2001 NHL Redraft: Sharp climbs from third round to No. 4

With the 2019-20 NHL season on pause due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, NHL.com will reimagine one NHL Draft each week. Today, we look back at the 2001 NHL Draft, which was held at National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida, on June 23-24, 2001.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Jason Spezza were the first two players selected in the 2001 NHL Draft, Kovalchuk going to the Atlanta Thrashers and Spezza to the Ottawa Senators.

With 19 years of hindsight, the forwards remained the first two picks in NHL.com's redraft, but the rest of the top 10 was completely different, in large part because four of the first 10 players originally selected each played fewer than 200 NHL games (forwards Alexander Svitov, No. 3 by Tampa Bay Lightning, and Stanislav Chistov, No. 5 by Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and goalies Pascal Leclaire, No. 8 by Columbus Blue Jackets, and Dan Blackburn, No. 10 by New York Rangers).

RELATED: [2000 Redraft | 2005 Redraft | 2006 Redraft | 2007 Redraft | 2008 Redraft | 2009 Redraft | 2010 Redraft | 2011 Redraft | 2012 Redraft]

Forward Patrick Sharp climbed 91 picks to No. 4, and center Brooks Laich, who originally was selected No. 193, and goalie Mike Smith, who went No. 161, each moved into the top 10.

Who else would move up? Who would drop? Thirty NHL.com staffers, using the draft order and class from 2001, and selected in random order, have answered those questions. Here are the results. For reference, here is how the original draft went.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, Atlanta Thrashers (originally selected No. 1 by Atlanta Thrashers) -- The Thrashers didn't need to rethink their strategy at the top of the draft. Kovalchuk is first in the 2001 class in NHL goals with 443, 102 more than Spezza in second despite playing 197 fewer games. Among players currently in the NHL, he trails only Alex Ovechkin (706), Patrick Marleau (562) and Sidney Crosby (462). Kovalchuk has 876 points in 926 games with the Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, and 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 32 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He had six straight seasons of at least 41 goals, including an NHL career-high 52 in 2005-06 and 2007-08 for Atlanta, and had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 23 games in the 2012 postseason to help New Jersey reach the Stanley Cup Final, when it lost to Los Angeles in six games. Imagine what his numbers would look like had he not played in the Kontinental Hockey League for five seasons from 2013-18 before returning to the NHL with the Kings. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

2. Jason Spezza, C, Ottawa Senators (No. 2 by Ottawa Senators) -- The Senators didn't need to rethink their pick either. Spezza ranks first in points (940) and assists (599) among players in the 2001 class, and his 1,123 games are second only to defenseman Dan Hamhuis' 1,148. Spezza had 687 points (251 goals, 436 assists) in 686 games during 11 seasons for the Senators and is second in goals, assists and points in Ottawa history to Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot (426 goals, 682 assists, 1,108 points). He helped the Senators reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, scoring 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 20 playoff games to finish tied with Alfredsson and teammate Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot for the NHL lead. He's scored 253 points (90 goals, 163 assists) in 437 games for the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs since Ottawa traded him to Dallas on July 1, 2014. -- Pat Pickens, staff writer

3. Mikko Koivu, C, Tampa Bay Lightning (No. 6 by Minnesota Wild) -- Three years after landing center Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot with the No. 1 pick, the Lightning added the versatile and reliable Koivu, giving them great depth down the middle. Koivu, who is fourth among players drafted in 2001 in points (709) and second in assists (504), is known for his excellence on special teams. In his 15th season with the Wild, he ranks third among players in the 2001 class in power-play points (251; 60 goals, 191 assists) and second in shorthanded points (25; 10 goals, 15 assists). Only three players have taken more face-offs than Koivu's 19,290 since his NHL debut Nov. 5, 2005, and he has won 53.7 percent, first in the class among players with at least 5,500 draws. Not one to shy away from physical play, he is in the top 15 among 2001 forwards in penalty minutes (592; sixth), hits (617; 15th) and blocked shots (557; second). -- Sebastien Deschambault, managing editor, LNH.com

4. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, LW, Florida Panthers (No. 95 by Philadelphia Flyers) -- After playing more of a checking role for the Flyers to begin his NHL career, Sharp blossomed offensively after he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 5, 2005. He had 532 points (249 goals, 283 assists) in 749 games with the Blackhawks, helping them win the Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015). He could play center, as he did during the 2010 Cup run, but was best suited at left wing. Sharp ranks sixth in the 2001 class with 620 points (287 goals, 333 assists) in 939 games and 10th with 176 power-play points (74 goals, 102 assists). He retired after playing the 2017-18 season with Chicago following two seasons with Dallas. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

5. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, RW, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (No. 55 by Buffalo Sabres) -- Pominville is fourth in goals (293), third in assists (434) and third in points (727) among players drafted in 2001. He had seven NHL seasons with at least 20 goals, including six in a row from 2006-12. Pominville was effective on special teams, ranking seventh in the 2001 class with 205 power-play points (62 goals, 143 assists), tied for sixth with 15 shorthanded points and tied for third with 10 shorthanded goals. He is third in the class with 1,060 games in 15 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Wild from 2003-19, and his 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 81 NHL playoff games rank fourth. Not bad for a player selected late in the second round. -- David Satriano, staff writer

6. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, LW, Minnesota Wild (No. 49 by Los Angeles Kings) -- Selecting Cammalleri gave the Wild a speedy wing to play on their top two lines. His 294 goals in 906 games over 15 NHL seasons (2002-18) are third most from the 2001 draft. He scored at least 20 goals seven times and reached 30 goals twice, including an NHL-career high 39 with the Calgary Flames in 2008-09. Cammalleri played in the NHL postseason three times in his career, but he produced when his teams got there. He had 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 32 playoff games, including an NHL-leading 13 goals in 19 games in 2010 with the Canadiens. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

7. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, Montreal Canadiens (No. 71 by Montreal Canadiens) -- The Canadiens originally took Plekanec in the third round but were happy to select him here. He's one of five players drafted in 2001 to play at least 1,000 NHL games (1,001; all but 17 with Montreal). He is seventh in points (608) and sixth in goals (233) and assists (375) in the class. He scored at least 50 points in six of his 12 full NHL seasons, including a career-high 70 (25 goals, 45 assists) in 2009-10, before retiring after three games with the Canadiens in 2018-19. He always seemed to get under the skin of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand, and that's never a bad thing. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

8. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 193 by Ottawa Senators) -- Laich sat on the 2001 draft board until near the end of the sixth round. We were happy to move him way up. He had good size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) for net-front battles during an NHL career that spanned 13 seasons, and he showed a nice scoring touch during three consecutive 20-goal seasons with the Capitals from 2007-10, including an NHL career-high 25 in 2009-10. Laich is 14th in the 2001 draft class in goals (134), tied for 19th in assists (198) and 17th in points (332). Injuries took their toll on Laich, who retired in 2018 after playing 776 games. He was a solid leader whose defensive game was strong, a veteran who was willing to work with young players during his final seasons. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

9. Mike Smith, G, Chicago Blackhawks (No. 161 by Dallas Stars) -- The Blackhawks were tied for 23rd in the NHL in goals-against in 2000-01 (246; 3.00 per game), so Chicago welcomed the opportunity to snap up its goalie of the future with this pick. Craig Anderson was a realistic option here, but Smith has the second-most wins (262) and shutouts (39) in the 2001 class, behind Anderson. It was his elite puck-handling skills, often making it seem that his team has a sixth skater on the ice, that gave him the edge. Smith became the seventh NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent's net when he did so for the Phoenix Coyotes against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 19, 2013. Smith, who won a gold medal with Canada as the backup to Carey Price and Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, keeps on going too; he had 19 wins for the Edmonton Oilers when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, New York Rangers (No. 32 by Buffalo Sabres) -- Roy may be 21st in the 2001 class with 776 games, but his per-game production is almost as good as anyone's. In six seasons from 2005-2011, Roy had 364 points (135 goals, 229 assists) in 420 games for the Sabres (0.87 per game). Despite battling injuries throughout his 11 NHL seasons, his average of 0.71 points per game is tied with Cammalleri for third in the class behind Kovalchuk's 0.95 and Spezza's 0.84. Roy, who had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 72 games for the Nashville Predators and Oilers in his final season in 2014-15, averaged 18:10 of ice time per game in his career, third among 2001 forwards behind Kovalchuk (21:10) and Koivu (19:11). Though the Rangers would acquire Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot two months later in a trade from the Flyers and had 40-year-old Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, adding a center with Roy's versatility would have proved to be valuable at the time. -- Matt Cubeta, Editor-in-Chief, NHL.com International

