Flyers Add Defensive Depth with Trade for Meszaros

By: Tim Brennan

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Flyers have acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second round pick.

Meszaros recorded six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 81 games for Tampa last season. Ottawa's first round draft choice (23rd overall) in 2004 currently holds a cap hit of $4 million a season for the next four years.

The offensive defenseman's numbers dropped off in his two seasons with the Lightning after averaging 37 points in his first three years in Ottawa. Meszaros was also a member of Slovakia's Olympic team this season.

Tim and Eric's Free Agency Predictions

Yes its that time of year again, the time of year where every GM is busy working the phones trying to negotiate contracts with the free agents on the market. From a fans standpoint this is the most fun and exciting day for all of us. We get to say good-bye to players that played for our team as well as say hello to new players that will be lacing up their skates for our teams come October.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk(NJD): Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: Los Angeles Kings
2. Evgeni Nabokov(SJS): Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: Atlanta Thrashers
3. Anton Volchenkov(OTT): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Vancouver Canucks
4. Raffi Torres(BUF): Eric: Atlanta Thrashers; Tim: New York Islanders
5. Marty Turco(DAL): Eric: Atlanta Thrashers; Tim: San Jose Sharks
6. Matthew Lombardi(PHO): Eric: Phoenix Coyotes; Tim: Phoenix Coyotes
7. Alexander Frolov(LA): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Colorado Avalanche
8. Vaclav Prospal (NYR): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Ottawa Senators
9. Pavel Kubina(ATL): Eric: Nashville Predators; Tim: Florida Panthers
10. Olli Jokinen(NYR): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: KHL
11. Teemu Selanne(ANA): Eric: Retire; Tim: Retire
12. Zbynek Michalek(PHO): Eric: Carolina Hurricanes; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers
13. Paul Martin(NJD): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: New Jersey Devils
14. Paul Kariya(STL): Eric: Anaheim Ducks; Tim: Anaheim Ducks
15. Sergei Gonchar(PIT): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Atlanta Thrashers
16. Shaone Morrisonn(WSH): Eric: Boston Bruins; Tim: Ottawa Senators
17. Alexei Ponikarovsky(PIT): Eric: Nashville Predators; Tim: New York Rangers
18. Ray Whitney(CAR): Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: Los Angeles Kings
19. Saku Koivu(ANA): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Minnesota Wild
20. Maxim Afinogenov(ATL): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: Minnesota Wild
21. Dan Hamhuis(NSH): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins
22. Dan Ellis(NSH): Eric: Montreal Canadiens; Tim: Dallas Stars
23. Alex Tanguay(TBL): Eric: Florida Panthers; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins
24. Tomas Holmstrom(DET): Eric: Detroit Red Wings; Tim: Montreal Canadiens
25. Chris Mason(STL): Eric: San Jose Sharks; Tim: Tampa Bay Lightning
26. Michael Leighton(PHI): Eric: Philadelphia Flyers; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers
27. Adam Foote(COL): Eric: Colorado Avalanche; Tim: Colorado Avalanche
28. Joe Corvo(WSH): Eric: Washington Capitals; Tim: St. Louis Blues
29. Owen Nolan(MIN): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Minnesota Wild
30. Willie Mitchell(VAN): Eric: Toronto Maple Leafs; Tim: Dallas Stars
31. Andy Sutton(OTT): Eric: Buffalo Sabres; Tim: Washington Capitals
32. Jose Theodore(WSH): Eric: KHL; Tim: New York Islanders
33. Pavol Demitra(VAN): Eric: New York Islanders; Tim: St. Louis Blues
34. Todd Bertuzzi(DET): Eric: San Jose Sharks; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins
35. Brett Clark (COL): Eric: Colorado Avalance; Tim: New York Rangers
36. Johan Hedberg(ATL): Eric: Washington Capitals; Tim: New York Rangers
37. Colby Armstrong(ATL): Eric: Tampa Bay Lightning; Tim: Calgary Flames
38. Fredrik Modin(LA): Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: New York Islanders
39. Eric Belanger(WSH): Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: New Jersey Devils
40. Derek Morris(PHO): Eric: Columbus Blue Jackets; Tim: Carolina Hurricanes
41. Antero Niittymaki(TBL): Eric: Philadelphia Flyers; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers
42. Matt Cullen(OTT): Eric: St.Louis Blues; Tim: Washington Capitals
43. Henrik Tallinder(BUF): Eric: Anaheim Ducks; Tim: Carolina Hurricanes
44. Jere Lehtinen(DAL): Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: Dallas Stars
45. Kurtis Foster(TBL): Eric: Tampa Bay Lightning; Tim: Columbus Blue Jackets
46. Jay McKee(PIT): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: Montreal Canadiens
47. Marek Svatos(COL): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: KHL
48. Ryan Johnson(VAN): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Nashville Predators
49. Lee Stempniak(PHO): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Detroit Red Wings
50. Martin Biron(NYI): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Buffalo Sabres

