Revisiting the 2003 NHL Draft

Today has been a rather slow day, and being that I would like to have something to fill this space, well, here I am.

This evening, I have flipped through the old NHL rags that I have kept through the years and happened upon the preview for the 2003-2004 season.  Going through these things is fun for me because it offers a retrospective of who was favored that year, but the most fun I have is leafing through to see who the teams picked in the draft and the prospects they had in the system.

So, to offer some perspective and hindsight on the 2003 offseason, here are a few picks from the 2003 Draft, with the player and the position in which they were drafted along with how they panned out.

1. Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)


Being a number one draft pick is hard, especially for a goaltender.  More often than not, the best goaltenders are the ones not drafted in the first round.  Fleury isn't an elite goaltender, but he does have a Stanley Cup and a gold medal (as a third-stringer) to his name.  More consistency is all he needs to be elite.

5. Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres)


Of the top five, he has been considered the best pick.  Consistent 30-goal scorer for a team that always seems to struggle for offense.

9. Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames)


Early on, it looked like he would be the next big superstar on the blue line.  However, he struggled and essentially played his way out of Calgary.  He has found new life in Toronto, and is now the team's captain.  If I root for the Maple Leafs this year, it will be because of Phaneuf.

12. Hugh Jessiman (New York Rangers)


The highest drafted bust of the year's draft, it marked the Rangers' inability to field a competitive team despite paying the most for players.  They could have had Dustin Brown (13th overall), Zach Parise (17th overall), or Mike Richards (24th overall).

23. Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks)


When the Vancouver Canucks look back at this draft, they can say that they did a good job in picking someone who is part of the team's current plan.  Selke finalist and important part of the USA Olympic team this year, he parlayed that into being the cover boy for NHL2K11.

30. Shawn Belle (St. Louis Blues)


The last pick of the first round, he has also been unable to find a niche in the NHL.  Was traded to the Dallas Stars while still in the Blues' minor league system and has bounced around in the minors.