Canucks: Redrafting their 2003 draft class (part 1)

If only NHL general managers could see the future. Today, we redraft each of the Vancouver Canucks’ first five picks in the 2003 draft with the gift of hindsight.

Few pastimes are as much fun as reviewing past NHL entry drafts and the players that came out of them, particularly those later round picks that turned into stars, Today, we harken back to before drafts were only seven rounds by looking at the 2003 draft class, widely regarded as one of the best in NHL history. The Vancouver Canucks had 10 picks in 2003, and each one of them could have been a steal.

Before we begin, let me explain the parameters for this redraft. The goal is to create the best possible draft class from players that were still available when the Canucks made each of their picks.

While this would have been impossible to predict at the time, each one of these players went on to have a prominent NHL career. We are trying to create the best all-around group; in some cases, there will be players chosen higher than others who perhaps didn’t have quite as illustrious a career.

However, choosing all the best players with the highest picks would result in fewer stars taken later on, so sometimes a little flexibility helps. Also, for the sake of simplicity, these selections do not take positional needs at the time into account.

1st Round (23rd overall): Patrice Bergeron

Given the depth of this draft, this was a tough choice that required passing on multiple superstars, including Mike Richards and Corey Perry. However, the fact that Patrice Bergeron is still in a top role 17 years later puts him above the others.

Originally selected 45th overall by the Boston Bruins with whom he has played his entire 1,089-game career, Bergeron has a total of 869 points in the NHL. He has reached the 50-point mark in 12 of his 16 seasons and the 70-point mark three times. Of the four seasons he did not, one was lockout-shortened, one was mostly lost to injury, and one was his rookie season. All around, Bergeron would have been an amazing pick for the Canucks.

That said, who they did pick was no slouch. Ryan Kesler is legendary in Canucks lore for helping carry the team to the 2011 Final and ungraciously requesting a trade in 2014 only to redeem himself in the eyes of Canucks fans this past season.