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Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twentieth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?

Here are the results of our redraft so far:

1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)

Now we move forward to the 20th pick, which was held by the Florida Panthers.

To recap how this works:

  • We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
  • The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.

Back in 2005, Florida selected left winger Kenndal McArdle, an undersized power forward out of Moose Jaw of the WHL.  In his draft season plus the one after that, he was better than a point per game player, providing some hope that he could fill a top six role before too long.  That never really happened though as McArdle was a bottom six forward at the AHL level and failed to impress in a few stints with Florida.  Six years after drafting him, the Panthers moved McArdle to Winnipeg in exchange for center Angelo Esposito, who was one of the biggest first round busts from the 2007 draft.  McArdle, meanwhile, last played in the Swedish second division in 2013-14 and retired that summer.

With the 20th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Panthers select?  Cast your vote below!

With the 20th overall pick, the Florida Panthers select...
Justin Abdelkader 30.53% (120 votes)
Martin Hanzal 29.77% (117 votes)
Andrew Cogliano 7.89% (31 votes)
Kris Russell 6.87% (27 votes)
Cody Franson 4.58% (18 votes)
Benoit Pouliot 4.07% (16 votes)
Devin Setoguchi 3.31% (13 votes)
Sergei Kostitsyn 3.31% (13 votes)
Steve Downie 2.04% (8 votes)
Darren Helm 2.04% (8 votes)
Vladimir Sobotka 1.78% (7 votes)
Jack Skille 1.53% (6 votes)
Jakub Kindl 1.02% (4 votes)
Nathan Gerbe 0.76% (3 votes)
Gilbert Brule 0.25% (1 votes)
Mason Raymond 0.25% (1 votes)
Jared Boll 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 393

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Snapshots: Duchene, Trouba, Waiver Activity

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Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba made his presence felt in his first game of the season. It wasn’t on the scoresheet, however. Just ask Matt Duchene.

Trouba caught Duchene with a high hit to the head, causing the speedy Avalanche center to leave the game. Adrian Dater reported that the NHL’s concussion spotters may have pulled Duchene from the game. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said post-game that he has no update on his star’s condition.

The two players have been linked before, with some speculation the Avalanche offered Duchene up in a trade for Trouba. With Trouba signing a two-year contract with the Jets before withdrawing his trade request and Duchene leading the Avalanche in scoring, it seems unlikely that anything will come to fruition soon.

  • The Florida Panthers have claimed forward Seth Griffith on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Chris Johnston. The Leafs had previously claimed Griffith on waivers from the Bruins just last month, but he was held off the scoresheet in just three games in blue and white. The Leafs needed to make a move with Matt Hunwick returning from IR and Josh Leivo coming back from a conditioning stint. As Johnston points out, the young forward will have a much better chance to make an impact in Florida, where the Panthers are dealing with a handful of injuries. Griffith won’t have to wait long to face his former team; the Panthers are in Toronto this Thursday.
  • Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract with the Calgary Flames. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests Grossmann may have an offer to play overseas. He’s been in and out of the Flames lineup after a successful PTO. Shortly after the signing, Christian Roatis of Flames Nation broke down why the Flames signed the aging defenseman to a one-year, league-minimum contract: to boost their LTIR savings on the injured Ladislav Smid.
  • Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jakub Nakladal cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The Hurricanes have called up Matt Tennyson to take his place on the roster. Nakladal is -4 in three games this season; Tennyson has 7 points in 9 AHL games so far.  Also clearing waivers was Florida’s Shane Harper who was assigned to Springfield of the AHL.  Harper has two goals and an assist in 14 games with the Panthers this season.