Devils Re-Up Clarkson, Get Prepared For Free Agency

By: Tim Brennan

New Jersey took care of one of their priorities by signing right winger David Clarkson to a three year deal that reportedly will pay him $8 million over the course of the contract. Clarkson has been a staple with the franchise so it's no surprise that the Devils would keep him in the fold. Considered to be an agitator, Clarkson stumbled through the 2009-10 campaign due to two seperate leg injuries, costing him 36 games. He ended the season with 11 goals and 24 points in the remaining 46 games.

The only thing holding Clarkson back from being a true offensive force is the fact that he doesn't possess the skill set of a scorer and because of his no holds barred playing style, he tends to take too many bad penalties. Now Clarkson has 3 more years to prove that he can become a 20 goal, 50 point power forward for one of the most offense deprived teams in the league.

Now that that situation is squared away, GM Lou Lamoriello can deal with other issues of great concern. The Devils once again bowed out gracefully in the first round and there were lots of expectations of dominance in the post-season for this team, especially after the acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk. But Kovalchuk's conflicting style to the Devils defense first attitude proved to be a recipe for disaster and the 27 year old Russian sniper disappointed in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Philadelphia.

Lamoriello isn't looking to change the team up by offering a huge contract to a superstar player so Kovalchuk won't be back. The Devils always make smaller moves that fly under the radar and prove to be impressive. The signings of Rob Niedermayer and Dean McAmmond last offseason helped to fill in holes in the forward area. Niedermayer had 10 goals and 22 points in 71 games, his best output since 2005-06 while playing in Anaheim. Same goes for McAmmond, who was an ace in faceoffs and posted 17 points in 62 games, more points than he had in the previous two seasons combined. These two will play into Lamoriello's plans and it's more than likely that he will retain one, if not both, for the upcoming season.

The key issue on Lamoriello's plate is the dilemma of signing Paul Martin before he goes on the open market July 1st. Martin missed most of the season with a broken left arm and only managed to play 22 games. New Jersey's 2nd round draft choice from 2000 is reportedly set to test the free agent waters and will command plenty of attention from teams looking for a top 2 defenseman. Martin plays big minutes and is extremely mobile, one of his many strengths. There are a plethora of teams searching for a defenseman of Martin's caliber and some like Ottawa, Phoenix, Nashville and Washington might be losing a key defenseman to free agency so they might offer a contract to replace the void. Whatever happens, Lamoriello will not spend alot of money just to keep a player from being snatched away and if Martin asks for $5-6 million a season, the Devils will pass.

Other areas of concern focus on adding another scoring winger into the mix along with a stable backup for Martin Brodeur. The Devils are solid at center with Travis Zajac, Dainius Zubrus and now Jason Arnott filling the middle but need to try and pull a scorer towards the direction of New Jersey.

The Devils traded away two highly touted prospects this season in Niclas Bergfors and Matt Halischuk, both of which are wingers and put up great stats. Bergfors tallied 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games with the Devils before becoming part of the deal that sent Kovalchuk to New Jersey. In the 27 games in a Thrashers uniform, Bergfors picked up 17 points and impressed the coaching staff with his durability and instant chemistry with Nik Antropov.

