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2005 Draft Revisionist History—May 22, 2026 – VOL. 79, Issue. 11 – Jared Clinton
HERE’S A HORRIFYING THOUGHT for Kings faithful: Kopitar in Anaheim Ducks colors. But if the chance arose for a 2005-draft mulligan, that’s exactly where Los Angeles’ all-time scoring leader would have ended up. And a one-two punch of Kopitar and Ryan Getzlaf down the middle could have ushered in an era of Ducks dominance.
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If each club, with the gift of hindsight, selected the best available player, there’s also an interesting conundrum in Carolina. At the time, the Hurricanes couldn’t have known a 22-year-old Cam Ward was about to put forth a Conn Smythe-winning performance as Carolina captured the 2006 Stanley Cup. But if he had, and Price was waiting in the wings, how would the Canes have addressed their crease?
Price in Carolina could have also opened the door for Tuukka Rask in Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Having spent his career in Boston – by way of the Maple Leafs, as Toronto fans surely recall – the thought of Rask as a Hab will give many a Bruins fan a migraine.
And it’s not just Price and Rask who make for interesting re-draft fodder. The 2005 draft has a claim to producing the best goalie crop in post-lockout history. Five keepers, each of whom would be first-round selections in a do-over, produced 150-plus wins, and four eclipsed the 200-win plateau, the most of any draft since the lockout.
Here’s how the 2005 draft would look if every team owned a crystal ball. Where the player was actually picked is in parentheses.
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ROUND 1
1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Sidney Crosby (1st overall by Pittsburgh)
2. ANAHEIM DUCKS
Anze Kopitar (11th overall by Los Angeles)
3. CAROLINA HURRICANES
Carey Price (5th overall by Montreal)
4. MINNESOTA WILD
Jonathan Quick (72nd overall by Los Angeles)
5. MONTREAL CANADIENS
Tuukka Rask (21st overall by Toronto)
6. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Kris Letang (62nd overall by Pittsburgh)
7. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Paul Stastny (44th overall by Colorado)
8. SAN JOSE SHARKS
Keith Yandle (105th overall by Phoenix)
9. OTTAWA SENATORS
T.J. Oshie (24th overall by St. Louis)
10. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Ben Bishop (85th overall by St. Louis)
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11. LOS ANGELES KINGS
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (35th overall by San Jose)
12. NEW YORK RANGERS
Niklas Hjalmarsson (108th overall by Chicago)
13. BUFFALO SABRES
James Neal (33rd overall by Dallas)
14. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Patric Hornqvist (230th overall by Nashville)
15. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Anton Stralman (216th overall by Toronto)
16. ATLANTA THRASHERS
Bobby Ryan (2nd overall by Anaheim)
17. PHOENIX COYOTES
Andrew Cogliano (25th overall by Edmonton)
18. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Matt Niskanen (28th overall by Dallas)
19. DETROIT RED WINGS
Martin Hanzal (17th overall by Phoenix)
20. FLORIDA PANTHERS
Darren Helm (132th overall by Detroit)
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21. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Marc Staal (12th overall by NY Rangers)
22. BOSTON BRUINS
Jack Johnson (3rd overall by Carolina)
23. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Kris Russell (67th overall by Columbus)
24. ST. LOUIS BLUES
Justin Abdelkader (42nd overall by Detroit)
25. EDMONTON OILERS
Ondrej Pavelec (41st overall by Atlanta)
26. CALGARY FLAMES
Cody Franson (79th overall by Nashville)
27. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Benoit Pouliot (4th overall by Minnesota)
28. DALLAS STARS
Devin Setoguchi (8th overall by San Jose)
29. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Alex Stalock (112th overall by San Jose)
30. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Adam McQuaid (55th overall by Columbus)
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