"Got Stamkos?" That was the question heading into the 2008 NHL draft, and the Lightning sniper has provided a definitive answer. It's hard to ignore all those great defensemen, though.
Steven Stamkos went No. 1 in the 2008 NHL draft and he holds on to the top spot, but just barely. There are no fewer than five cornerstone defensemen who are hot on Stamkos’ heels, as well as one of the most accomplished goaltenders of the past decade.
Here’s a look at the original top 10 draft picks in 2008, followed by a redo of the top 10 with the benefit of hockey hindsight.
2008 NHL draft: The original top 10
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
2. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles
3. Zach Bogosian, Atlanta
4. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis
5. Luke Schenn, Toronto
6. Nikita Filatov, Columbus
7. Colin Wilson, Nashville
8. Mikkel Boedker, Phoenix
9. Josh Bailey, NY Islanders
10. Cody Hodgson, Vancouver
2008 NHL draft: The top 10 do-over (with original draft position in parentheses)
1. Steven Stamkos (1st, Tampa Bay)
2. Erik Karlsson (15th, Ottawa)
3. Drew Doughty (2nd, Los Angeles)
4. Roman Josi (38th, Nashville)
5. John Carlson (27th, Washington)
6. Alex Pietrangelo (4th, St. Louis)
7. Braden Holtby (93rd, Washington)
8. Jordan Eberle (22nd, Edmonton)
9. Tyler Myers (12th, Buffalo)
10. Derek Stepan (51st, NY Rangers)
Honorable mentions: Cam Atkinson (157th, Columbus); Adam Henrique (82nd, New Jersey); Josh Bailey (9th, NY Islanders); Jacob Markstrom (31st, Florida); Jared Spurgeon (156th, NY Islanders).
Notable:
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