Re-Drafting the 2006 NHL Draft

Original pick: Bobby Sanguinetti

I may have criticized Michael Grabner for being a fast skater and not much else earlier, but this is meant to showcase how deep the 2006 Draft class really was. The fact that 21 players have lasted in the NHL for this long speaks to how well these players have developed, and this is a fun way of visualizing how their development may have changed in a different team’s system.

Grabner going to the New York Rangers is done solely to piss off Islanders fans, and also to imagine how he would’ve fit into their scheme. As is expected out of a Henrik Lundqvist team, the Rangers didn’t need to score many goals to win games, but they were also a team that had shockingly bad offensive depth. The Rangers had a good first line in Brendan Shanahan, Michael Nylander, and Jaromir Jagr, but could hardly count on secondary scoring outside of Martin Straka.

Adding Michael Grabner to the Rangers gives them some flexibility, at least in terms of splitting their top line, resulting in a more even distribution. Letting Grabner play behind Hall of Famers on a perennial playoff contender also helps to increase his development better than playing on a bottom-feeding Islanders team with a group of people trying to learn the ropes as well.

At the very least, he has more staying power than Bobby Sanguinetti who, of all the first round busts, might have the most fun name to say.

Next: 22. Philadelphia Flyers