11. Craig Anderson, G, Phoenix Coyotes (No. 73 by Chicago Blackhawks) -- Anderson leads the 2001 class in wins (289) and shutouts (42), and his .913 save percentage is tied with Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot for the best among those goalies who played at least 50 games (Anderson has played 648 compared to Huet's 272). He has had three seasons with at least 31 wins, including NHL career highs of 38 wins and seven shutouts with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009-10, and been one of the most underrated playoff performers of the modern era with a .929 save percentage in 46 games. His most memorable run was when he went 11-8 with a .922 save percentage in the 2017 playoffs, helping the Senators to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. With Smith going two picks earlier, it was a no-brainer for the Coyotes to invest in a workhorse goalie like Anderson. -- Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

12. Dan Hamhuis, D, Nashville Predators (No. 12 by Nashville Predators) -- Another example of a team that made the right pick the first time around. Though Hamhuis has never scored more than seven goals in any of his 16 NHL seasons, he has been a consistently solid presence in the defensive zone. Hamhuis is first in the 2001 class in games (1,148; eighth among all players since he entered the NHL in 2003-04) and rating (plus-72), and he is third in average ice time (21:21). Among 2001 defensemen, he ranks second in points (356; 59 goals, 297 assists) and first in shorthanded points (13; three goals, 10 assists).-- John Ciolfi, senior producer, LNH.com

13. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Edmonton Oilers (No. 151 by Vancouver Canucks) -- The Oilers went for a heart-and-soul leader, a tough, physical, reliable defenseman. Bieksa had 278 points (63 goals, 215 assists) in 808 games with Vancouver and Anaheim from 2005-18. He was most known for playing on shutdown pairs and his ability to play a two-way game. He could knock you over or rush the puck. Fourteen of his 63 goals were game-winners, meaning he was clutch too. He had 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 86 playoff games. His average of 21:36 of ice time is the highest in the 2001 class. He packed a wallop in each of the minutes he played too. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

14. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Calgary Flames (No. 172 by Philadelphia Flyers) -- Seidenberg never had more than the seven goals or 32 points he had with Boston in 2010-11, but he was a steady, reliable presence for six teams in his 15 NHL seasons. He was Zdeno Chara's partner on the top defense pair for the Bruins when they won the Cup in 2011. He last played in the NHL with the New York Islanders in 2017-18, but general manager Lou Lamoriello thought enough of Seidenberg that he kept him around to practice with the team the following season in case the Islanders needed to add a defenseman to their roster. He had 251 points (44 goals, 207 assists) and a plus-39 rating in 859 games. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

15. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, RW, Carolina Hurricanes (No. 13 by Edmonton Oilers) -- No one scored more than 67 points for the Hurricanes in 2000-01, and three of their top five scorers were at least 30 years old. That seemed like a pretty good reason to go with the best offensive player available. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot also was a consideration here. Hemsky's 398 assists rank fifth among players drafted in 2001 despite him missing considerable time with injuries, and his average of 0.68 points per game (572 in 845 games) is seventh. Hemsky, who announced his retirement May 15, played for four teams in 15 NHL seasons. -- Paul Strizhevsky, columnist, NHL.com/ru

16. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Vancouver Canucks (No. 176 by New York Rangers) -- Having the best offensive defenseman of this draft slip to them at No. 16 made the Canucks happy. Vancouver was a few seasons from having to replace Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot's offense from the blue line, and that is exactly what Zidlicky would have done. He is first among 2001 defensemen in goals (89), assists (328), points (417), power-play goals (59) and power-play points (218). Drafted at 24 years old, he wasted no time showing he belonged in the NHL, scoring 53 points (14 goals, 39 assists), including 35 on the power play (sixth in the NHL), in 82 games for the Predators in 2003-04, his first season in the League. Zidlicky did not have to wait until the sixth round to hear his name called this time around. -- Guillaume Lepage, staff writer, LNH.com

17. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, Toronto Maple Leafs (No. 192 by Dallas Stars) -- The Maple Leafs originally selected defenseman Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot here, but they opted for a forward in this redraft. Jokinen is ninth in the 2001 class with 563 points (191 goals, 372 assists) and sixth with 951 games for nine teams from 2005-18. The most productive of his 13 NHL seasons came with the Hurricanes in 2009-10, when he scored 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists). His excellence on face-offs (winning percentage of 53.5 percent; fifth in class among those with at least 1,500 draws) and in the shootout (shooting percentage of 38.5 percent; 25th in NHL since instituted in 2005-06) helped push him well ahead of where he originally was taken in the draft. Jokinen is still playing professionally, for Oulun Karpat in Liiga, the top league in Finland. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

18. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Los Angeles Kings (No. 106 by San Jose Sharks) -- The Kings added offense from the blue line with Ehrhoff, who leads defensemen in the 2001 draft class in even-strength goals with 44. He ranks second in goals (74), third in assists (265) and third in points (339). All that, even though he ranks seventh in games (789). At the peak of an NHL career that spanned 2003-16, he was in the top 10 in Norris Trophy voting twice (eighth in 2011 and ninth in 2010 with Vancouver). -- Nick Cotsonika, columnist

19. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, Boston Bruins (No. 16 by Vancouver Canucks) -- The Bruins were happy to see a five-time 20-goal scorer drop to them, even if that was going to mean waiting for him to play two more seasons at Ohio State. Umberger is 10th in the 2001 class in goals (180) and 13th in points (392) after an 11-season NHL career that ended after 2015-16. He scored 20 goals for the Flyers as a rookie in 2005-06, but his best seasons came with the Blue Jackets from 2008-12, when he averaged 23.5 goals per season. With Joe Thornton emerging as a dominant No. 1 center for Boston, Umberger would have been a perfect addition behind him. -- John Kreiser, managing editor

20. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, San Jose Sharks (No. 4 by Florida Panthers) -- The Sharks finished second in the Pacific Division in 2000-01 thanks to stingy defense (192 goals-against, tied for third in NHL) and solid goaltending by Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot (32 wins, 2.19 goals-against average, .915 save percentage). But their offensive deficiencies -- no one scored more than 52 points -- caught up with them in the playoffs, and they were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Quarterfinals after scoring 11 goals in six games. Weiss is 11th in the 2001 class with 423 points, 12th with 156 goals and 13th with 267 assists. He scored at least 20 goals four times and at least 60 points twice for some bad teams with Florida, which made the playoffs once in his 11 seasons there (2001-12). -- Frank Giase, staff writer

21. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 175 by San Jose Sharks) -- I thought long and hard about sticking with forward Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, who was originally selected with this pick, but the allure of a big (6-3, 225) forward was too much to pass up here. Clowe's career was cut short by injuries; he played more than 70 games in four out of 10 NHL seasons with the Sharks, Rangers and Devils. But when he was healthy, he was tough to contain. In four seasons from 2008-2012, Clowe scored 216 points (82 goals, 134 assists) in 304 games for San Jose (0.71 points per game). He scored 309 points (112 goals, 197 assists) in 491 NHL games, an average of 0.63 per game, ninth among 2001 forwards. -- Shawn P. Roarke, Senior Director of Editorial

22. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, RW, Buffalo Sabres (No. 264 by Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) -- It took Parenteau nine years to become a full-time player in the NHL, clear signs of determination and perseverance every GM craves. He became a two-time 20-goal scorer and had an NHL career-high 67 points (18 goals, 49 assists) with the Islanders in 2011-12. Parenteau, who finished with 296 points (114, 182 assists) in 491 NHL games from 2006-2017, was also a valuable weapon in the shootout, converting on 20 of his 46 shots (43.5 percent; 14th among players with at least 40 shots). -- Brian Compton, deputy managing editor

23. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Ottawa Senators (No. 221 by Washington Capitals) -- His 850 games are fourth among defensemen in the 2001 class, his 190 points (41 goals, 149 assists) are seventh, and his plus-63 rating is second. The Senators originally selected defenseman Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot with this pick, indicating they were seeking help at the position. Oduya, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago (2013, 2015) who was known for his smooth skating and calm demeanor in his own end in 12 NHL seasons, would have been someone Ottawa could have counted on for seasons to come. -- Rob Reese, fantasy editor

24. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, D, Florida Panthers (No. 40 by New York Rangers) -- The Panthers stabilized their defense by picking Tyutin, whose 872 NHL games before retiring after the 2016-17 season are second among 2001 defensemen. His best NHL seasons came with the Blue Jackets, including 2008-09, when he had NHL career highs in goals (nine) and points (34). He's first in Columbus history among defensemen with 74 power-play points (11 goals, 63 assists) and second in assists (146) and games (553). Seth Jones (150) and David Savard (557) passed Tyutin in the latter two categories this season. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

25. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, LW, Montreal Canadiens (No. 9 by Chicago Blackhawks) -- After missing the playoffs for the third straight season in part because they were poor offensively (206 goals in 2000-01 were 22nd in the NHL), the Canadiens decided to try to do more to enhance their forward group with this pick. Having already chosen Plekanec at No. 7, Montreal added Ruutu, who scored 346 points (148 goals, 198 assists; 15th in 2001 draft class) in 735 games over 12 NHL seasons. Ruutu, who became a versatile player rather than just an offensive threat, began his NHL career with 23 goals for the Blackhawks in 2003-04 and exceeded 30 points in a season seven times, including an NHL career-high 57 (19 goals, 38 assists) for the Hurricanes in 2010-11. He retired in 2017 after playing one season for Davos in Switzerland's National League. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer

26. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, G, Dallas Stars (No. 63 by Colorado Avalanche) -- After the Stars' bid to make to make it to the Stanley Cup Final a third straight season fell short, it was time to put an eye toward the future. When Budaj made his NHL debut in 2005-06, Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot was long gone, and Dallas needed a quality backup for Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot. With Smith, who began his NHL career with the Stars in 2006-07, and Anderson off the board in this redraft, Budaj made the most sense. He is third in wins (158) and games (368) among goalies drafted in 2001. He retired in 2019 after 13 NHL seasons (158-132-20, 2.70 GAA, .904 save percentage), his best being 2006-07, when he had an NHL career-high 31 wins in 57 games for Colorado. -- Dan O'Leary, staff writer

27. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, G, Philadelphia Flyers (No. 99 by Ottawa Senators) -- Looking to supplement their goaltending after Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot finished second to the Sabres' Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot in Vezina Trophy voting as a rookie in 2000-01, the Flyers went with Emery. He's fourth in the 2001 class in wins (145) and games (287), and among the 10 goalies who played at least 50 NHL games, he is tied with Budaj for fourth in GAA (2.70) and ranks fifth in save percentage (.906). Emery transitioned from a starter for Ottawa's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007 to a reliable backup for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy with Corey Crawford after Chicago allowed an NHL-low 97 goals in the 48-game 2012-13 season. The Flyers thought enough of Emery to sign him four times, including a one-year contract for 2014-15, his last NHL season. (Emery died July 15, 2018, at the age of 35.) -- William Douglas, staff writer

28. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, C, New Jersey Devils (No. 253 by St. Louis Blues) -- With a stacked roster and coming off a seven-game loss to the Avalanche in the 2001 Stanley Cup Final, the Devils went for the best player available here and chose Cajanek, who was 25 years old and had been productive for most of his eight prior seasons in the Czech Extraliga, the Czech Republic's top professional league. He likely would have meshed well with three fellow Czech Republic natives who played key roles for New Jersey, forwards Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot and Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot. Cajanek scored 153 points (46 goals, 107 assists) in 269 games for St. Louis from 2002-07 before returning to Europe for eight more pro seasons. You have to wonder if the Czech influence would have propelled him into becoming a strong role player for the Devils. -- Barry Rubinstein, manager, assignments

29. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, G, Chicago Blackhawks (No. 214 by Los Angeles Kings) -- The Blackhawks originally used this pick to select goalie Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, who went on to play 17 NHL games. In this redraft, they again selected a goalie, but this time they got a much more effective one. Huet had a 2.46 GAA in 272 NHL games from 2003-10 and won at least 20 games in three seasons, including an NHL career-high 32 for the Canadiens and Capitals in 2007-08. His .913 save percentage is tied with Anderson for best among goalies from the 2001 draft, and his 24 shutouts are third. -- Jim Cerny, senior editor

30. Video: WSH@NYR: Kovalchuk wires home blistering slap shot, RW, Los Angeles Kings (No. 227 by Colorado Avalanche) -- In 2005-06, Ovechkin led NHL rookies with 52 goals, and Crosby was second with 39. Perhaps surprisingly, third on that list was Svatos, who scored 32 goals, including nine game-winners, and had 50 points in 61 games before his season was cut short by a shoulder injury. Two seasons later, Svatos was leading the Avalanche with 26 goals in 62 games before his season again ended early, this time because of a torn ACL. Although he struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, never playing more than 69 games in a season, Svatos showed enough skill when was on the ice (100 goals in 344 NHL games) to make him a solid selection at the end of the first round for the Kings, who were looking to build off a trip to the 2001 Western Conference Semifinals. (Svatos died Nov. 5, 2016, at the age of 34.) -- Brett Amadon, staff writer