Re-Draft: 2008 Edition

With draft week upon us, we wanted to take some time to revisit some of the recent NHL drafts and think about how things could have worked out if teams knew what we know now. This week we will re-draft the first round of some recent drafts to see what could have been.

Today we look at the 2008 NHL draft. This draft featured what we now know are two of the best players in the world, as well as many other excellent players. As with any draft, there were a few busts and misfires that helped shape the league and kept a few teams in the cellar. The teams at the top may be doing the same. However, if some of the other teams had done a little better we may be talking about the St. Louis Blues as Stanley Cup champs or the Winnipeg Jets would still be the Atlanta Thrashers. If these teams could do it all over again, here is how it would look.

30. Detroit Red Wings – Jimmy Hayes

It took Jimmy Hayes a long time to find his footing in the NHL, but he has made himself into a solid player that could play on any team's third or fourth line. His best season was 2014-15 when he scored 19 goals for the Florida Panthers.
Original Pick: Tom McCollum (G)
Hayes: Round 2 Pick #60 - Toronto Maple Leafs

29. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – Dale Weise

Weise has certainly made himself a well known player. Almost all casual NHL fans know him as a big tough grinder that can chip in offensively. It did take him a while to earn this status, as he is now on his fourth NHL team. In two and a half seasons with Montreal he scored 27 goals and was an impact player. After being traded to Chicago, he now has trouble cracking the lineup and does not provide the same impact.
Original Pick: Daulton Leveille (C)
Weise: Round 4 Pick #111 - New York Rangers

28. Washington Capitals – Luca Sbisa

Going into the draft Sbisa had a lot of promise. Teams saw him as a physical player with enough speed to keep up the opponents speedy forwards. However, Sbisa has been very up and down since being drafted. When he plays well he is a menace and physically imposing. When he is playing poor he is taking bad penalties and is a liability to his team.
Original Pick: Viktor Tikhonov (LW)
Sbisa: Round 1 Pick #19 - Philadelphia Flyers

27. Washington Capitals – Luke Schenn

Schenn has not quite lived up to the great physical blue line presence everyone thought he would be. However, he still manages to be a solid top-6 defensemen. At only 26 years of age, he could play another 10 seasons in the NHL and have a very respectable career.
Original Pick: John Carlson (D)
Schenn: Round 1 Pick #5 - Toronto Maple Leafs

26. Buffalo Sabres – Justin Schultz

A few months ago Justin Schultz would not have even made this list. In fact, he was beginning to be considered a bust. In 4 seasons with Edmonton he was averaging a plus/minus of -19. That all changed when he was traded to Pittsburgh and played a key role for the Stanley Cup champions. Schultz was a third pairing defenseman for the Penguins, until injuries forced him into the spotlight and key situations.
Original Pick: Tyler Ennis (C)
Schultz: Round 2 Pick #43 - Anaheim Ducks

25. Calgary Flames – Mikkel Boedker

There were very high expectations for Boedker when he was drafted by the Coyotes in 2008. A player with a lot of puck skills and good size. However, he never met these expectations. He consistently scores double digit goals each season, even scoring 19 in 2013-14. Now the Coyotes have finally given up on him reaching his potential and traded him to the Colorado Avalanche.
Original Pick: Greg Nemisz (C)
Boedker: Round 1 Pick #8 - Phoenix Coyotes

24. New Jersey Devils – Colin Wilson

Wilson has had an up and down career with Nashville. He his a solid center that plays both ends of the ice well.  He has one accomplishment that none of the prior players on the ice have, a 20-goal season back in 2014-15. He is the exact type of player Nashville looks for, which is why he is one of the few players on this list still playing with the team that drafted him.
Original Pick: Mattias Tedenby (RW)
Wilson: Round 1 Pick #7 - Nashville Predators

23. Minnesota Wild – Tyler Ennis

Possibly the smallest player on this list, Ennis has become a player that the Sabres can rely on for offense. He plays with a lot of speed and heart. Enough that he has three 20-goal seasons in the NHL. The thing that keeps Ennis out of the top 20 is his plus/minus is consistently bad. We know that is not the best stat to judge a winger by, but he does share some of the blame.
Original Pick: Tyler Cume (D)
Ennis: Round 1 Pick #26 - Buffalo Sabres

22. Edmonton Oilers – Jake Gardiner

Gardiner's story is still being written. When he is healthy and playing well he reminds you of Kris Letang. Lots of speed, very good with the puck on his stick and big enough to be physical in the corners. However, until the last few seasons he battled injury and inconsistent play that had him traveling between the NHL and AHL. In the 2013 playoffs Gardiner scored 5 points in 6 games for the Leafs. It is difficult to judge his performance on such a poor team.
Original Pick: Jordan Eberle (RW)
Gardiner: Round 1 Pick #17 - Anaheim Ducks

