Original pick: Claude Giroux
Looking back, the Philadelphia Flyers got the best value pick out of the whole first round. Claude Giroux falling to a team at number 22 is simply not something that happens, and in the re-draft universe, he’s already been selected in the top three.
Perhaps they recognized what a special talent that they had in Giroux, and proceeded to tank in order to give him reinforcements. They did finish last in the league in their first season following the draft, although a lot of that had to do with losing guys like Keith Primeau and Michal Handzus. Peter Forsberg was also injured through the beginning of the season, then traded partway through as the team started to focus on the future.
During that lost season, perhaps it might have been worth it if the Flyers picked Ryan White. The former Canadien turned Flyer is a Broad Street Bully through and through, as he’s always willing to drop the gloves and boost the team’s morale.
But he’s useful in a hockey-playing sense as well. He’s earned minutes on Philadelphia’s second powerplay unit since he can pressure teams on the forecheck, and set screens in front of the net. He’s not that different from Sean Avery – you can interpret whether that’s a good or bad thing.
The Flyers were definitely not short on face punchers during this time. They made it to the Eastern Conference Final the very next year thanks to Paul Holmgren’s efforts, and made fighting a rule rather than an exception.
However, White embodies the Flyers philosophy, and the players hold him in high regard as a teammate. He would’ve made games watchable when the going got rough, and would’ve made home playoff games deafening. The goon is very much becoming a dying breed in the NHL, but you wouldn’t know that if you watched the Flyers play. It’s a surprise that it took him this long to land in Philadelphia.
Next: 23. Washington Capitals