2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Twentieth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
5th Overall: Erik Karlsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (15)
6th Overall: John Carlson, Columbus Blue Jackets (27)
7th Overall: Jacob Markstrom, Nashville Predators (31)
8th Overall: Braden Holtby, Phoenix Coyotes (93)
9th Overall: Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders (22)
10th Overall: Jared Spurgeon, Vancouver Canucks (156)
11th Overall: Cam Atkinson, Chicago Blackhawks (157)
12th Overall: T.J. Brodie, Buffalo Sabres (114)
13th Overall: Josh Bailey, Los Angeles Kings (9)
14th Overall: Adam Henrique, Carolina Hurricanes (82)
15th Overall: Tyler Myers, Ottawa Senators (12)
16th Overall: Gustav Nyquist, Boston Bruins (121)
17th Overall: Derek Stepan, Anaheim Ducks (51)
18th Overall: Jake Allen, Nashville Predators (34)
19th Overall: Jake Gardiner, Philadelphia Flyers (17)
Sliding two spots from the real 2008 NHL draft is defenseman Jake Gardiner. Originally the 17th overall selection by the Anaheim Ducks, Gardiner now goes 19th overall, this time to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had selected defenseman Luca Sbisa with that choice back in 2008.
Interestingly, between Gardiner and Sbisa, only one of them even played games with the team that drafted him, Sbisa getting into 39 games for the Flyers the year after being drafted. Both players were used to help their respective teams make an immediate upgrade on the blueline. The Flyers used Sbisa to help them acquire Chris Pronger from the Ducks, and a few years later the Ducks would use Gardiner to help them acquire Francois Beauchemin from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Regardless of which player they chose, or whether they would have elected to keep him around, the Flyers would get good value out of the pick with Sbisa or Gardiner. Sbisa wound up having a lengthy career as a stable, physical shutdown defenseman while Gardiner has had a lengthy career as a tremendous puck-mover on the back-end. Gardiner’s career might seem a bit more enticing given his strong point totals in his prime, but he has dealt with multiple injuries that have forced him to miss most of 2020-21, all of 2021-22, and thus far, all of 2022-23. All of that considered, finding an everyday NHL defenseman at 19th overall is something many executives and scouts around the league would be rather happy with.
Now, we move on to the 20th overall pick, which belonged to the New York Rangers. In 2008, the Rangers used that pick to take Michael Del Zotto, a slick two-way defenseman from the Oshawa Generals. After taking Del Zotto, the Rangers sent him back for one more season in the OHL, which he split between Oshawa and the London Knights. Del Zotto would debut for New York in 2009-10, immediately jumping into a full-time role on their blueline, making a splash his rookie season with 37 points. However, he took a step back in his sophomore season, playing in just 47 games while spending some time in the AHL too.
The defenseman would rebound for 2011-12, scoring 10 goals to go with 31 assists in 77 games and it seemed as if the Rangers had a star on their hands. However, Del Zotto wasn’t able to replicate that production and was eventually dealt to the Nashville Predators part-way through 2013-14 for fellow defenseman Kevin Klein. That offseason, Del Zotto signed with the Philadelphia Flyers where again his production would jump up, putting up 32 points in 64 games, but once again, he couldn’t maintain.
Del Zotto then became something of a journeyman after his three-year stint with Philadelphia, spending time with Vancouver, Anaheim, St. Luis, Columbus, and most recently, Ottawa in 2021-22, where he had his first AHL time since that trip back in 2010-11. Prior to this season, the Florida Panthers signed Del Zotto to a one-year, two-way contract; to date, he’s played two games with the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s AHL affiliate.
Much like Sbisa and Gardiner above, Del Zotto has had a lengthy career complete with several very strong seasons, but has never hit the elite level the Rangers might have envisioned when they selected him. Now with the benefit of hindsight, who should the Rangers select 20th overall in our redraft? There are plenty of solid defensemen available, including Del Zotto as well as the likes of Travis Hamonic, Marco Scandella, and Zach Bogosian, offense-first forwards like Mikkel Boedker and Tyler Ennis, or some good-old-fashioned grit with Matt Martin and Matt Calvert, and many more to choose from.
2008 Redraft: Twentieth Overall
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Justin Schultz 22% (112)
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Travis Hamonic 20% (100)
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Zach Bogosian 10% (51)
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Luke Schenn 8% (42)
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Marco Scandella 8% (40)
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Michael Del Zotto 6% (28)
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Tyler Ennis 5% (23)
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Mikkel Boedker 4% (22)
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Matt Martin 4% (20)
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Colin Wilson 3% (14)
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Michael Stone 3% (13)
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Jason Demers 2% (11)
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Luca Sbisa 2% (9)
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Matt Calvert 2% (9)
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Zach Boychuk 1% (4)
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Zack Smith 1% (3)
Total votes: 501
App users, click here to vote.