21. Washington Capitals – Josh Bailey

Bailey has put together a very solid NHL career with the New York Islanders. He scores double digit goals almost every season and plays a key role for his team. The Islanders found a very solid bottom six forward in Bailey. He will have a long career in the NHL.
Original Pick: Anton Gustafsson (C)
Bailey: Round 1 Pick #9 - New York Islanders

20. New York Rangers – Adam Henrique

I originally had Henrique lower, but when I looked at his numbers more closely I had him closer to the top 10. However, he has been so inconsistent I had to drop him back down. He is one of only three players on this list to have a 30-goal season. At the same time, every other year he goes back down to being an average NHL player.
Original Pick: Michael Del Zotto
Henrique: Round 3 Pick #82 - New Jersey Devils

19. Philadelphia Flyers – Jake Allen

Goalie is by far the most valuable position to a team. It is also the most difficult position to fill, which is why there are only two on this list. For a long time it looked like Allen would never make his way to the NHL. He finally broke through during the 2014-15 season with the Blues and he continues to split the starting role with Brian Elliott. He has become a solid starting goaltender and actually started more games than Elliott this past season.
Original Pick: Luca Sbisa
Allen: Round 2 Pick #34 - St. Louis Blues

18. Nashville Predators – Michael Del Zotto

Del Zotto is exactly what he was expected to be. Solid defenseman that can be effective in every aspect of the game. He may never be a Norris Trophy candidate, but he has been a regular in the NHL since the start of the 2009-10 season. He also helped the New York Rangers to a couple of long playoff runs.
Original Pick: Chet Pickard (G)
Del Zotto: Round 1 Pick #20 - New York Rangers

17. Anaheim Ducks – Zach Bogosian

Bogosian was drafted #3 overall in this draft, behind two future hall of famers. He was expected to be a big, heavy, hard hitting defenseman that would patrol the blue line for years to come. However, he never quite became that. He is still a very solid top-4 defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres. He uses his size well and is an intimidating presence on the blue line.
Original Pick: Jake Gardiner
Bogosian: Round 1 Pick #3 - Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets)

16. Boston Bruins – Cody Hodgson

Hodgson is a lot like Henrique in that we had no idea where to put him on this list. He showed so much promise when he broke into the league. He put together three consecutive 15+ goal seasons before signing with Nashville prior to the 2015-16 season. This decision looks to have been a bad one. Cody is a high skilled, offensive minded skater. Nashville doesn't use those guys well. He only scored three goals last season and spent a lot of time in the AHL.
Original Pick: Joe Colborne (C)
Hodgson: Round 1 Pick #10 - Vancouver Canucks

15. Ottawa Senators – Cam Atkinson

We have finally made it to quality players who are making a positive impact on their team each year. Atkinson is the biggest steal in the draft, originally taken in the 6th round. He has notched three consecutive 20 goal seasons with Columbus. His goal and point totals have gone up each year he has been in the league.
Original Pick: Erik Karlsson (D)
Atkinson: Round 6 Pick #157 - Columbus Blue Jackets

14. Carolina Hurricanes – Jared Spurgeon

If Atkinson is the biggest steal, Spurgeon has to be second. Taken one pick ahead of Atkinson, Spurgeon has been an equally impressive player, with more time spent in the NHL. It is difficult to find fast, puck moving defensemen that also hold their own in the defensive zone. Jared Spurgeon is exactly that.
Original Pick: Zach Boychuk (C)
Spurgeon: Round 6 Pick #156 - New York Islanders

13. Los Angeles Kings – Slava Voynov

Easily the most controversial player in this draft. Due to legal reasons, which you can research on your own, Voynov is no longer playing in the NHL. However, before his indefinite suspension he was one of the most successful players in this draft. A two time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings. So something tells me that if the Kings had to pick him all over again, they would.
Original Pick: Colten Teubert (D)
Voynov: Round 2 Pick #32 - Los Angeles Kings

12. Buffalo Sabres – Gustav Nyquist

Still a lot to be decided in Nyquist's career. However, you could argue that there is no more creative or exciting player with the puck on his stick. He is a small player with a lot of speed and hockey smarts. Much like all the other European forwards the Red Wings love to draft.
Original Pick: Tyler Myers (D)
Nyquist: Round 4 Pick #121 - Detroit Red Wings

11. Chicago Blackhawks – Travis Hamonic

Hamonic has turned himself into a defenseman every team wishes they had. He is smart and physically imposing in the defensive zone. The most important aspect of Hamonic's game is his ability to get in the head of the opponent's top player. He is a menace that loves to get under the other team's skin.
Original Pick: Kyle Beach (LW)
Hamonic: Round 2 Pick #53 - New York Islanders