Halischuk, while playing in Lowell of the AHL, scored 14 goals and 29 points in 47 games and joined New Jersey for 20 games, but only mustered 2 points. The Devils now have to replace those two and would be better suited getting someone with a few seasons in them, such as Phoenix's Lee Stempniak, Detroit's Jason Williams or Calgary's Chris Higgins.

Meanwhile the search for a compatible backup to suit Brodeur's needs ventures on. In the past decade, Brodeur has seen 7 different goaltenders ride the bench with the latest being Yann Danis. Although being involved in 12 games, posting a 3-2-1 record and commendable stats of a 2.06 goals against average and .923 save percentage, coach Jacques Lemaire didn't trust Danis to carry the load when Brodeur was sitting out, resulting in the small amount of games played. It's anyone's guess what new coach John MacLean has to say about this issue and whether he feels that Brodeur should be playing 65-70 games a season this late in his career.

For the betterment of the team, Lamoriello needs to make a decision about who will backup Brodeur so as to give the future Hall of Famer more rest before the playoffs. The past couple of seasons Brodeur has been started almost every game and runs out of gas at the end, resulting in poor results during the playoffs. Prospect Jeff Frazee might get a promotion due to a strong performance for Lowell in 2009-10, picking up 28 wins in what was a subpar season for the team. If they choose not to go with Frazee, then they might want to sign a veteran for the upcoming season.

The Devils should consider re-signing Mike Mottau as well, who proves that a player making slightly above minimum wage can repay his team with excellent play. His versatility makes him a hot commodity and the former Hobey Baker Award winner has great offensive instincts from the point.

Flyers Sign Michael Leighton to Two Year Pact

By: Tim Brennan

So after a prolonged search for a big named goaltender, the Flyers decided to stick with what they had this season by giving Michael Leighton a two year, $3.1 million deal today.

The Flyers had been trying to get a contract finalized with Evgeni Nabokov, who came to Philadelphia in a trade for his rights after San Jose cut off ties with the Russian netminder. Those talks hadn't gone well and both sides were at an impasse so the Flyers turned to the one guy responsible for the team making the playoffs to begin with. Leighton backstopped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and was in talks with general manager Paul Holmgren but the Flyers philosophy was to acquire an established number one goalie and they failed.

It beats me why Holmgren even hesitated to retain Leighton after everything that he had done to get this team from being mediocre to a Stanley Cup finalist. Leighton landed in Philadelphia mid season when Holmgren claimed him from the Carolina Hurricanes off of re-entry waivers. This move jump started a dormant Flyers team at that point, as Leighton posted a 16-5-2 record along with a goals against average of 2.48. Leighton followed those stats in the regular season with incredible numbers in the latter stages of the post season, going 8-3 with a 2.46 GAA (1st in NHL), .916 save percentage (2nd in NHL) and 3 shutouts (1st in NHL). His play was top notch, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals when he single-handedly defeated Montreal by only allowing 7 goals in 5 games, including 3 shutouts.

Leighton took a hit during the Stanley Cup Finals however because he seemed nervous in net and let in some soft goals. But when you think about it, Leighton had never played in the NHL playoffs prior to this year and it was the first time that he was considered the number one goaltender for an NHL team. That and the fact that the defense in front of him wasn't that stellar ultimately led to issues in the crease but this move is one of the few smart ones that Holmgren has made while controlling the team.

Leighton is 29 years old, an age that is considered to be a goaltender's prime, and he is only going to get better with more playing time. The Flyers need to be the opposite of the Carolina Hurricanes and give this man a chance to claim the top spot in net because Carolina didn't have any faith in him becoming an NHL goaltender and never gave him much of a chance by sticking him in the minors year after year. More than likely the Flyers brass will pursue another goaltender to push Leighton and try to settle the "crease problem". Those rumored to go head to head against Leighton in training camp are ex-Blue Chris Mason and former Flyer Antero Niittymaki, who spent this season backing up Mike Smith in Tampa before winning the starting job in the later stages.

