Best and Worst Draft Picks by Teams during the Past Decade -NHL Special Part 5
Carolina Hurricanes (Southeast Division)
One of the most young and talented teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) has to be the Carolina Hurricanes. They might not be showing off their skills just yet, but if I had to make a prediction, Carolina is the next and upcoming team in the world of
hockey.
Carolina has invested by picking up some great players over the past decade which has made it hard to choose which one the best is.
Best Draft Pick of the Past Decade: Eric Staal (2003)
The Staal family has a long history of hockey greatness and Eric Staal is just keeping the tradition going. Picked up as the second overall player during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Eric Staal has become one of the best in the league at the age of 27.
The All-Star centre player potted 70 points this past season and has been regularly doing so every since joining the major league (except his rookie year). At one point, Staal even potted 100 points (45 goals, 55 assists) and that was just his second year
in the hockey league.
Eric Staal has definitely proved to the Carolina Hurricanes that they made a good choice picking him and they should look forward to a bright future with him on the squad.
Carolina did another great job and making a valuable selection as they picked up Jeff Skinner back in 2010. The 20-year-old has emerged as an elite player since then and continues to impress the crowds with his two seasons in which he already has 107 points
(51 goals, 56 assists).
Worst Draft Pick of the Past Decade: Zach Boychuk (2008)
Zach Boychuk has been in the NHL for four seasons now but has not lived up to the potential Carolina was expecting when grabbing him as the 14th overall pick back in 2008. The left winger continues to play part-time in the NHL and American Hockey
League (AHL), failing to put up big numbers with Carolina every time he gets a chance.
In a total of 72 games played up until now, the 22-year-old from Airdrie, Alberta, Canada, has just 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) to his name, which just might force Carolina to relinquish him from the position some time soon.
Just like Jeff Heerema back in 1998, Carolina faced another disappointment in the name of Zach Boychuk.
To be continued in Part 6....
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: