2008 NHL Redraft: Doughty, Stamkos flip spots at top

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 2008 NHL Draft, which was held at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on June 20-21, 2008.

When the Ottawa Senators hosted the 2008 NHL Draft, they had the 15th pick in the first round, which they used to select defenseman Erik Karlsson. Twelve years later, there is no question Karlsson would not last that long.

The defenseman, who twice has been voted winner of the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL and has 603 points (135 points, 468 assists) in 736 games, jumped into the top three in our redraft. Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, originally selected No. 93 by Washington, landed in the top five, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson, who was taken by Columbus with the 157th pick, is in the top 10.

RELATED: [2005 NHL Redraft | 2006 NHL Redraft | 2007 NHL Redraft]

Who else would move up? Who would drop? Thirty NHL.com staffers, using the draft order and class from 2008, and selected in random order, have answered those questions. Here are the results. For reference, here is how the original draft went.

1. Drew Doughty, D, Tampa Bay Lightning (originally selected No. 2 by Los Angeles Kings) -- Choosing between Doughty and center Steven Stamkos was not easy, but championship teams are built from the back end out, and the need for a defenseman who defends, transitions, sustains puck possession and creates offense is paramount. Doughty was named to the NHL First All-Decade Team for the 2010s. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a Norris Trophy winner (2016) and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2010, 2014). Doughty is fourth among players drafted in 2008 with 502 points (117 goals, 385 assists), and he's first in games (919) and in average ice time per game (26:15). He's arguably his generation's best defenseman and is among its most decorated. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Steven Stamkos, C, Los Angeles Kings (No. 1 by Tampa Bay Lightning) -- With Doughty gone, taking Stamkos, who leads the 2008 draft class in goals (422) and points (832) by a wide margin, was a no-brainer. He would be coming to a team that already had one of the best two-way centers in NHL history, Anze Kopitar, who had 77 points in 2007-08, his second NHL season. That's quite a one-two punch down the middle and made taking Stamkos an easy choice. -- John Kreiser, managing editor

3. Erik Karlsson, D, Atlanta Thrashers (No. 15 by Ottawa Senators) -- After allowing 266 goals in 2007-08, tied with Tampa Bay for worst in the NHL, getting a defenseman who could help tighten up things and also add some scoring punch was paramount for Atlanta. He's second behind Stamkos from the 2008 draft class with 603 points (135 goals, 468 assists) in 736 games. Karlsson was named to the NHL Second All-Decade Team for the 2010s and is a four-time member of the NHL First All-Star Team (2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17) and a two-time Norris Trophy winner (2012, 2015). -- William Douglas, staff writer

4. Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis Blues (No. 4 by St. Louis Blues) -- It's almost a gift that Pietrangelo was available to be selected by the Blues again here, so I didn't pass up the opportunity. Although he may not get the recognition for his offense as much as Karlsson, he does rank fourth among defensemen drafted in 2008 with 450 points (109 goals, 341 assists) in 758 games. More important is how much he has meant to St. Louis at each end of the ice. Pietrangelo, whose plus-77 rating is third among players in the 2008 draft class, has led Blues defensemen in takeaways each season since 2014-15, and he has been first or second in shorthanded ice time and blocked shots each season in the same span. If those numbers weren't enough, don't forget he was captain when St. Louis won the Stanley Cup for the first time in its 51-season history in 2018-19. -- Brett Amadon, staff writer

5. Braden Holtby, G, Toronto Maple Leafs (No. 93 by Washington Capitals) -- Holtby moved up 88 spots to stabilize Toronto at goalie. He has twice led the NHL in wins for Washington, including 48 in 2015-16, tied with Martin Brodeur for most in one season in NHL history, and tops the 2008 draft class in victories (282), save percentage (.916) and shutouts (35). Holtby won 16 games and had a 2.16 goals-against average and .922 save percentage during the Capitals' run to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018. His reaching stick save on Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch with 1:59 remaining in the third period of Game 2 of the Cup Final is considered the turning point of the best-of-7 series. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