Leighton oozes with potential and has shown this year that he can be #1 material but it will be up to management and head coach Peter Laviolette to decide who will be the starter once the season starts. What makes him such a solid goaltender is his work ethic is one of the best in the league, along with being fundamentally sound, possessing good size and a strong athletic ability. The only downfall are shots low, as he was exposed too many times in the post season five hole or along the ice especially during the Finals.

As Leighton put it, "I want a chance to start. Whether they go out and get another goalie, that doesn't change my mindset. I'm just going to go out and play my best and try to earn that spot." If that doesn't illustrate a player determined to prove everyone what he's worth than I don't know what can.

Flyers Trade Hamhuis, Acquire Nabokov; What Else Is In Store?

By: Tim Brennan

The Flyers made what could have been a promising addition when they traded to get the negotiating rights to defenseman Dan Hamhuis on June 19th. After a week of talks between the Flyers management and Hamhuis, the negotiations broke down and came to a halt prior to the NHL Entry Draft. So instead of trying to work things out and feeling like all the options were no longer available, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren decided to trade Hamhuis' rights to cross state rivals Pittsburgh for a third round pick in next year's draft.

Did anyone else have the same thought of "Huh? Why would you do that?". It's interesting how this situation blew up in Holmgren's face because ever since the trade deadline, the Flyers had been trying to pluck him away from Nashville's clutches. The two sides couldn't agree to a long term deal and as a result, Hamhuis was sent packing. The strangest part of this is that Holmgren traded a player whom he felt could be a big piece to the organization to the Penguins, who play in the same division as the Flyers and face them 6 times a season. If the Penguins end up signing Hamhuis, this will look like a poor judgement call by Holmgren.

Then another deal for a player's negotiating rights was announced by Holmgren only a day after trading Hamhuis. This player would be former San Jose Shark goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who was told by the team that he wouldn't be given a contract. The Flyers would give San Jose a seventh round pick in 2011 if Nabokov was to sign with the team prior to July 1st. Many see this as a great solution to the Flyers problem in the crease but negotiations haven't worked out in Philly's favor.

Nabokov was a staple in San Jose for the last 9 seasons but gained a reputation of coming up small in important situations, mainly the playoffs. A record of 40-38 might seem okay by some standards but the fact that the Sharks have only gotten past the second round twice with him in net that's a cause for concern. His age is also problematic as the puck stopper turns 35 in the summer, which is usually when goaltenders start to break down. Nabokov averaged 44 wins the last 3 seasons which included 44 last year (2nd in the league) while also posting a .922SV% and 2.43 goals against average.

There's no doubt that Nabokov can still be a premier goalie, it's just that the best fit might not be Philadelphia. Flyers fans aren't as forgiving as Sharks fans and the intimidating crowd might be a turn off for the Russian netminder. If the Flyers were to tender him a reasonable contract, Holmgren would have to create cap space while still yet having to re-sign Michael Leighton, Braydon Coburn, Darroll Powe and Arron Asham. A trade could happen but with the rumors swirling around forwards Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell, I doubt that Holmgren will want to give up either of those players as they are deemed "too valuable to the team". His words, not mine.

To add to the goaltending issue, Flyers management offered free agent goaltender Marty Turco a preliminary offer of 3 years, $6 million but Turco turned it down.

The best case scenario for the Flyers is to re-sign Leighton, the guy who practically saved their season and put up league best numbers in the post-season. Talks have not even started between the two camps, which is a disgrace considering how valuable Leighton proved to be for the Flyers this season, posting a 16-5-2 record with the orange and the black along with a 2.48 goals against average and .918 save percentage. Leighton elevated his play during the post-season, going 8-3-3 with a 2.46 goals against average and .916 save percentage after coming back from a season ending injury. He led the post-season with that goals against average and 3 shutouts.