Filip Chytil Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
- The New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets will each have to finish their game shorthanded this evening. For the Rangers, center Filip Chytil left the game with an upper-body injury and will not return, says The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Chytil had been tripped up earlier in the game, crashing hard to the ice and slow to get up, presumably the cause of the injury.
Colorado Avalanche Claim Dryden Hunt; Phil Di Giuseppe Clears
After losing Lukas Sedlak to waivers earlier this week, the Colorado Avalanche have made a claim of their own. Dryden Hunt will be heading to Denver, claimed away from the New York Rangers. Phil Di Giuseppe, who was also on waivers, has cleared and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Colorado hasn’t been happy with the makeup of their fourth line, so had been making tweaks in recent days. It appeared as though head coach Jared Bednar still didn’t love the group last night, playing Anton Blidh and Jayson Megna for barely over six minutes in an overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Claiming Hunt gives the team another option for the bottom-six, and likely will result in the assignment of one of the two recently-recalled forwards.
Now 26, Hunt has played in 168 regular season games in his NHL career, and appeared to have solidified his role with the Rangers last season when he put up 17 points in 76 appearances. That came along with 153 hits, a number that trailed only Ryan Reaves among New York forwards.
In Colorado, he’ll get a chance to establish himself as a full-time player once again, and help fill some of the depth issues the club has experienced so far. One of the most impressive groups in the NHL last season, the Avalanche have relied almost exclusively on their top four forwards to start the year. Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Artturi Lehkonen are off to solid starts but beyond that, the rest of the group up front hasn’t been effective enough. Alex Newhook, Evan Rodrigues, and Logan O’Connor are all scoreless through the first four games, while J.T. Compher has just a single assist.
While Hunt isn’t expected to be much of an offensive presence, it does seem to be a great opportunity for him to bring his physicality and energy to a group still trying to find its identity early on.
Dryden Hunt, Phil Di Giuseppe Placed On Waivers
Two more players have graced the waiver wire today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Dryden Hunt of the New York Rangers and Phillip Di Giuseppe of the Vancouver Canucks are available for claim.
Di Giuseppe is coming off season-opening injured reserve, suggesting he is ready to return to action now that he’s found himself on waivers. If he clears, he’ll likely join the Abbotsford Canucks where he spent all of last season. The 29-year-old does have 201 NHL games under his belt, but with the recent injury it seems unlikely that he’ll be claimed.
Hunt on the other hand is more of an interesting story. The 26-year-old undrafted forward plays a physical game and never seems to be out of energy, attacking defenders and tracking down the puck every time he hits the ice. In 76 games with the Rangers last season he scored six goals and 17 points while delivering 153 hits and racking up 52 penalty minutes.
While there might not be a lot of offensive upside there, it’s easy to see why another team might want to add Hunt to the bottom-six mix, especially given the fact that he comes with a cap hit of just $762.5K. That number could fit into basically any team’s cap structure and even with some poor results in limited minutes this year, there are signs that he could be a benefit to clubs struggling to find a good mix on the fourth line.
With Sammy Blais returning, the Rangers needed to clear some space, and might end up losing Hunt in the process.
Sammy Blais Returns To New York Rangers Lineup
New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said today that forward Sammy Blais will be in the lineup tonight when the Rangers host the Anaheim Ducks. It will be Blais’ first NHL game since suffering a torn ACL on November 14, 2021.
Gallant also said that forward Vitali Kravtsov is close to returning from his upper-body injury suffered in the season opener. He skated with the team but hasn’t yet been cleared to return, according to Gallant. Ryan Carpenter, also out with an upper-body injury, skated today but remains out against the Ducks and is day-to-day.
Blais is expected to skate on a line with Jimmy Vesey and Filip Chytil in his return.
Acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Pavel Buchnevich, Blais did have just four assists in 14 games last season before going down with the injury. His hard-nosed, responsible style quickly endeared him to Rangers fans, though, and he’ll be a welcome sight in the lineup.
Rangers Injury Updates: Carpenter, Kravtsov, Blais
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post provided some injury updates from today’s New York Rangers practice. Forward Ryan Carpenter, who was cut by Dylan DeMelo‘s skate during Friday night’s loss at the Winnipeg Jets, did not skate today. Winger Vitali Kravtsov, who was hurt early in the Rangers’ opening night game on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, skated today in a non-contact jersey, a positive step forward for a player trying to finally make it as an NHL-regular. Finally, Sammy Blais, who missed the first three games of this season after a preseason injury, skated on a line in practice with Filip Chytil and Jimmy Vesey, both of whom look to be regulars in the Rangers lineup this season.