6. John Carlson, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 27 by Washington Capitals) -- Somehow, Carlson slipped to No. 6 in this redraft and was the fourth defenseman taken. Since 2016-17, he's second among NHL defensemen in points (250) and assists (198) behind Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks (271, 202), and his 107 power-play points are tied for first with Torey Krug of the Boston Bruins. Carlson is first among defensemen drafted in 2008 in rating (plus-92) and blocked shots (1,504), and his 445 takeaways are second behind Karlsson's 585. Washington has only missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in his career; he leads the 2008 class in NHL playoff games (107) and points (60), and he is tops among defensemen in goals (18). Not to mention he had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 24 games to help them win the Cup in 2018. -- David Satriano, staff writer

7. Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators (No. 38 by Nashville Predators) -- Twelve years later, the Predators still got arguably the best defenseman in their history and one of the front-runners for the Norris Trophy this season. Josi is fifth among defensemen from the 2008 draft class with 413 points (109 goal, 304 assists), but he's second in points per game (0.65) behind Karlsson (0.82). He's raised his game to another level this season with NHL career highs in goals (16), assists (49) and points (65). He's tied for second with Pietrangelo among NHL defensemen in goals behind Zach Werenski of Columbus Blue Jackets (20), is second in points behind Carlson (75), and ranks third in the NHL in average ice time at 25:47. That a player of Josi's caliber was the fifth defenseman taken in the top seven of this redraft speaks to the remarkably high skill level of the players selected at the position in the 2008 draft. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

8. Jordan Eberle, RW, Arizona Coyotes (No. 22 by Edmonton Oilers) -- With the big-name defensemen off the board, Eberle was a solid choice for the Coyotes, who were looking for more offensive firepower. He's second in goals (225) and third in power-play goals (55) and points (518) among the 2008 draft class. He had an NHL career-high 76 points (34 goals, 42 assists) in 2011-12 for the Oilers. Ray Whitney (77 points in 2011-12) and Shane Doan (73 points in 2008-09) are the only Coyotes to have at least 70 points in a season since 2008-09, making Eberle a welcome addition.-- Rob Reese, fantasy editor

9. Adam Henrique, C, New York Islanders (No. 82 by New Jersey Devils) -- Talented two-way centers with a bit of size (6-foot, 188 pounds) and sandpaper never go out of style, and Henrique has proven that he should have been selected much higher than the third round. He has 26 goals in 71 games for the Anaheim Ducks, putting him on pace for the second 30-goal season of his NHL career (30 in 80 games for New Jersey in 2015-16), and is averaging 21.9 goals per season since joining the Devils full-time in 2011-12 (not including the shortened 2012-13 season). Solid on the power play and penalty kill, Henrique has averaged more than 18 minutes per game five seasons in his NHL career, including 19:50 in 2015-16, a luxury any team in the League would embrace. -- Shawn P. Roarke, Senior Director of Editorial

10. Cam Atkinson, RW, Vancouver Canucks (No. 157 by Columbus Blue Jackets) -- Consistent goal-scoring wings with a high shot volume are hard to come by, so Atkinson was a great choice for the Canucks in this spot. Atkinson, who had NHL career highs in goals (41) and points (69) last season, has had at least 21 goals and 212 shots on goal in each of his six full NHL seasons for Columbus. He would have been the ideal finisher on a line with either Henrik Sedin or Ryan Kesler for Vancouver. Atkinson ended up being a hidden gem for the Blue Jackets in the sixth round in 2008; he ranks second in the draft class in goals per game (0.35) behind Stamkos (0.53) and in shots on goal per game (3.02) behind Stamkos (3.11). -- Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