Notable NHL Players Who Made Comebacks

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In light of Eric Lindros’ comments yesterday about former Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren suggesting he attempt a comeback to the NHL in 2012, five seasons after retiring, let’s take a look at few notable NHLers who did come back after some time away:

Richard Zednik and Clint Malarchuk – Zednik and Malarchuk survived two of the scariest on-ice incidents in NHL history. In 1989, Malarchuk, then a Sabres goaltender, had his cartoid artery sliced by a skate. His life was saved by the trainer Jim Pizzutelli, who was a former US Army Medic who served in the Vietnam War. Nineteen years later, Zednik had his exterior cartoid artery sliced by the skate of Olli Jokinen. Both men survived and ultimately returned to the NHL the next season, though neither man played much longer.

Gary Roberts – After playing parts of 10 seasons with the Calgary Flames, Roberts was forced to retire at age 30 because of nerve issues in his neck. However, he began working with a chiropractor on a new form of physiotherapy and was able to return to the NHL after missing the 1996-97 season. The Flames traded his rights to Carolina, where the travel would be better than in the Western Conference, and he played 11 more seasons with a handful of teams before retiring in 2009. He founded the Gary Roberts High Performance Centre and Fitness Institute in Ontario, where he trains several high-end athletes including Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid.

Saku Koivu – The longest-tenured captain in Montreal Canadiens history made an unforgettable comeback in the 2001-02 season. In September of 2001, Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He missed nearly the entire season, but made a triumphant return in the Canadiens’ third last game of the season. He was welcomed back with an eight-minute standing ovation by fans, and had two assists in three games as the Canadiens clinched a playoff spot. They went on to beat the first-seeded Boston Bruins in six games before losing to the upstart Carolina Hurricanes, who were on their way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. Koivu won the Masterton Trophy that season for dedication to hockey.

Mario Lemieux – Lemieux retired after the 1996-97 season. While he was still dominating the NHL, scoring 50 goals and 122 points in 76 games that season, he stepped away from the game at age 31. He was just a few years removed from his battle with Hodgkin’s Disease, a form of cancer. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the mandatory three-year waiting period and immediately inducted Lemieux. He was part of a team that bought the Penguins to keep them in Pittsburgh in September 2000. Four months later, the team announced that he would be returning to the lineup. In his second NHL debut, Lemieux had an assist on his first shift and ended up with a goal and two assists versus the Maple Leafs. Lemieux went on to captain Team Canada to gold at the 2002 Olympics and 2004 World Cup. He scored 229 points in 170 NHL games over the next five seasons, including a 91-point performance in 2002-03, before an irregular heartbeat sidelined him once more.

Jakub Nakladal, Shane Harper On Waivers

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First-year forward Shane Harper has been placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers tweets Bill Whitehead, who covers the team for the AP. The 27-year-old Harper made his NHL debut this season, seeing action in 14 games and recording three points for the Panthers.

Harper was signed by the Panthers in the summer of 2015 and spent the entire campaign with the AHL Portland Pirates. He scored 12 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Panthers top minor league affiliate. It’s probable Harper will go unclaimed and be returned to the minors.

Elliotte Friedman adds that joining Harper on waivers this afternoon is defenseman Jakub Nakladal of the Carolina Hurricanes. Nakladal inked an unrestricted free agent deal last month with the Hurricanes and appeared in three contests for Carolina. Nakladal was held scoreless and finished with a -4 plus-minus rating while averaging 14:30 of ice time per game.

Given Nakladal remained unsigned until just days before Carolina’s 2016-17 season opener, it would seem likely he’ll clear waivers and be eligible to be sent to Charlotte of the AHL.

Rangers Trade Dylan McIlrath To Panthers For Steven Kampfer

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The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers struck a deal today, swapping disappointing defenseman. Dylan McIlrath is on his way to Florida with Steven Kampfer the return going back to NYC, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The deal also includes a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick going to the Rangers. McKenzie reports that New York will receive the pick only if McIlrath plays in 30 games for the Panthers this season.

