Canucks: Redrafting their 2003 draft class (part 1)

4th Round (128th overall): Marc Methot

Not only could the Canucks have boosted their offence and leadership from this draft, but they could have acquired some very solid defensive pieces as well, the first of whom being Marc Methot, originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the first pick of the sixth round.

While never the flashiest defenceman, Methot was the Chris Tanev of his hometown Ottawa Senators during the mid-2010s; little offence and regularly injured, but very effective on the back end. Though there were more notable names taken later on in the 2003 draft (as we will see), Methot would have been a pickup the Canucks would not have regretted.

Instead, they selected Ty Morris with this pick. A winger out of Edmonton, Morris never made an impact in the Canucks organization. The closest he made to the NHL was two seasons in the ECHL before heading to Germany, where he still plays today.

5th Round (160th overall): Dustin Byfuglien

While he has garnered controversy in the past year for his unceremonious departure from the Winnipeg Jets, Dustin Byfuglien’s impact at the NHL level is undeniable. This makes the fact that he was drafted 245th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks extra surprising. It also makes him eligible for our list.

Byfuglien is another big defenceman, this time of the coveted right-handed variety, and one who can score to boot, having five 50-plus point seasons in his 869-game career. Even now as a free agent, his name has been connected to the Canucks as a potential free agent target. They wouldn’t be getting the best Byfuglien has to offer nowadays due to his age, but had they picked the big defender with a late round pick all those years ago, it could have been a steal.

The player the Canucks took with this pick, Nicklas Danielsson, did end up becoming an impact player, just not in North America. Danielsson is still active today, playing for Brynas IF in Sweden, the team from which he was drafted. He has been a point-per-game player in the SHL, but like so many late round picks, never brought that production in the NHL.

Some of these names should demonstrate how some top-notch scouting and a crystal ball could have produced a truly elite squad for the Canucks. Just having one of these players could have changed the team’s fortunes in ways that can only be imagined.

Who knows, one of them could have even helped produce a Stanley Cup. The second part of this article will be released soon and will cover the Canucks’ final five picks in the 2003 draft and the potential goaltending steals that could have been.