, Butler scored fewer points than all but eight of the 184 players who logged over 1,400 minutes on the ice in 2011-12.
Butler’s actual draft position: No. 96
New Jersey’s actual pick: Niclas Bergfors, F
24. St. Louis Blues – Guillaume Latendresse, F
Latendresse might have scored 50 points in a season by now if it weren’t for injuries and his inconsistency. As it is, though, the 25-year-old is stuck at a career high of 40 points in six NHL seasons. He’s played just 27 games over the past two seasons due to injury.
Latendresse’s actual draft position: No. 45
St. Louis’ actual pick: T.J. Oshie, F
25. Edmonton Oilers – Darren Helm, F
Helm is renowned for this spectacular shift (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSr1i4AUnYA) during a penalty kill in the 2009 playoffs. His efforts on that play exemplify his game: speed, impeccable work ethic, and defensive awareness to boot.
Helm’s actual draft position: No. 132
Edmonton’s actual pick: Andrew Cogliano, F
26. Calgary Flames – Kris Russell, D
Yet another wonderful skater on this list, Russell’s offensive numbers haven’t caught up to his legs. He’s potted only 88 points in 331 NHL games, but brings fluid skating, quick puck movement, and some hitting to the table.
Russell’s actual draft position: No. 67
Calgary’s actual pick: Matt Pelech, D
27. Washington Capitals – Matt Niskanen, D
Things were looking good for Niskanen after his 35-point sophomore season in 2008-09. In 212 games since then, though, he’s posted just 46 points. He’s still only 25, but it doesn’t seem as though many 40-point seasons are on the horizon.
Niskanen’s actual draft position: No. 28
Washington’s actual pick: Joe Finley, D
28. Dallas Stars – Cody Franson, D
The Maple Leafs were lauded for their acquisition of Franson, a big-bodied offensive rearguard, last off-season. His points-per-game average last season was virtually identical to the season prior, but he was sometimes a healthy scratch on the crowded Toronto blueline.
Franson’s actual draft position: No. 79
Dallas’ actual pick: Matt Niskanen, D
29. Philadelphia Flyers – Mason Raymond, F
A lightning fast skater, Raymond has shown that he’s able to put up points (his 53 in 2009-10 placed him 20th among left-wingers) and he consistently posts takeaway-giveaway ratios of 2:1 or better, but some Canucks fans are hoping that he and the team will part ways this off-season.
Raymond’s actual draft position: No. 51
Philadelphia’s actual pick: Steve Downie, F
30. Tampa Bay Lightning – Nathan Gerbe, F
Gerbe is the shortest player in the NHL (at 5’5″, he is a full 16 inches shorter than the tallest, Zdeno Chara), but he doesn’t play like it. A fiery and skilled forward, he posted the 13th-most points of any skater to record fewer than 900 minutes of ice time last season.
Gerbe’s actual draft position: No. 142
Tampa Bay’s actual pick: Vladimir Mihalik, D
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