What if teams could rewind back to previous drafts and do it all over again? In every draft there are steals late in the draft that turn out to be first-round value. In 2002, there were a good handful of players taken beyond the first round who have turned into successful NHLers. But if you were to rate the 2002 class as whole, it wouldn’t get rave reviews.
Nonetheless, here is a look at how the 2002 NHL Draft would play out 10 years later.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets — Rick Nash, LW
Career stats: 674 games, 289 goals, 258 assists, 547 points, minus-71
Original selection: Rick Nash
Ever since being picked No. 1 back in 2002, Nash has been the face of the Blue Jackets franchise. Although he has the skills to be a 50-goal scorer, Nash has never had the luxury of playing alongside a true top-line centre. Coincidentally, Nash is expected to be a player on the trade block at this week’s draft.
2. Atlanta Thrashers — Cam Ward, G
Career stats: 414 games, 205-149 -46, 2.74 goals-against average, .910 save percentage
Original selection: Kari Lehtonen
Instead of Lehtonen, one would think former Thrashers GM Don Waddell wishes he had taken the second goaltender selected in this draft: Cam Ward. All Ward has done in two playoff stints is win big games, along with the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe. Lehtonen had a hard time staying on the ice in Atlanta; even then he wasn’t all that special.
3. Florida Panthers — Duncan Keith, D
Career stats: 560 games, 56 goals, 226 assists, 282 points, plus-87
Original selection: Jay Bouwmeester
Keith, an original second-rounder, bloomed later than Bouwmeester but is one of the NHL’s best all-around defenceman today. Keith even won the Norris Trophy back in 2010.
4. Philadelphia Flyers — Alexander Semin, RW
Career stats: 469 games, 197 goals, 211 assists, 408 points, plus-65
Original selection: Joni Pitkanen
Semin has had an up-and-down career thus far, but you could make an argument that he was the most talented player in this 2002 draft class. Having him and Claude Giroux on the same line is a scary thought.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins — Jay Bouwmeester, D
Career stats: 717 games, 65 goals, 220 assists, 285 points, minus-54
Original selection: Ryan Whitney
Having Bouwmeester go this high in the “re-draft” may depend on which defenceman Pittsburgh had gotten. Would they have gotten the version of Bouwmeester that was a two-time all-star in Florida, or the overpaid one in Calgary? With a supporting cast like Pittsburgh’s, go with the former.
6. Nashville Predators — Joffrey Lupul, RW
Career stats: 515 games, 151 goals, 172 assists, 323 points, minus-52
Original selection: Scottie Upshall
Minus 2001, the Predators alternated forwards and defencemen as their first-round pick for years. This time was a forward year; Upshall didn’t quite work out. Lupul may have, though.
7. Anaheim Mighty Ducks — Ryan Whitney, D
Career stats: 354 games, 41 goals, 158 assists, 199 points, minus-13
Original selection: Joffrey Lupul
Whitney already got his chance by splitting 82 games between two seasons with Anaheim, being traded to and from at back-to-back deadlines. Whitney has been a solid two-way defenceman when healthy.
8. Minnesota Wild — Joni Pitkanen, D
Career stats: 513 games, 56 goals, 217 assists, 273 points, minus-10
Original selection: Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Pitkanen peaked as a youngster in Philadelphia, but has still been a good defenceman in his eight-year career. Pitkanen easily would have been Minnesota’s top rearguard in 2011-12.
9. Florida Panthers — Kari Lehtonen, G
Career stats: 414 games, 205-149-46, 2.74 goals-against average, .910 save percentage
Original selection: Petr Taticek
Roberto Luongo was on board at the time of the 2002 draft, but Lehtonen didn’t become a full-time NHL starter until Luongo was in Vancouver. Lehtonen would have been a better coup than Taticek.