McIlrath is a 2010 first-round pick of the Rangers, but was never able to solidify himself as an everyday player at the NHL level. McIlrath played just three games combined in New York in his first two pro seasons, before finally getting the chance to stay on the roster in 2015-16. Last year, he recorded only four points playing about 14 minutes per night in 34 games with the Rangers. Although the two sides agreed to a one-year deal this off-season, going into this season, McIlrath was not guaranteed a roster spot. After the preseason gave the Rangers a chance to look at their depth on the blue line, they made it clear that they were open to dealing McIlrath. Having played only one game with the team to this point, his status within the organization became clear last week when the former top prospect was put on waivers.  Now, McIlrath gets a fresh start with the Panthers and will look to show that his lack of production so far was a product of the Rangers depth and system rather than his own inability. Not too far gone from being a first-rounder, McIlrath still has some raw talent that Florida will try to develop further, as well as invaluable toughness.

Returning for a second stint in the Big Apple is Kampfer, who was traded to Florida by the Rangers not too long ago. The University of Michigan product appeared to have a bright future in front of him playing for the Boston Bruins right out of college. However, as his play dropped off, the Bruins sold high on him at the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline in a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Greg Zanon. After two seasons playing in the AHL for the Wild’s affiliates, Kampfer signed with the Rangers prior to the 2014-15 season. After he lost a roster battle to former Bruins teammate Matt Hunwick in training camp, the Rangers shipped Kampfer to Florida for veteran forward Joey Crabb. Kampfer played in 72 games with the Panthers over the past two seasons (with very little production), but had only played in one game so far this season and had requested a trade out of Florida. He got his wish, but has been sent back to a team that traded him before he could play a single regular season game for the organization. This time around, Kampfer will provide some experienced depth for the Rangers, but seems likely to still see significant AHL minutes throughout 2016-17.

Panthers Notes: Jagr, Kampfer, Kindl, Injury Updates

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The Florida Panthers were widely expected to challenge the Tampa Bay Lightning for supremacy in the Atlantic Division but through 12 games this season they boast a 5 – 6 – 1 record and have dropped five of their last seven decisions. Injuries to several key players have obviously played a part in the team’s slow start but help may not be far off as a couple of players are nearing a return. As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes, the Panthers just need to hold it together and stay afloat for a while longer until those reinforcements arrive.

Jaromir Jagr is the latest to join the ranks of the wounded, sitting out the final two periods of Saturday’s 4 – 2 loss to Washington due to groin soreness. According to Florida bench boss Gerard Gallant, the injury to Jagr isn’t considered serious and the ageless wonder is listed as day-to-day.

Florida has been without the services of Nick Bjugstad (broken hand) and Jonathan Huberdeau (Achilles) all season while veteran winger Jussi Jokinen has been out since October 20th with a lower-body-injury. Gallant indicated Bjugstad and Jokinen may be able to return this week. While it might be understandable to do so, the coach won’t use the plethora of injuries as an excuse for his team’s early season woes.

“You can’t make excuses for injuries because everybody has them. But obviously with the depth of our hockey team it’s really testing us right now. The guys are working hard and competing. Sometimes you make mistakes. When you play against a great team like Washington, they’ll take advantage of your mistakes and we just made too many.”

While the absences have likely contributed to Florida’s recent slump, they have also allowed for two unheralded offseason additions to see more ice time and impress the organization. Jonathan Marchessault has potted six goals and has 12 points in 12 games while Colton Sceviour has five goals and eight points. While neither player is likely to maintain that scoring pace throughout the campaign, their early-season contributions have certainly been welcome and also represent hope for a balanced scoring attack upon the return of Florida’s top-six forwards.

While unlikely to change the team’s fortunes, the Panthers did place defenseman Steven Kampfer on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman. To take his spot, presumably, the team has recalled fellow blue liner Jakub Kindl from Springfield of the AHL, as George Richards of the Miami Herald reported on Twitter. Kampfer appeared in just one game for Florida, going scoreless and taking two minor penalties in 16:48 of ice time. Kindl has recorded three points in nine minor league games this season. If Kampfer goes unclaimed, he will likely head to Springfield with Kindl assuming the role of seventh defenseman.

