REDRAFTING 2003 NHL DRAFT

The 2003 NHL Draft is perhaps the best draft of all time, 17 players picked in the first round went on to be all stars.
Players such as Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, Loui Eriksson, Corey Crawford, David Backes and Jimmy Howard were all picked in the 2nd round.
Joe Pavelski was taken in the 7th round and Dustin Byfuglien was taken in the 8th round of the draft.

If the 2003 draft was redrafted, the whole landscape of the league would be very different.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins-(G) Marc Andre Fleury
Original pick: Marc-Andre Fleury

Even though there were many great skaters available, the biggest need the Penguins had at the time was goaltending.
Fleury has put together a legendary career, with a 439-250-77 record a 2.56 GAA and .913 SV% and 56 SO.
Marc-Andre Fleury was an important part of the Penguins core, its safe to say that without him they don't win 3 stanley cups.

2. Carolina Hurricanes-(C) Patrice Bergeron
Original pick: Eric Staal

While Eric Staal was a very good center, he wasn't as impactful as Bergeron was.
There are players that put up better numbers than Bergeron but the reason why he is picked this high is cause of superb two-way play.
Bergeron is one of the premier two-way forwards in the game and has won 4 selke trophies.
Bergeron would be the first step in building a championship team in Carolina.

3. Florida Panthers-(RW/D) Brent Burns
Original pick: Nathan Horton

Nathan Horton was a dissappointment considering he was picked ahead of so many all stars.
Brent Burns is an unique talent that started out playing RW but converted to defense.
Burns won the Norris in 2016-17 and has 4 seasons where he put up 15+ goals and 60+ points, he also has 6 seasons with 15+ goals as a defenseman.
Brent Burns would eventually be a great top pair defenseman on the Panthers.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets-(C) Ryan Getzlaf
Original pick: Nikolay Zherdev

Nikolay Zherdev was a talented player but he was consistent enough to stay in the league long enough.
Ryan Getzlaf on the other hand would be a leader and a point a game player for a long time.
Pairing Getzlaf and Rick Nash together would instantly form on of the most lethal dynamic duos in the league.

5. Buffalo Sabres-(C) Eric Staal
Original pick: Thomas Vanek

Even though Thomas Vanek was a really good player, he wasn't able maintain his production as he got older.
Eric Staal is one of the forgotten Superstars in the 2000s because he played for the Hurricanes, a small market team.
Staal has 417 G and 974 points in over 1,100 NHL games, so he would be a great franchise center for Buffalo.

6. San Jose Sharks-(D) Shea Weber
Original pick: Milan Michalek

The San Jose Sharks were loaded on offense at the time, so what they needed to get was a stud defenseman.
Shea Weber is a franchise defenseman that is both a shutdown defenseman and a major threat on the Powerplay with his big shot.
It would be long before Weber becomes the number 1 defenseman in San Jose because the defense isn't very good.

7. Nashville Predators-(D) Ryan Suter
Original pick: Ryan Suter

The Nashville Predators still draft Ryan Suter because they cannot afford not to get a top pair defenseman after losing Shea Weber to San Jose.
While Suter may not be the flashiest defenseman, he is a very steady top pair defenseman that plays against top lines game in and game out.
With Shea Weber in San Jose, Ryan Suter would be the true number 1 defenseman like he is now in Minnesota.

8. Atlanta Thrashers-(C/RW) Joe Pavelski
Original pick: Braydon Coburn

Instead of picking Braydon Coburn, the Atlanta Thrashers draft Joe Pavelski, a goal scoring machine.
With the San Jose Sharks, Pavelski had 10 straight 20+ goal seasons, not including lockout shortened 2012-13 season.
Pavelski would most likely play Center with the Thrashers because that is one of their weaknesses,
Ilya Kovalchuk spent the majority of his stint with Atlanta without a stud center, if you give him Pavelski, they would light up the league.

9. Calgary Flames-(LW) Zach Parise
Original pick: Dion Phaneuf

Even though Dion Phaneuf was a great player for the Calgary Flames, there are better players available.
Zach Parise is an all star caliber player that has been putting up good numbers almost every season he's been in the league.
Parise had 8 25+ goal seasons, including 5 30+ goal seaons and career best 45 goal campain in 08-09.
Parise and Iginla would instantly make one of the best tandems in the league.

10. Montreal Canadiens-(RW) Corey Perry
Original pick: Andrei Kostitsyn

Instead of drafting a small and inconistent player, the Canadiens should draft a player with size, grit and skill.
Corey Perry may not be well liked but in his prime he was one of the best powerforwards in the league.
Perry won the Hart trophy in 2011 and also won the rocket richard trophy that year scoring 50 goals.
Perry bring size, grit and a nasty edge to the Canadiens, something that everytime needs.

11. Philadelphia Flyers-(C) Jeff Carter
Original pick: Jeff Carter

Philadelphia Flyers still draft Jeff Carter, he is a winner at every level and is a member of the triple gold club.
Carter is a consistent goal scorer and has scoered 20+ goals in 10 seasons, including 4 30+ goal campains.
Jeff Carter would be one of the core players for the Flyers moving forward.