11. Derek Stepan, C, Chicago Blackhawks (No. 51 by New York Rangers) -- Considering the Blackhawks were two years from winning the Stanley Cup, there wasn't much about their lineup that needed to be addressed by 2008, but center depth is always welcomed. Stepan would have been an excellent second-line center behind Jonathan Toews because he can have an impact at each end of the ice, as well as on special teams. He has the best rating among all players selected in 2008 (plus-96), and among forwards in the draft class, he is third in points (479), power-play points (124) and blocked shots (414), second in takeaways (463), and tied for second with Zack Smith in shorthanded points (22). -- John Ciolfi, senior producer, LNH.com

12. Jared Spurgeon, D, Buffalo Sabres (No. 156 by New York Islanders) -- The 2008 draft was filled with valuable defensemen as evidenced by the fact that Spurgeon was the sixth selected in this redraft. He has scored double-digit goals in four of five seasons since 2015-16 and has had at least 30 points in each of the past four, including 32 (12 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games this season. Spurgeon's plus-50 rating is fifth among players selected in 2008, and his average of 22:22 of ice time per game is seventh. He would've been an asset on the power play (93 points, sixth among defensemen in 2008 draft class) and penalty kill (1:58 of shorthanded ice time per game, 10th) for the Sabres, who lacked a clear No. 1 defenseman. -- Matt Cubeta, Editor-in-Chief, NHL.com International

13. Tyler Myers, D, Los Angeles Kings (No. 12 by Buffalo Sabres) -- This was a home run of a first round for the Kings getting Stamkos at No. 2 and Myers here. With hindsight, it's almost preposterous Myers fell one spot from 2008 instead of moving up, given what kind of NHL defenseman he became, including being voted the winner of the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2010. At 6-foot-8, 229 pounds and with a wingspan like a condor, he has been a reliable top-four defender with offensive ability; his 286 points (80 goals, 206 points) in 703 games are sixth among defensemen from the 2008 draft. In 12 NHL seasons, Myers never has averaged less than 20 minutes per game, and he's still going strong in his first season with the Canucks. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer

14. Josh Bailey, RW, Carolina Hurricanes (No. 9 by New York Islanders) -- Want durability? Someone who can play in all situations? Carolina didn't hesitate to select Bailey, who stepped into the NHL as an 18-year-old and at 865 games has played more than anyone drafted in 2008 besides Doughty. Bailey, whose 551 takeaways are first in the 2008 draft class, has a high hockey IQ and had six points (four goals, two assists) in eight playoff games for the Islanders last season. The Hurricanes were thrilled to get Bailey, who is sixth in goals (154) and seventh in points (476) in the class, at No. 14. -- Brian Compton, deputy managing editor

15. Gustav Nyquist, C, Ottawa Senators (No. 121 by Detroit Red Wings) -- A late bloomer who would have been worth the wait for the Senators, Nyquist developed his game for three seasons at the University of Maine, including when he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA men's hockey as a sophomore in 2009-10, after being drafted by the Red Wings. He had 48 points (28 goal, 20 assists) in 57 games in 2013-14, his first NHL season of more than 22 games, and scored 27 goals, including 14 on the power play, in 2014-15. His 146 goals are seventh in the 2008 draft class, and his 348 points are 12th. Nyquist has also been durable, playing 473 of a possible 479 games from 2014-20. -- Frank Giase, staff writer

16. TJ Brodie, D, Boston Bruins (No. 114 by Calgary Flames) -- The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup three years after this draft because of their deep offense and stellar goaltending. Adding a reliable and steady defenseman like Brodie to the mix seemed like a perfect fit. Brodie's 266 points are ninth among defensemen in the 2008 draft class, and he has been effective in all situations. He is one of seven defensemen selected in 2008 to average at least 1:45 per game on the power play (1:55) and on the penalty kill (1:48) in his NHL career, and he ranks 12th in blocked shots (915). -- Sebastien Deschambault, managing editor, LNH.com