 

 

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Senators, Lightning, Red Wings

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How are the top four teams in the Atlantic Division really doing?  There have been some surprises like Montreal’s red-hot start doused by a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ottawa Senators have played great defensively. And the Detroit Red Wings will need a lot more effort wise should they want to make a 26th consecutive playoff appearance. For now, let’s take a closer look at the top four teams in the division.

  • Montreal Canadiens (9-1-1; 19 points; 1st place)

The Habs have benefitted from the return of Carey Price, who has been sparkling between the pipes, registering a 6-0 record, a .964 save percentage, and a goalie point share of 2.3. Al Montoya was fine through Friday night until he surrendered 10 goals in a ghastly game against Columbus. Shea Weber has also been a bright spot, making Marc Bergevin look smart early after the blockbuster trade netted him for P.K. Subban. Weber has ten points (4-6) in 11 games, and leads the Habs in average ice time, logging nearly 26 minutes per night.

  • Ottawa Senators (7-3-0; 14 points; 2nd place)

The Sens have looked strong early, riding a three game winning streak through Friday despite playing a brutal game of musical chairs in net. Craig Anderson has been tending to his wife during a health concern and has been in and out Ottawa, understandably. Andrew Hammond suffered a lower body injury that will keep him out for at least a week. Despite this, the Sens have charged on, and contribution from Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris, and Ryan Dzingel have helped. Though some think they’ll come back to earth, Guy Boucher has done well early on.

  • Tampa Bay Lightning (6-4-1; 13 points; 3rd place)

The Bolts have scored a lot of goals–but they’ve also been fishing the puck out of the net. After jumping out to a 5-1 start, the Lightning have gone 1-3-1 since and suffered from Ben Bishop looking very human with a pedestrian .891 save percentage. Though some of this can be chalked up to struggles and on the blue line, Bishop is in a contract year and isn’t doing enough to help himself–or the Bolts should they look to deal him away instead of losing him for nothing. Steven Stamkos continues to be dominant, putting up 13 points (7-6), while Nikita Kucherov is tied with him (3-10).

  • Detroit Red Wings (6-5-1; 13 points; 4th place)

Sure, they’re fourth, but the Red Wings record is probably the weakest of the any team in the Atlantic. The Bruins have two games in hand, and are only a point behind while the Leafs and Panthers are two points behind, with a game in hand. The Sabres, last in the division, are only three points out of the Wings’ spot. Thomas Vanek was a bright spot until a hip injury sidelined him for 2-3 weeks, but the defense has been abysmal. Worse, the Red Wings are coughing up leads in the third period. Personnel decisions have been questionable, too. The deployment of the OMG line–Steve Ott, Drew Miller and Luke Glendening–has been lampooned by many while younger players, such as Andreas Athanasiou, continue to get limited ice time. The Red Wings can’t afford to sit back should they want to make another playoff appearance. The division–and conference–are much better.

Snapshots: Howard, Blue Jackets, Clutterbuck

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Over the last few seasons, there has been much talk about the Detroit Red Wings’ goaltending situation.

Petr Mrazek, the club’s fifth-round pick in 2010, has been developing into a solid starting goalie, while 32-year-old Jimmy Howard’s play has been below league-average since 2012-13. But while this season marks the first in which Mrazek has made over $1MM (he signed a two-year, $8MM contract in July), Howard has been making a shade under $5.3MM since 2013-14, the year after his numbers began to slide. Howard has an additional two seasons remaining on his contract.

The Red Wings have been trying to trade Howard for a while now, but have obviously been unable to find any suitors thanks to his cap hit. But as of right now, Red Wings GM Ken Holland may be glad about that. Howard has only allowed 3 goals in 4 appearances this season, with a 2-1-0 record and league-highs in GAA and SV% (0.86 and 0.974, respectively). Meanwhile expected starter Mrazek is 4-4-1 with a 0.904 SV% and a GAA over 3. Mrazek has lost three in a row, and Howard will be starting on Sunday versus the West-leading Edmonton Oilers.