12. New York Rangers-(D/RW) Dustin Byfuglien
Original pick: Hugh Jessiman

Hugh Jessiman is one of the biggest busts of all time because he is the only player picked in the first round that never made it to the NHL.
Dustin Byfuglien was a bit of a late bloomer but he seemingly got better every season after getting traded to the Winnipeg Jets.
Byfuglien started out as a Winger with Chicago but was converted to Defense with the Jets, where he trived and became a perennial all star.
The New York Rangers could have certainly used a Defenseman such as rover such as Dustin Byfuglien, the can make an impact every time he's on the ice.

13. LA Kings-(G) Corey Crawford
Original pick: Dustin Brown

Even though Dustin Brown was an important player, the LA Kings needed a Goalie even more, so they draft the best goalie on the board, Corey Crawford.
Crawford has a 244-142-50 record with a 2.42 GAA and .918 SV% and 25 SO and was a key member of 2 stanley cups teams with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Drafting Crawford would instantly give them their number 1 goalie, something they didn't have for the vast majority of the 2000s

14. Chicago Blackhawks-(D) Brent Seabrook
Original pick: Brent Seabrook

Since Brent Seabrook was such an important part of Chicago's stanley cup teams in 2010, 2013, 2015, he still gets drafted by the Blackhawks.
While Seabrook didn't put up eye popping stats, he was a perfect D partner with Duncan Keith and Chemistry plays a huge role in winning Championships.
Without Brent Seabrook, the Chicago Blackhawks don't win 3 stanley cups.

15. New York Islanders-(D) Dion Phaneuf
Original pick: Robert Nilsson

Robert Nilsson was a huge bust for the New York Islanders so the New York Islanders draft Dion Phaneuf, as there is a need for an impact defenseman.
Dion Phaneuf gets too much criticism for his play because he actually was a great NHL defenseman early in his career.
Every season with the Calgary Flames he had at least 10 goals and 45 points, including a 20 goal campaign his rookie season.
The New York Islanders would be getting a franchise defenseman that would immediately become their number 1 defenseman.

16. San Jose Sharks-(LW) Thomas Vanek
Original pick: Steve Bernier

Steve Bernier didn't turn into the player that the Sharks had envisioned, so they select Thomas Vanek instead.
Thomas Vanek is known as being a glider and a lazy player but he was also a very talented goal scorer in his prime.
Vanek had 8 straight 25+ goal seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, so he should have success with a very offensively talented Sharks team.

17. New Jersey Devils-(C) Mike Richards
Original pick: Zach Parise

It would be hard to replace Zach Parise in the lineup but Mike Richards is the perfect fit for the Devils system.
Richards is a heart and sout type player who was at one point reguarded as one of the best two way players in the game.
More importantly, the Devils steal him away from their rival, Philadlephia Flyers, making them worse.

18. Washington Capitals-(C) Ryan Kesler
Original pick: Eric Fehr

Rather than drafting Eric Fehr, a career fourth liner, the Capitals draft Ryan Kesler, a fantastic two way forward and agitator.
Kesler has 573 points in over 1,000 NHL games; he was also proficient on faceoffs and was a great penalty killer.
Kesler fits perfectly with the Washington Capitals and will be an important player because of the star power in their division.

19. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim-(RW) Dustin Brown
Original pick: Ryan Getzlaf

It is going to be very tough to replace Ryan Getzlaf, so the Mighty Ducks select Dustin Brown, the Captain of the LA Kings.
This is a huge pick because while Brown isn't going to wow anyone with his production, he is a heart an soul type player.
Dustin Brown has 618 points in over 1,100 NHL games and was the Captain of 2 Stanley cup teams;
he will be a player that will be right in the middle of the mix if the mighty ducks are to win a Championship.

20. Minnesota Wild-(C/RW) David Backes
Original pick: Brent Burns

Brent Burns will be near impossible to replace at this point in the draft but the Wild do draft David Backes, a solid NHL pro.
David Backes was the Captain of the St.Louis Blues for 5 seasons and had 6 20+ goal seasons in St.Louis, including 2 30+ goal campains.
Because of the lack of depth at center, David Backes would most likely play center with the Wild and would play in the top 6 almost immediately.

21. Boston Bruins-(RW/LW) Loui Eriksson
Original pick: Mark Stuart

Rather than picking Mark Stuart, who was a disappoint as a first round pick, the Bruins select Loui Eriksson, a versataile two-way forward.
Eriksson's best year's were in Dallas, when he put up 4 straight 25+ goal and 60+ point seasons; he also had 2 20+ goal seasons with the B's.
Eriksson would become an important fixture in the top 6 for the Bruins by the 2008-09 season.

