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While I was looking at Zach Hamill stats yesterday, it got me thinking about the '07 NHL draft – or as people in Vancouver refer to it: The WORST DRAFT EVER! – and how many mistakes were made by so many teams.

The stat that stood out to me was only 27 per cent of first round picks from that season are still with their organization six years later.

If the secret to NHL success is to build through the draft, there were a lot of swings and misses in this one.

And on a Vancouver note, six picks, ZERO NHL games played. How that is even possible I'm not sure, but good job Nonis. I hope you learned a tad and you have a better record this season in Toronto.


First round

1 Patrick Kane CHI
2 James Van Riemsdyk PHI
3 Kyle Turris PHX
4 Thomas Hickey LA
5 Karl Alzner WASH
6 Sam Gagner EDM
7 Jakub Voracek CBJ
8 Zach Hamill BOS
9 Logan Couture SJ
10 Keaton Ellerby FLA
11 Brandon Sutter CAR
12 Ryan McDonagh MTL
13 Lars Eller STL
14 Kevin Shattenkirk COL
15 Alex Plante EDM
16 Colton Gillies MIN
17 Alexei Cherepanov NYR
18 Ian Cole STL
19 Logan MacMillan ANH
20 Angelo Esposito PIT
21 Riley Nash EDM
22 Max Pacioretty MTL
23 Jonathon Blum NASH
24 Mikael Backlund CGY
25 Patrick White VAN
26 David Perron STL
27 Brendan Smith DET
28 Nick Petrecki SJ
29 Jim O'Brien OTT
30 Nick Ross PHX

The teams I had a pretty good chuckle over (and not in a make fun manner, but more in an ironic manner) were the Blues and Oilers. I remember this being the year that was going to be their big re-build. They were supposed to be adding three pieces for the future.

Now, six years later, the only building block that remains in place is Sam Gagner. Six picks and only one that was good enough to stick with their team until they were 23/24 years old.

Granted, each team added some good and in some cases some not so good assets for their players, but still, you have to figure both these organizations were looking to add guys that would be in the organization for ten plus years; not, in some cases a couple.


My Top 10

1 Patrick Kane
2 PK Subban
3 Logan Couture
4 Jamie Benn
5 Ryan McDonagh
6 Kevin Shattenkirk
7 Sam Gagner
8 Max Pacioretty
9 Karl Alzner
10 Wayne Simmonds
HM- Carl Hagelin, David Perron and Jakub Voracek


BEST DRAFT- Montreal Canadiens – hands down on this one. They selected three of the top 10 players in the whole draft. Now if only they held onto all of them.


WORST DRAFT- Vancouver Canucks – I'm not even sure any of the Canucks selections are still playing hockey. (I'm such a homer eh?)



Looking back at the '07 draft, what are some of your thoughts?

Who do you wish your team took?

Who do you regret taking?


Until tomorrow my friends, stay classy

Ian

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