THN.com/podcast. THN On The 'O': NHL Draft and Combine Previews, Petes' Finish and More Ryan Getzlaf and Shea Weber both became captains of the teams that drafted them back in the memorable 2003 NHL draft in Nashville. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk4ODIzOTA1Njk4MjYwNzQz/usatsi_9269312.jpg] Ryan Getzlaf and Shea Weber both became captains of the teams that drafted them back in the memorable 2003 NHL draft in Nashville. Twenty years ago on June 21, the Nashville Predators served up their legendary southern hospitality at a major NHL event for the first time as the hosts of the 2003 NHL draft. Expansion draft rules were very different when the Predators joined the league in 1998. Five years in, they were still looking for their first playoff appearance and their first .500 season. While broadband internet had become widely available by 2003, high-definition TV broadcasts were still a couple of years away from becoming commonplace. That meant that NHL scouts still relied on in-person player viewings — although that year, it was hard to go wrong. The group that came out of Nashville two decades ago is widely considered to be one of the best of all-time. As hosts, the Predators made sure they played a starring role for their fans who attended live at what was then still known as the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Nashville made 13 picks over June 21 and 22, 2003, including four in the first two rounds as GM David Poile built up his team's defense for coach Barry Trotz. That draft turned into a game-changer for the Preds, who took defenseman Ryan Suter at No. 7, Kevin Klein and No. 37 and Shea Weber at No. 49. The trio didn't reach the NHL until the 2005-06 season, but they quickly became the foundation for a squad on the rise. Starting in 2003-04, Nashville started a streak of seven playoff appearances in the next eight seasons. Two decades later, the draft returns. And after knocking it out of the park as hosts of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game and the 2017 Stanley Cup final, Music City will be hosting a super-sized week of NHL events this time around. That includes the first fully-staged NHL Awards since before the pandemic on Monday, June 26, as well as the draft itself on June 28 and 29. This year, of course, Poile will be feted. He'll be days away from leaving his post, with Trotz officially moving into the GM's chair on July 1. And once again, the Preds are rich with picks after their trade-deadline sell-off — another 13, including two in the first round (Nos. 15 and 24) and two in the second (Nos. 46 and 47). Of course, Nashville wasn't the only franchise to re-chart its course thanks to its selections from the 2003 draft. Great players were available, and quite a few of them fast-tracked their teams to Stanley Cups in short order. * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk4ODI0MDMwNzg5MTgzMjM5/usatsi_20690666.jpg] Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter Two decades after their names were called in Nashville, most of the players from the class of 2003 have moved on from the NHL. Some of those who remain refuse to go quietly, still playing important roles in the just-completed Stanley Cup playoffs. Eric Staal has that Cup ring from 2006. After a long stretch without contending, he has reached the final again in two of the last three years, with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021 and with the Florida Panthers this spring. Joe Pavelski was a seventh-round pick by the San Jose Sharks at No. 205 and is now the fourth highest-scoring player from his very elite draft class, at 1,001 points. He's still looking for his first title after reaching the final with the Sharks in 2016 and with the Dallas Stars in the 2020 bubble. This year, his four game-winning goals tied Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe of Florida for the most in the playoffs. Pavelski's former teammate on the Sharks, Brent Burns, is in a similar boat. He has 1,333 games played and counting and is sixth in total minutes played since ice-time stats started being kept in 1997-98 — behind only Zdeno Chara, Suter, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Duncan Keith. And whatever Burns totes around in that mysterious backpack of his, it's keeping his body young. At 26 minutes per game in the playoffs, he ranked seventh in average ice time. His quest for a ring also continues. Next week, with the class of '23 rumored to bring another bonanza of elite talent, here's hoping the NHL photographers can assemble 18 of this year's top prospects on the same staircase that spawned that legendary group picture from 20 years ago. Hopefully, in 2043, we can marvel at how many of those players met or exceeded the lofty expectations that are heavy on their shoulders now and admire the under-the-radar talents who somehow managed to sneak under the scouts' radar. THN.com/free.