22. Edmonton Oilers-(LW/RW) Milan Michalek
Original pick: Marc-Antoine Pouliot

Marc-Antoine Pouliot was a bust with the Edmonton Oilers, so the Oilers select Milan Michalek, a speedy czech instead.
It's never bad to draft a speedy skater because speed kills and Michalek would bring inject some speed to an Oilers team that is in need of it.
Milan Michalek would become a fixture on the line with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky.

23. Vancouver Canucks-(G) Jimmy Howard
Original pick: Ryan Kesler

Dan Cloutier won't be the starter for much longer, so the Canucks need to draft a successor.
The best goalie available is Jimmy Howard, who is a better goalie than most give him credit for.
Howard has 8 20+ win seasons, including 3 straight 35+ win seasons from 2009-2012.
With Howard on the Canucks, they might not have to trade for Robert Luongo later because he was a good NHL starter.

24. Philadelphia Flyers-(D) Tobias Enstrom
Original pick: Mike Richards

Losing Mike Richards to the rival New Jersey Devils hurts and to make things worse there aren't any good centers available.
Rather than drafting a forward that will get lost in the depth of the organization, they draft a Defenseman, which they really need.
Tobias Enstrom was a very underrated defenseman due to the fact he played on a lowly Atlanta Thrashers team,
if you put Enstrom on a loaded Flyers team, he could be 50-60 point defenseman.

25. Florida Panthers-(RW) Nathan Horton
Original pick: Anthony Stewart

Florida Panthers still pick Nathan Horton but with the 25th pick rather than the 3rd pick.
Nathan Horton is a player that is the complete package but for whatever reason he never fullfilled his potential.
Horton put up 7 straight 20+ goal seasons, including on 30+ goal season in 06-07 with the Panthers.

26. LA Kings-(G) Jaroslav Halak
Original pick: Brian Boyle

While Brian Boyle was a solid NHL pro, he was not worth picking in the first round.
The Kings picked Corey Crawford with their first pick but its never bad to load up on prospect goalies.
Jaroslav Halak is very underrated he has a 254-161-52 record with a 2.49 GAA and .916 SV% and 47 SO;
If Halak might not fit into the Kings future plans but he could be used to acquire something they need in the future.

27. LA Kings-Matt Moulson
Original pick: Jeff Tambellini

Jeff Tambellini was a bust, so anyone would be a better pick than him.
Matt Moulson was a fixture on the line with John Tavares and put up 3 straight 30+ goal seasons.
Even though Moulson wasn't able to maintain his production, he is still the best forward available at this point in the draft.

28. Anaheim Ducks-(D) Braydon Coburn
Original pick: Corey Perry

Corey Perry would be nearly impossible to replace at this point in the draft, so the Ducks draft the best player for their system.
Braydon Coburn is the type of defenseman that the Ducks typically sought after, he is big, mobile and and sometimes physical.
Coburn would be a top 4 defenseman almost immediately with how bad they are in need of impact defenseman.

29. Ottawa Senators-(G) Brian Elliott
Original pick: Patrick Eaves

Rather than picking Patrick Eaves, who had an up and down career, the Senators draft Brian Elliott, a low-end number 1 goalie.
While Elliott is not a stud goalie, he could serve as a solid starter on a good team.
It would take some time before Elliott is NHL ready but it is fine as the Senators aren't in need of his services right away.

30. St.Louis Blues-(D) Matt Carle
Original pick: Shawn Belle

Matt Carle might be one of the forgotten names in the 2003 draft but he had many productive seasons in the league.
He had stints with San Jose, Philly and Tampa Bay and put up 4 35+ point seasons in his career.
His best days were in Philly when paired with Chris Pronger, Carle would be a very good defenseman if paired with a defensively reliable defenseman.

Winners:

Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers draft Brent Burns and Nathan Horton, two players two build the team around.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Ryan Getzlaf is a big upgrade over Nikolai Zherdev and would instantly form an dynamic duo with Rick Nash.

San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks drafted Shea Weber and Thomas Vanek, a top pair defenseman and an elite goal scorer for several years.

New York Rangers
Dustin Byfuglien is a huge upgrade over Hugh Jessiman, who was the biggest bust in the draft.

New York Islanders
Dion Phaneuf would instantly become a franchise defenseman for the Islanders, something they didn't have since Dennis Potvin.

Losers:

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
The Biggest loser in the 2003 draft are the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim;
they drafted Dustin Brown and Braydon Coburn but lost future all stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers originally were the biggest winners of the 2003 draft but this time around they aren't.
While Jeff Carter is still drafted by Philly, Tobias Enstrom is a major downgrade from Mike Richards.

LA Kings
LA Kings drafted Corey Crawford, Jaroslav Halak and Matt Moulson, two really good goalies and a solid complementary top 6 winger,
however this doesn't make the team a whole lot better.

Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild did draft David Backes, an all star forward but they lost one of the best defenseman in the league in Brent Burns.

New Jersey Devils
While the New Jersey Devils did draft Mike Richards, they lost Zach Parise and the Devils needed Parise's goal scoring more than Richards' two way play.

The changes made in the 2003 draft will have a major effect on the landscape of the NHL.