17. Justin Schultz, D, Anaheim Ducks (No. 43 by Anaheim Ducks) -- The right-handed defenseman, who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, is sixth among defensemen in the 2008 draft class with an average of 0.44 points per game, seventh with 89 power-play points, 10th with 50 goals and 11th with 214 points. Schultz had his best offensive season in the NHL with 51 points (12 goals, 39 assists) in 2016-17, his first full season with Pittsburgh. He plays a consistent game, uses his mobility, his stick and his smarts, and can get to pucks quickly -- qualities that allow him to be good offensively but also help defensively. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

18. Travis Hamonic, D, Nashville Predators (No. 53 by New York Islanders) -- The run on defensemen in the first round continued with the selection of Hamonic, who has had a solid career with the Islanders and Flames. A physical, right-shot defenseman, Hamonic has 1,284 blocked shots in the NHL, third most among defensemen drafted in 2008. He also is tied for fifth in that group in takeaways (327) and ranks seventh in hits (1,025) and sixth in average ice time per game (22:07). Hamonic is not the flashiest selection -- his NHL career highs are seven goals in 2018-19 and 33 points in 2014-15 -- but he is a sturdy top-four defenseman. -- Jim Cerny, senior editor

19. Jake Gardiner, D, Philadelphia Flyers (No. 17 by Anaheim Ducks) -- The 2008 draft was a historically good one for defensemen, and I was happy to take the offensively gifted Gardiner in this spot. He has had six seasons of at least 30 points in the NHL, peaking with 52 in 2017-18 for the Maple Leafs, and is tied for seventh in points per game among defensemen from his draft class (0.43). With 84 power-play points (ninth among defensemen selected in 2008), Gardiner could've aided Philadelphia's already-lethal man-advantage, which was second in the NHL in 2007-08 (21.8 percent) and finished in the top 10 seven times in eight seasons between 2007-15. -- Pat Pickens, staff writer

20. Jake Allen, G, New York Rangers (No. 34 by St. Louis Blues) -- I was fully aware that the Rangers had a 26-year-old Henrik Lundqvist in 2008 when I made this pick. But by the time Allen made his NHL debut in 2012-13, Lundqvist was 30, and although still dominant, it sure wouldn't have hurt to have been able to give him more rest. Taking Allen would have solidified New York's plans at backup goalie for years to come. He is 148-94-26 with a .913 save percentage in his NHL career, including a .927 save percentage in 24 games this season as Jordan Binnington's backup for the Blues. -- Dan O'Leary, staff writer

21. Jacob Markstrom, G, Washington Capitals (No. 31 by Florida Panthers) -- Sure, the Capitals already had Semyon Varlamov and would sign Jose Theodore as a free agent later in the offseason, but with Holtby long gone, I couldn't pass up Markstrom. Of the goalies drafted in 2008, he's third in victories with 110, behind Holtby (282) and Allen (148). He's also third in save percentage (.911) among those who have played at least 50 games, behind Holtby (.916) and Allen (.913). Yes, it took him some time to find his footing in the NHL, but considering Holtby wasn't available and Allen was gone, he was a solid choice here. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

22. Jason Demers, D, Edmonton Oilers (No. 186 by San Jose Sharks) -- How did Demers last until the seventh round in 2008? He has played more games (653) than all but 14 skaters in the draft class. Among defensemen selected in 2008 who have played at least 200 games, he ranks fourth in shot attempts percentage (51.9 percent), which means his team has had the puck more than half the time with him on the ice at 5-on-5. The only ones ahead of him? Doughty (54.3), Karlsson (53.1) and Pietrangelo (52.5). -- Nick Cotsonika, columnist

23. Tyler Ennis, C, Minnesota Wild (No. 26 by Buffalo Sabres) -- Ennis (5-foot-9, 161) won't be striking fear into the opposition with his size, but his soft hands in major-junior suggested a scorer's touch: He was coming off a 43-goal season for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League at the time of the 2008 draft, a number he duplicated the following season. He has 313 points (133 goals, 180 assists) in 613 NHL games and averaged 40.6 points in his first five full NHL seasons, all with Buffalo. More than one-fifth of Ennis' goals (32) have come on the power play, that little extra ice giving this smaller skater room to shine. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

24. Michael Del Zotto, D, New Jersey Devils (No. 20 by New York Rangers) -- History was rewritten here with the defenseman ending up on the other side of the Hudson River with the Devils, who needed promising young players at the position. With intriguing offensive potential, Del Zotto had his best moments in his first few seasons in New York. He is 10th in points (236) and eighth in (657) among defensemen drafted in 2008. -- Guillaume Lepage, staff writer, LNH.com

25. Mark Borowiecki, D, Calgary Flames (No. 139 by Ottawa Senators) -- Although 13 defensemen were selected ahead of him, Borowiecki was a good sleeper pick this late. Not known for his offense, Borowiecki has 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 375 NHL games with the Senators. But the Ottawa native's averages of 16.56 hits per 60 minutes and 6.33 blocked shots per 60 minutes rank first among the 23 defensemen from the 2008 draft who have played at least 200 games, and his average of 1.51 giveaways per 60 minutes is fifth lowest among that group. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

26. Mikkel Boedker, LW, Buffalo Sabres (No. 8 by Phoenix Coyotes) -- This late in the redraft, there was certainly more grit than offensive firepower available. The Sabres notoriously needed more of the latter, so they opted for the Danish forward, who has proved to have a decent scoring touch, as evidenced by his eight seasons with double-digit goals and his NHL career high of 51 points in 2013-14 and 2015-16. An exceptionally disciplined player, Boedker has never had more than 20 penalty minutes in a season, and he ranks 10th in games (709) and 13th in points (327) in the 2008 draft class. -- Paul Strizhevsky, columnist, NHL.com/ru

27. Marco Scandella, D, Washington Capitals (No. 55 by Minnesota Wild) -- With the Capitals selecting Markstrom earlier in the round, I added some depth at defenseman by taking Scandella, who has 137 points (42 goals, 95 assists) in 580 games with the Wild, Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Blues. Washington already had quite a lot of firepower at forward with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

28. Matt Martin, LW, Phoenix Coyotes (No. 148 by New York Islanders) -- Martin has played 692 games over his 11 NHL seasons, nine with the Islanders and two with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though at this point Martin's role is becoming less significant, he was a big piece of the Islanders for long enough that, after leaving for the Maple Leafs for a couple years, they reacquired him in a trade July 3, 2018. He has 131 points (61 goals, 70 assists) and 946 penalty minutes during his career in a heart-and-soul role. Phoenix will take it. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

29. Zack Smith, C, Atlanta Thrashers (No. 79 by Ottawa Senators) -- The Thrashers hit the jackpot by landing Karlsson, a legitimate superstar, at No. 3 in this redraft. I added a grinder up the middle by selecting Smith. Karlsson (603) has almost three times as many NHL points as Smith (204), a big body (6-2, 208) who's built a respectable career by smothering the opposing team's best players and winning more face-offs than he loses (50.6 percent), many in key situations. Smith also is one of the NHL's premier penalty killers, his 15 shorthanded goals the most in the 2008 draft class. He'll chip in with some offense (98 goals, 106 assists) but he's a player who you depend on to help protect a lead, not give you one. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

30. Colin Wilson, C, Detroit Red Wings (No. 7 by Nashville Predators) -- The Red Wings were coming off their 11th Stanley Cup championship but needed to get younger at center behind 29-year-old Pavel Datsyuk, 28-year-old Johan Franzen, 37-year-old Kris Draper and 24-year-old Valtteri Filppula. An intriguing choice would have been Wilson, who ranks 15th among players in the 2008 draft class with 286 points (113 goals, 173 assists) in 632 NHL games. Besides being a strong value here, 23 spots lower than his original position, he offers depth in the bottom six as well as acumen on the power play, when he has 60 points (28 goals, 32 assists), 21 percent of his NHL career total. -- Barry Rubinstein, manager, assignments