Earlier in the week, we revisited the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, where the Vancouver Canucks drafted Marc-Andre Bernier instead of David Backes with the 60th overall pick. For the second installment of our missed chances/opportunities series at Fansided NHL, we will fast-forward to the 2006 NHL Draft.
The Canucks held the 14th overall pick that year, in the same draft where Jordan Staal went second to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jonathan Toews went third to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canucks selected forward Michael Grabner from the Western Hockey League (WHL) Spokane Chiefs.
Eight picks later, the Philadelphia Flyers took forward Claude Giroux from the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). As things stand now, Giroux is entering his 20th NHL season. Grabner's last season was 2019-20. Plus, Grabner only played in 20 games for the Canucks. What if the Canucks drafted Giroux instead?
Missing out on Claude Giroux
Heading into the 2006 NHL Draft, Grabner finished the 2005-06 season with 36 goals and 50 points in 67 games for the Chiefs. This was after he tallied 13 goals and 24 points in 58 games the season before. Give credit where it's due; Grabner had a solid second season with Spokane.
On the flip side, Giroux had 39 goals and 103 points in 69 games for the Olympiques. He followed that up with five goals and 20 points in 17 playoff games. Giroux also finished with a plus-30 in the regular season. Grabner did not play in the WHL Playoffs that season.
Grabner eventually made it onto the Canucks roster in the 2009-10 season, where he tallied five goals and 11 points in 20 games. The 22-year-old Grabner would be with the New York Islanders next season, finishing with 34 goals and 52 points in 76 games at the age of 23.
Regarding Giroux, he played in 42 games during the 2008-09 season, finishing with nine goals and 27 points. He followed that up with a 16-goal and 47-point season in 2009-10, playing in 82 games.
Grabner finished his 11-year NHL career with 640 games played, tallying 175 goals, 101 assists, and 276 points. Of the 175 goals, he had seven power-play goals and 22 shorthanded goals.
Giroux will be entering his 20th NHL season, where he currently sits with 1,345 games played, 379 goals, 786 assists, and 1,165 points. He also has 101 power-play goals and nine shorthanded goals, along with 60 game-winning goals.
When taking a look at the 2009-10 Canucks, they had Mikael Samuelsson, Steve Bernier, and Grabner on the right wing. On the opposite side, they had Alex Burrows, Mason Raymond, and Daniel Sedin. The fourth left and right wingers were interchangeable. Nonetheless, Giroux on the right side with Samuelsson would have been perfect for the Canucks.
Even with Giroux finishing with 16 goals and 47 points in 2009-10 with the Flyers, he would have been the seventh-highest scorer on the Canucks that season. He also would have been the second-highest right winger in points, only behind Samuelsson's 53. Daniel Sedin finished with 85, Burrows had 67, and Raymond had 53 points.
Nothing against Grabner, but his only playing 20 games in his lone season in Vancouver is tough, especially when they could have gotten Giroux eight picks earlier than the Flyers at 22. Even with hindsight 20/20, Giroux had 103 points in his draft season with the Olympiques compared to Grabner's 50 with the Chiefs.
When it comes down to it, the Canucks should have gotten Giroux with the 14th overall pick during the 2006 NHL Entry Draft instead of Grabner. Now, 20 years later, Giroux is looking to add to his point total and is still putting up over 16 minutes a night on average. Imagine Giroux's 25 goals and 76 points on the 2010-11 Canucks, who made the Stanley Cup Final.
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