Vitali Kravtsov Leaves Season Opener With Upper-Body Injury
The New York Rangers and winger Vitali Kravtsov were both hoping that the former top prospect could finally make an NHL impact this season in a top-six role. Unfortunately for Kravtsov, his season has gotten off to a rough start. After taking a hit early in the first period of tonight’s season opener from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, the Rangers said that Kravtsov would not return to the game with an upper-body injury.
New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Talyn Boyko
6:37 pm: CapFriendly reports Boyko’s contract carries an $851K cap hit. The full salary breakdown is as follows:
Year 1: $750K base + $82.5K signing bonus
Year 2: $775K base + $85K signing bonus
Year 3: $775K base + $85K signing bonus
5:19 pm: The New York Rangers have made a big signing – literally, not figuratively. General manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has agreed to terms with goaltender prospect Talyn Boyko on a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Boyko is one of the largest (if not the largest) goalie prospects in the league, standing at 6′ 8″ and 201 pounds. The soon-to-be 20-year-old netminder was drafted by the Rangers with the 112th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
After a rough start to the 2021-22 campaign in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans, Boyko was traded after just eight games to the Kelowna Rockets where he regained form en route to a second All-Star team nod for the WHL’s BC Division. He posted two shutouts, a .913 save percentage, and a 28-12-4 record in 46 games with Kelowna.
Boyko, who attended Rangers training camp this year, will likely play the 2022-23 campaign with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen due to the goalie logjam with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. As he’s just barely aged out of juniors, the ECHL is probably the best place for Boyko’s development regardless. His gigantic frame makes him a tantalizing prospect, but as with most goalies, it’ll be a few seasons at least before we see Boyko poised for NHL time.
Blackhawks Claim Jarred Tinordi Off Waivers
After moving out Riley Stillman recently, the Blackhawks have made a move to add some grit on their back end as NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed Jarred Tinordi off waivers from the Rangers.
The fact that Tinordi was picked up might come as a bit of a surprise as he passed through unclaimed back in January but Chicago feels they have a need for the 30-year-old. He’s coming off a season that saw him spend most of his time with AHL Hartford where he had a goal and four assists along with 56 penalty minutes in 32 games. Tinordi also got into seven games with New York, picking up a single goal.
Tinordi has played in 109 career NHL contests over parts of nine seasons, picking up 132 blocks and 242 hits over that span. Being a reserve defenseman is a role that he is accustomed to having and that’s likely what helped convince Chicago to make this claim. As a rebuilding squad, they’re better off having a veteran as the seventh defender that only suits up in certain matchups than having a youngster in the press box. Tinordi is in the final year of his contract which carries a $900K cap hit. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.
Snapshots: Canadiens Injuries, Pastrnak, Rangers Leadership Group, Blais
After heading all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21, only to finish dead last in the NHL standings in 2021-22, it’s unclear exactly what is to be expected from the Montreal Canadiens this year. Injuries were a large part of what plagued the team last season, and heading into this season, they’re still a part of the headline. Of course, legendary goaltender Carey Price will be on LTIR and is unlikely to play this season, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever return. Still, there are some shorter-term updates available out of Montreal today.
For one, veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson, who is recovering from a back injury, was able to skate this morning and though his rehab is progressing, the team is still unable to provide a timetable for his return. Forwards Joel Armia and Emil Heineman will both be out with injury, Armia out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury and Heineman six weeks with a thumb injury. Defenseman Mike Matheson, who the team acquired in the Jeff Petry deal, is continuing to rehab a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Finally, forwards and expected key contributors Nick Suzuki, Mike Hoffman, and Christian Dvorak, who had all been dealing with separate ailments, were back at practice this morning.
- Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney spoke to the media this morning, including Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he discussed a number of Bruins-related topics. Most notably, he touched on extension talks between the team and pending UFA forward David Pastrnak. While many teams and players, in hockey as well as other sports, generally put off contract talks once the season starts, that doesn’t appear to be the case here. Sweeney says the Bruins and Pastrnak have been talking almost every day and are comfortable talking into the regular season. While a deal isn’t done yet of course, the continued dialogue is clearly a good sign for the Bruins and their fans, showing Pastrnak presumably has interest in staying with the team.
- Earlier this summer, the New York Rangers announced defenseman Jacob Trouba would be their next captain, remarkably their first since previous captain Ryan McDonagh was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018. In the interim, the team has relied on a group of alternate captains to fill their leadership group until they found the perfect fit for the vacant captaincy. Having now chosen Trouba as their man, the Rangers still have their contingent of alternates to go along with him, formally announcing them today. This season, the team will run with veterans Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad as alternates.
- Tough news for Rangers forward Sammy Blais, who had been out with injury since last November, as he’s still dealing with the aftermath of an upper-body injury suffered after taking a hit from New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov in their Saturday evening preseason contest. According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, the Rangers have said the forward will not practice today and is doubtful for tomorrow’s season opener against the, Tampa Bay Lightning.