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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 31
Next
SAN JOSE, CA – JUNE 12: Phil Kessel
SAN JOSE, CA – JUNE 12: Phil Kessel /

University of Minnesota. Phil Kessel. 4. player. 19. . Right wing

Original pick: Nicklas Backstrom

The Penguins may have thwarted Washington’s plan here of getting Nicklas Backstrom, but they still have an excellent winger in Phil Kessel who is on cloud 9 over the thought of playing alongside Alex Ovechkin. With those two on the same line, who needs a center?

Oddly enough, Kessel was listed as a center when he was drafted, but placing him on the wing did wonders for him as he hit 60 points in 70 games in his third season with the Bruins.

When he first arrived in Toronto, he had to sit out the first month because of a shoulder injury. But since then, he played in over 400 consecutive games and posted a 30-goal season in every full season except for his last one, when the media labelled him a coach-killer and questioned his work ethic because of his shape.

But the funny thing about Kessel is that playing alongside number one centers hasn’t always worked out for him. He spent most of his time in Toronto with Tyler Bozak – both on and off the ice – and playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh didn’t pay immediate dividends. Nick Bonino isn’t an impact center, but it wasn’t until the HBK line was formed that he did most of his damage in the regular season and playoffs.

And while Backstrom has been great for the Caps, their best season came last year when they acquired T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams to provide depth on the wing for guys like Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. As great as Ovechkin is, he needs someone else to help carry the offensive load.

Even without Backstrom, the Capitals probably would’ve found a number one center at some point, but whoever would get to play alongside Ovechkin and Kessel would’ve felt very much at ease.

Next: 5. Boston Bruins

Home/NHL Draft