10. Vancouver Canucks – Tyler Myers

If it were not for health issues Myers may be far higher on this list. At the start of his career he was resembling a young Zdeno Chara. His incredible size (6'8", 230 lbs) makes him a tough task for any smaller forward to skate around or get away from in the corners, not to mention his reach taking away almost all passing lanes. He also shows strong offensive ability, scoring double digit goals in his first two seasons.
Original Pick: Cody Hodgson (C)
Myers: Round 1 Pick #12 - Buffalo Sabres

9. New York Islanders – Roman Josi

It took Roman Josi a few years to find his place in the Predators lineup, but he finally has. When Nashville lost Ryan Suter to free agency a couple seasons ago there was an enormous hole in their lineup. Roman Josi has stepped in and kept Nashville's defense among the best in the league. With double digit goals and a growing point total in each of the least three seasons, keep an eye out for Josi at the all-star game next season.
Original Pick: Josh Bailey (LW)
Josi: Round 2 Pick #38 - Nashville Predators

8. Phoenix (Arizona) Coyotes – Derek Stepan

Derek Stepan is exactly what every team dreams of when they take a center in the second round. An all-around hockey player. He is strong in the defensive zone, faceoff circle and on the stat sheet. Each season he is good for near 20 goals and over 50 points. Most importantly for New York, he can play on any line, including powerplay and penalty kill.
Original Pick: Mikkel Boedker (LW)
Stepan: Round 2 Pick #51 - New York Rangers

7. Nashville Predators – John Carlson

Quickly asserting himself as one of the NHL's best defenseman. John Carlson has broken through and shown he can be great in all areas. This season he was the best defenseman on the NHL's best regular season team. He is also the quarterback of the NHL's scariest powerplay unit.
Original Pick: Colin Wilson (C)
Carlson: Round 1 Pick #27 - Washington Capitals


6. Columbus Blue Jackets – Jordan Eberle

This draft class lacked great wingers, Eberle was by far the best winger to come out of the 2008 draft. With four 20+ goal seasons, including 34 in 2011-12 he is well deserving of a top ten pick. Even with the Oilers streak of first overall picks, Eberle may be the team's best player.
Original Pick: Nikita Filatov (LW)
Eberle: Round 1 Pick #22 - Edmonton Oilers

5. Toronto Maple Leafs – Alex Pietrangelo

He is one of the league's best defensemen and has been since he made it into the Blues lineup full time, six seasons ago. A complete player, Alex is a big defenseman that can skate, shoot and see the entire ice. He has helped prop the Blues up as one of the elite teams in the very deep western conference.
Original Pick: Luke Schenn (D)
Pietrangelo: Round 1 Pick #4 - St. Louis Blues


4. St. Louis Blues – Braden Holtby

A soon to be Vezina Trophy winner, Holtby took over the starting role for Washington at the start of the 2014-15 season. There is no sign of him giving it up anytime soon. He tied the NHL record for most wins in a season this past year. Had St. Louis had the foresight to take Holtby in 2008, we may be talking about them as Stanley Cup Champions this year.
Original Pick: Alex Pietrangelo (D)
Holtby: Round 4 Pick #93 - Washington Capitals

3. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – Erik Karlsson

The top three picks could go in any order now, but in 2008 Karlsson did not even make the top 10. Now he is a two-time Norris Trophy winner and the most feared offensive defenseman in the league. He tied for fourth in the NHL in points last season, very impressive for a defenseman. However, Karlsson still leaves something to be desired in the defensive zone.
Original Pick: Zach Bogosian (D)
Karlsson: Round 1 Pick #15 - Ottawa Senators

2. Los Angeles Kings – Drew Doughty

The unquestioned heart and soul of the LA Kings two Stanley Cups. Doughty may be the best all-around defenseman in the NHL. There were many great defenders in the 2008 draft, but Doughty is the best of the best. He stands at 6'1"-195 lbs, but plays like he is 6'5"-250 lbs. He is a physical, shutdown defenseman that can play 30 minutes a night. Without Doughty I cannot see the Kings as Stanley Cup winners or Jonathan Quick being as revered as he is.
Original Pick: Drew Doughty


1. Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos

One of the league's best players, Stamkos has proven he deserved to go first overall in 2008. A two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner (most goals in a season), Stamkos is probably the second most feared goal scorer in the NHL. He is one of only three active players with a 60 goal season (Jagr and Ovechkin). If Stamkos does decide to test free agency this summer, look out, he may become the highest paid star in the league.
Original Pick: Steven Stamkos