It’s still early in the season, but Howard has helped keep the Red Wings in playoff contention; they’re currently in the first wildcard position in the Eastern Conference. Detroit will need Howard to keep up his stellar play if they want to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 1989-90.

  • The Blue Jackets laid a 10-0 beating on the NHL-leading Canadiens Friday night, the first game with a 10-goal differential since 2002-03. On January 11, the Washington Capitals beat the visiting Florida Panthers by a score of 12-2. Then-Capitals forward Jaromir Jagr scored a hat-trick and added 4 assists against his future team. There are only two other players from that game still active in the NHL: Jay Bouwmeester and Roberto Luongo.
  • It was the first 10-0 shutout win since 1996, when Trevor Kidd and the Calgary Flames shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • Finally, John Tavares will have a new line-mate when his Islanders host the Oilers. Gritty forward Cal Clutterbuck will get a chance to play with his captain on the first line, alongside Josh Bailey. It’s a curious choice, seeing as Clutterbuck has only 1 goal and 5 points this season, and his career high of 34-points came back in 2010-11. It’s still more than big-name free-agent signing Andrew Ladd, who has only 1 assist so far. The Islanders have lost four of five, but hope to bounce back against the Oilers, who have dropped three in a row. Speaking of blowouts and the Islanders hosting the Oilers, Edmonton’s previous visit to Brooklyn was an ugly 8-1 win for the home side.

Jaromir Jagr’s Quest For Second Place

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If you were a hockey fan in the early 90’s, you probably remember watching Rock’em-Sock’em tapes and being amazed by the different goals and saves from each year. One of the standouts each time, was none other than the mullet-donning Pittsburgh Penguin winger Jaromir Jagr. He was a star of the videos not just because Don Cherry couldn’t pronounce his name correctly (Yammy, for those who don’t remember) but because he was constantly scoring highlight goals.

Now, two decades later and the ageless wonder is still going strong. Who would have known back then that we were watching a player who would go down as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the NHL.  We all knew he was great, but exactly how great was a lesson still to come.

After notching an assist last night, Jagr is now just 14 points behind Mark Messier for second place all time in NHL scoring at 1873. He ranks third in goals with 750, and sixth in assists. This season he’ll turn 45 years old, something only Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios have accomplished while still playing in the NHL, and if he stays healthy he’ll play in his 1700th career game (he currently ranks sixth all time in GP with 1640).

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Bergenheim Signs With Frolunda

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Another player is headed overseas, but this time it’s one who hasn’t seen meaningful NHL action in some time. Sean Bergenheim has signed on to play with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Elite League, the team announced (link in Swedish). The Finnish winger was back in North America this off-season on a professional tryout agreement with the Anaheim Ducks, but was unable to earn a contract. Last season, Bergenheim played with Bern of the Swiss NLA, with his last big league action coming back in the 2014-15 season split between the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild.

A first-round pick of the New York Islanders all the way back in 2002, Bergenheim got his NHL start early on, cracking the Islanders’ roster at the young age of 19. By 23, he had carved out a nice top-nine role for himself in New York. Never quite a 20-goal scorer, Bergenheim instead thrived as a strong two-way presence, capable of being a shutdown penalty killer, but also putting up 25+ points per season. After five seasons on the island, Bergenheim signed an affordable one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010-11 and had a breakout year. He followed up a career-high 29 points in a career-high 80 games with nine goals in 16 playoff games for the Lightning. His success translated into a nice raise in the form of a four-year, $11MM contract with the cross-state rival Florida Panthers that off-season. While Bergenheim continued to be a reliable player, his numbers didn’t live up to his contract, and he missed the entire lockout-shortened 2012-13 season with an injury. In the final year of his deal in 2014-15, a fed up Panthers team shipped Bergenheim to the Minnesota Wild, where he was a complete non-factor down the stretch. Bergenheim has not played in the NHL since.

Bergenheim’s contract with Frolunda, one of the most decorated teams in Sweden , is for just one year. Don’t be surprised if the 32-year-old veteran of over 500 NHL games tries his hand at earning a North American gig again next season.

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