A defenseman went first overall in the 2006 NHL draft, but Jonathan Toews takes over the No. 1 spot with the benefit of hockey hindsight.
A defenseman went first overall in the 2006 NHL draft, but Jonathan Toews takes over the No. 1 spot with the benefit of hockey hindsight.
There was only one defenseman selected first overall in the NHL draft from 1997 through 2013, and it was Erik Johnson by St. Louis in 2006. And he’s proven to be a foundational blueliner, even if he’s spent most of his career in Colorado after being traded by the Blues in 2011.
Here’s a look at the original top 10 draft picks in 2006, followed by a redo of the top 10 with the benefit of hockey hindsight.
2006 NHL draft: The original top 10
1. Erik Johnson, St. Louis
2. Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh
3. Jonathan Toews, Chicago
4. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington
5. Phil Kessel, Boston
6. Derick Brassard, Columbus
7. Kyle Okposo, NY Islanders
8. Peter Mueller, Phoenix
9. James Sheppard, Minnesota
10. Michael Frolik, Florida
2006 NHL draft: The top 10 do-over (with original draft position in parentheses)
1. Jonathan Toews (3rd, Chicago)
2. Claude Giroux (22nd, Philadelphia)
3. Brad Marchand (71st, Boston)
4. Nicklas Backstrom (4th, Washington)
5. Jordan Staal (2nd, Pittsburgh)
6. Phil Kessel (5th, Boston)
7. Erik Johnson (1st, St. Louis)
8. Semyon Varlamov (23rd, Washington)
9. Milan Lucic (50th, Boston)
10. Nick Foligno (28th, Ottawa)
Honorable mentions: Michael Frolik (10th, Florida); Bryan Little (12th, Atlanta); Jeff Petry (45th, Edmonton); Derick Brassard (6th, Columbus); Kyle Okposo (7th, NY Islanders).
Notable:
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