Jun 2, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter addresses the media before game two of the Western Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL Entry Draft is an integral part of the hockey world. It keeps young talent flowing into the league while the aging talent exits on the other end of the spectrum. In many ways it provides the oil for the machine that is the NHL.
Now whether or not a team has a successful draft is completely up to interpretation. Different teams go into each draft looking for different types of players to fill their needs. In some cases it takes time in order for a player to reach his full potential, so it may take several seasons before one can really say that a certain pick really worked or was a huge bust for a team.
So what better time than now, during the dog days of summer, than to look back at the first ten drafts of the new millennium and see exactly how the Kings fared with their selections.