Oshie has had a very nice career so far, but it could’ve been even better if given the opportunity to play with two players of that caliber. Oshie being bumped to the wing to play with the Sedins? In this re-draft of the 2005 NHL Draft, that thought becomes a reality. By selecting Paul Stastny instead with the ninth overall pick, the Senators would’ve gotten a very good young player to play under/with Daniel Alfredsson as the veteran hit the downward part of his career. Unfortunately, he never turned into anything more than a depth player. Ottawa Senators - Paul Stastny, Fīrian Lee, Ottawa’s actual pick, spent four-and-a-half seasons with Ottawa. Maybe with a great setup man like Thornton on his side, Ryan would’ve actually hit that number by now.īobby Ryan could be a major superstar playing in San Jose with Joe Thornton. Ryan showed the potential to be a 50-goal scorer in the league early on.
Pairing a young Bobby Ryan up with Jumbo Joe may have been what the team needed in the future to make a Stanley Cup run. In 2005, the Sharks traded for Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins. And don’t worry, his addition wouldn’t impact how Chicago would be on the ice until after the arrival of the two star forwards. His skating, passing and shooting ability is second-to-none in the league, and would be a man that would lead the Blackhawks blue line for the next decade-plus. Chicago Blackhawks - Kris Letang, DĬhicago gets a great defenseman merely a few years before landing Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. It might’ve even lead them to a playoff berth much sooner than when they actually got there. By taking him in this redraft, the Blue Jackets would actually get a player who would contribute to the team heavily. Keith Yandle is one of the best puck-handling defensemen in the NHL. He’d be a cornerstone for the Canadiens for years to come, and likely would be a big part of any playoff success. In 2005, James Neal was taken with the 33rd overall pick by the Dallas Stars, but played far beyond the talents of a second-round pick. Price was lost two picks prior, so the Canadiens have to settle for a top offensive talent. Pairing Kopitar with Marian Gaborik in Minnesota in the mid-2000s could’ve easily made dominant 1-2 punch on the top line for the Wild for years. It looks like the Kings will lose their two big fish this time around as Anze Kopitar is heading to the Wild. Sure, they won a Cup with Cam Ward, but how many more could they have won with Price in between the pipes.Ĭarey Price, Montreal Canadiens ( Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) Instead of going through that fiasco again, Carolina would select Carey Price and get a goaltender that would carry them for years. In fact, he was traded before ever signing a contract with the team. The Hurricanes drafted Jack Johnson in 2005, but he didn’t play a single game for them. Imagine how much different the Western Conference landscape would be if he would’ve ended up in Anaheim? You think the Kings would have won a Stanley Cup once, let alone twice? I highly doubt it. They’d take him again in an instant, as would any other team.īobby Ryan was a nice player for the Ducks during his time there, but Jonathan Quick has been a Duck killer throughout his career.
He’s arguably been the best player in the world throughout his career, and has averaged 1.29 points per game for his career. Crosby helped save the franchise in the city of Pittsburgh, and guided them to Stanley Cup wins in 2009, 20. That being said, in honor of the upcoming 15th anniversary, it’s time to hold a redraft of the 2005 first round. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings found great players after the first round while Buffalo, Columbus and the Calgary Flames, among others, whiffed on their top picks. Still, there were a number of good-to-great players to come out of this class. No doubt the Penguins would take Sidney Crosby again.