Three players have had complications with the Flyers and it makes you wonder why no one wants to sign with a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The goaltending situation needs to be fixed and I propose that along with bringing back Leighton, the Flyers should pursue a former player, Antero Niittymaki. "Niitty" never got a fair shake in Philadelphia, mostly playing backup behind Robert Esche and Martin Biron. It would be a great pairing of guys never given an opportunity to prove their worth and a balance on the backend that the Flyers have never seen before. The Flyers will be in the market for a defenseman that coach Peter Laviolette can trust, unlike Ryan Parent and Lukas Krajicek. Don't be surprised if Holmgren targets Zbynek Michalek or Shaone Morrisonn, who play a Philly type style. The right wing position on the first line is another area of concern as five different players manned that area this season without a single one creating enough chemistry with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne to make it stick.

2010 Mock NHL Draft

By: Tim Brennan

As all the teams look to bolster their futures with talented prospects in Los Angeles, we ask the question, "Who will be picked first?". The Edmonton Oilers hold the number one spot after a disastrous 2009-10 season that saw the team win only 27 regular season games. It's a toss up between Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin to go #1. Both are intriguing players and whoever misses out on one will be satisfied with the other. Here's how we think this draft will go:

1. Edmonton Oilers select: Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor (OHL)
2. Boston Bruins (from Toronto) select: Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth (OHL)
3. Florida Panthers select: Cam Fowler, D, Windsor (OHL)
4. Columbus Blue Jackets select: Brett Connolly, RW, Prince George (WHL)
5. New York Islanders select: Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston (OHL)
6. Tampa Bay Lightning select: Nino Niederreiter, LW, Portland (WHL)
7. Carolina Hurricanes select: Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton (QMJHL)
8. Atlanta Thrashers select: Alex Burmistrov, C, Barrie (OHL)
9. Minnesota Wild select: Mikael Granlund, C, HIFK (Finland)
10. New York Rangers select: Ryan Johansen, C, Portland (WHL)
11. Dallas Stars select: Derek Forbort, D, U.S. NTDP
12. Anaheim Ducks select: Austin Watson, RW, Peterborough (OHL)
13. Phoenix Coyotes (from Calgary) select: Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine H.S. (USA)
14. St. Louis Blues select: Jeffrey Skinner, C, Kitchener (OHL)
15. Florida Panthers (from Boston) select: Jon Merrill, D, U.S. NTDP
16. Ottawa Senators select: Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Novosibirsk (KHL)
17. Colorado Avalanche select: Jack Campbell, G, U.S. NTDP
18. Nashville Predators select: Emerson Etem, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)
19. Los Angeles Kings select: Tyler Pitlick, C, Minnesota State (WCHA)
20. Pittsburgh Penguins select: John McFarland, C, Sudbury (OHL)
21. Detroit Red Wings select: Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
22. Phoenix Coyotes select: Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton (WHL)
23. Buffalo Sabres select: Jarred Tinordi, D, U.S. NTDP
24. Chicago Blackhawks (from Atlanta) select: Beau Bennett, RW, Princeton (Jr.A)
25. Vancouver Canucks select: Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)
26. Washington Capitals select: Riley Sheahan, C, Notre Dame (CCHA)
27. Montreal Canadiens select: Kevin Hayes, LW, Noble (USHS)
28. San Jose Sharks select: Charlie Coyle, RW, South Shore (Jr.A)
29. Anaheim Ducks (from Philadelphia) select: Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City (USHL)
30. Chicago Blackhawks select: Justin Faulk, D, U.S. NTDP

Top 10 Draft Busts

By Eric Bancker


10. Rick DiPietro

This could be a little controversial since DiPietro still has time to turn his career and around and he hasnt been that bad either but was he worth the first overall pick in 2000? He also signed a 15 year/$67 million contract in 2006. DiPietro has only averaged 34 starts a season in his eight years in the league.

Notable players drafted in the 2000 draft. Dany Heatley (2nd), Marian Gaborik (3rd), Anton Volchenkov (21st), Ilya Bryzgalov (44th). The Islanders cross-town rival the New York Rangers drafted goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with the 205th pick in the same draft. Lundqvist averages 35 wins a season and is the only goalie in NHL history to win 30 games in each of his first five season. 35 wins a season compared to 34 games a season....no comparison.

