Washington Capitals: Re-Drafting The 2003 NHL Draft
Washington Capitals 2003 Draft: First Round
In the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals had the 18th overall pick. With that selection, they drafted forward Eric Fehr from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL.
Eric Fehr’s stats so far in the NHL compared to the other players drafted in the first round:
[table id=79 /]
While we love the F-16 here at Stars and Sticks, the Washington Capitals could have done better. For example, one pick after Fehr, the Anaheim Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf.
[table id=80 /]
Imagine if Bruce Boudreau got to work with not just Nicklas Backstrom, but Getzlaf as well. Holy cow. Granted, it would be really tough to keep Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, and Getzlaf in the salary cap era. However, the Washington Capitals could have at least made a really good run for a few years before most likely having to trade one of Backstrom or Getzlaf. They could have gotten an excellent return for whoever they decided to trade though.
Suppose you don’t like Getzlaf because, I don’t know, he’s bald or something. That’s fine. The Washington Capitals could have also gone with forward (and current teammate of Getzlaf) Ryan Kesler, who was drafted with the 23rd overall pick.
[table id=81 /]
Not a Kesler fan either? Well, the Caps could have chosen any one of the following players over Fehr.
- Brent Burns (20th overall pick)
- Mike Richards (24th overall pick)
- Corey Perry (28th overall pick)
Take your pick. I’ll go with Getzlaf.
Next: Third Round