Fansided

Re-Drafting the 2006 NHL Draft

By David Rouben

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 24: (L-R) Second overall pick Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins, first overall pick Erik Johnson of the St. Louis Blues, and third overall pick Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks pose for a portrait together backstage during the 2006 NHL Draft held at General Motors Place on June 24, 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images for NHL)
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 24: (L-R) Second overall pick Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins, first overall pick Erik Johnson of the St. Louis Blues, and third overall pick Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks pose for a portrait together backstage during the 2006 NHL Draft held at General Motors Place on June 24, 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images for NHL) /
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Apr 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is congratulated by his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is congratulated by his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Original pick: Bryan Little

Bryan Little wasn’t the wrong choice for the Thrashers, but with him already picked by the Coyotes, they’ll have to find value elsewhere. And choosing one of the best value picks in the draft with Brad Marchand at 71st makes a lot of sense for Atlanta.

It’s easy to see why the Thrashers would target Little, since their highest scoring center in 2006-07 was Bobby Holik. But offensive depth at any position is good, and on the wings, they had two superstars in Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk. The former went off for a 43 goal, 100-point season en route to a division title.

But it wasn’t enough to save the franchise and garner serious fan attention. There’s no guarantee that Marchand would’ve changed that, but he’s very similar to his former Bruins teammate Milan Lucic in that his pesky antics make him a nightmare for opposing teams to deal with, and he complements that with consistent scoring.

Ever since he started playing in the NHL full time, Marchand has scored at least 20 goals in every full season, and last year was his breakout offensively when he posted 37 goals and 23 assists. While Marchand is almost unanimously hated around the league, he’s a great teammate to have, and he brings the energy in every game.

Perhaps Marchand starting fights with other team’s top line players while Hossa and Kovalchuk lit up the scoreboards would’ve led to sellouts in Atlanta. At the very least, it would’ve made for an exciting brand of hockey.

Next: 13. Toronto Maple Leafs

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