9. Bryan Fogarty

Fogarty drew comparisons to Bobby Orr and with a 155 point season in the OHL in 1988-1989 you could tell he was ready for a great NHL career. The Quebec Nordiques felt the same way when the drafted him with the ninth pick in 1987. Fogarty's big downfall was his addiction to alcohol, which ended up taking his life.

Notable draft picks in 1987: John LeClair (23rd), Eric Desjardins (38th), Theo Fleury (166th)

8. Rico Fata

Fata had expectations to be a go-to guy as a secondary scorer for the Flames. In his 208 junior regular season games, he scored 188 points. The second he put on a professional jersey though, it just did not fit right. Fata would struggle in the NHL and then get bounced to the AHL and then tear it up.

Notable players drafted in 1998: Nik Antropov (10th), Simon Gagne (22nd), Scott Gomez (27th), Brad Richards (64th), Pavel Datsyuk (171st)

7. Pat Falloon

The first pick in the San Jose Sharks history was less then a memorable one. Falloon was the the second pick behind Eric Lindros and although he didnt have a horrible career he didnt live up to expectations whatsoever and is considered to be one of the biggest busts in NHL history.

Notable draft picks in 1991: Scott Niedermayer (3rd), Peter Forsberg (6th), Brian Rolston (11th), Alexei Kovalev (15th)

6. Joe Murphy

Murphy was supposed to give the Red Wings a one-two punch when they drafted him in 1986. They already had a young Steve Yzerman and Murphy was brought in to make sure the Wings would be a team to reckon with. Murphy's work ethic was always a problem among the Red Wings coaching staff. He had a decent career but he was a bust for the Red Wings.

Notable players drafted in 1986: Vincent Damphousse (6th), Brian Leetch (9th), Adam Graves (22nd)

5. Patrik Stefan

In 1997 the Thrashers came to Atlanta and they needed a player that could lead them to the Stanley Cup. In 1999 they drafted Patrik Stefan and he never really was able to find his niche. He only reached 40 points two times in his career. There was also his career ending moment in January of 2007. Stefan was playing for the Dallas Stars and Stefan was on a breakaway toward the Oilers open net and instead of easily depositing the puck into the net he over skated and fell down which lead to the Oilers leading a rush back down the ice where Ales Hemsky scored with two seconds left to tie the game.

Notable players drafted in 1999: Daniel Sedin (2nd), Henrik Sedin (3rd), Martin Havlat (26th)

4.Pavel Brendl

When the Rangers drafted Brendl in 1999, which might be the biggest year for busts, they felt like they had a future big time goal scorer. Brendl only tallied 22 points in 78 games. He has since spent his time in the SEL and the KHL where he has found his comfort zone but then again Marcel Hossa has found the same comfort zone in the KHL so Im not that impressed.

Notable players drafted in 1999: Tim Connolly (5th), Martin Erat (191st)

3. Hugh Jessiman

In 2003 the Rangers made yet another bad draft choice when they went with Hugh Jessiman with the 12th overall pick. The only reason the Rangers drafted Jessiman is because he is friends with the Dolans, who own the Rangers. Jessiman is the only player drafted in the 1st round of the 2003 draft to not play a game in the NHL. Great move by the Rangers

Notable players drafted in 2003: Dustin Brown (13th), Zach Parise (17th), Ryan Getzlaf (19th), Mike Richards (24th).

2. Brian Lawton

Lawton drew comparisons to Wayne Gretzky and he was nowhere close to being that good. Lawton's best season saw him reach 44 points and his numbers only dropped from there.

Notable players drafted in 1983: Steve Yzerman (4th), Cam Neely (9th), Dave Granger (12th).

1. Alexandre Daigle

Daigle was considered to be a future superstar and a no brainer of a pick. Daigle never lived up to the expectations. Daigle never ever lived up to his potential though he did have two 50 point seasons in his five years in the Ottawa. After being traded three times, he decided to spend two years in Hollywood to try an acting career. After that he had a half a season stint with the Penguins until Minnesota gave him a last chance.

Notable players drafted in 1993 draft: Chris Pronger (2nd), Paul Kariya (4th), Jason Arnott (7th).