10. Calgary Flames — Valtteri Filppula, C/W
Career stats: 442 games, 91 goals, 143 assists, 234 points, plus-47
Original selection: Eric Nystrom
Filppula’s versatility and two-way capabilities are valuable to Detroit. Looking back, he may be the top centre to have emerged from this draft class.
11. Buffalo Sabres — Tom Gilbert, D
Career stats: 404 games, 33 goals, 130 assists, 163 points, minus-33
Original selection: Keith Ballard
Ballard was eventually dealt by the Sabres, so there’s no telling if the same had happened to Gilbert. But in this “re-draft,” Gilbert is the next best defenceman available.
12. Washington Capitals — Tomas Fleischmann, C/W
Career stats: 442 games, 91 goals, 143 assists, 234 points, plus-47
Original selection: Steve Eminger
Washington actually selected Fleischmann with the final pick of the second round.
13. Washington Capitals — Matt Greene, D
Career stats: 461 games, 11 goals, 51 assists, 62 points, minus-19
Original selection: Alexander Semin
In his time with Edmonton and Los Angeles, Greene has been a useful stay-at-home defenceman.
14. Montreal Canadiens — Pierre-Marc Bouchard, C
Career stats: 442 games, 91 goals, 143 assists, 234 points, plus-47
Original selection: Chris Higgins
Bouchard has had his fair share of injury woes, but the Canadiens could use an offensively-gifted (pre-concussions) forward like him.
15. Edmonton Oilers — James Wisniewski, D
Career stats: 377 games, 33 goals, 142 assists, 175 points, minus-8
Original selection: Jesse Niinimaki
Fact: Edmonton would have gotten more mileage out of Wisniewski than Niinimaki.
16. Ottawa Senators — Jarret Stoll, C
Career stats: 593 games, 119 goals, 198 assists, 317 points, minus-10
Original selection: Jakub Klepis
We saw in this month’s Stanley Cup Final just how effective Stoll is when he’s on top of his game. One of the NHL’s premier third-line centres? You bet.
17. Washington Capitals — Alex Steen, C
Career stats: 497 games, 115 goals, 161 assists, 276 points, plus-13
Original selection: Boyd Gordon
Steen has found his niche in St. Louis and has proven to be a serviceable 40-50 point producer.
18. Los Angeles Kings — Dennis Wideman, D
Career stats: 535 games, 67 goals, 184 assists, 251 points, minus-39
Original selection: Denis Grebeshkov
Wideman, picked in the eighth round by Buffalo, has been a nice puck-moving defenceman in recent years.
19. Phoenix Coyotes — Frans Nielsen, C
Career stats: 319 games, 54 goals, 113 assists, 167 points, plus-9
Original selection: Jakub Koreis
Although a late bloomer, Nielsen has turned into one of the league’s more underappreciated centres.
20. Buffalo Sabres — Jiri Hudler, C/W
Career stats: 409 games, 87 goals, 127 assists, 214 points, plus-36
Original selection: Daniel Paille
There’s no questioning Hudler’s talent, but he is inconsistent and sometimes disappears.
The rest:
21. Chicago Blackhawks — Trevor Daley, D
Original selection: Anton Babchuk
22. New York Islanders — Sean Bergenheim, LW
Original selection: Sean Bergenheim
23. Phoenix Coyotes — Matthew Lombardi, C
Original selection: Ben Eager
24. Toronto Maple Leafs — Josh Harding, G
Original selection: Alex Steen
25. Carolina Hurricanes — Jonathan Ericsson, D
Original selection: Cam Ward
26. Dallas Stars — Keith Ballard, D
Original selection: Martin Vagnar
27. San Jose Sharks — Matt Stajan, C
Original selection: Mike Morris
28. Colorado Avalanche — Scottie Upshall, RW
Original selection: Jonas Johansson
29. Boston Bruins — Ian White, D
Original selection: Hannu Toivonen
30. Atlanta Thrashers — Jim Slater, C
Original selection: Jim Slater
