In the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Kings didn't have a first-round selection after trading the fourth overall pick to the Washington Capitals in a deal that netted them Byron Dafoe.
After trading their lottery pick in the 1996 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings didn't pick in the first round on this draft class
The 1996 NHL Draft is considered to be one of the weaker draft classes in league history over the past few decades. The 1996 draft class only had one Hall-of-Famer, longtime Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.
Of the 26 players selected in the first round of the 1996 draft, a double-digit number of them never even played in 100 career regular season games. Five of the 26 players selected in the first round of the 1996 draft didn't even play double-digit regular season games in the NHL.
Any realistic re-do of the 1996 NHL Draft should have Chara as the easy first overall pick in this reimagining of this draft class, going to the Senators instead of fellow defenseman Chris Phillips to Ottawa.
While Phillips was a quality defenseman for the Senators for over a decade in Ottawa, Chara is the easy pick here. He was the only player in this draft class to play over 1,600 career regular season games. And Chara led all defensemen in this draft class in goals (209) and total career points (680).
Chara was a seven-time All-Star selection and the 2008-09 Norris Trophy winner. He helped lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup in the 2010-11 season.
Daniel Briere slides up over 20 picks to go second overall to the San Jose Sharks in this redraft from the draft lottery in 1996. A top-line center for the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Buffalo Sabres for nearly two decades in the NHL, Briere was a quality two-way player for a long time in the league.
Briere was the only player from this draft class of 1996 who scored over 300 career goals and over 50 career goals in the postseason. He was the only multi-time offensive All-Star selection in the 1996 draft class in the NHL.
The New York Islanders originally selected right-winger J.P. Dumont with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1996 draft. Although, Dumont never played a single game for the Isles after he was traded by New York to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Despite there not being much quality in the way of accomplished players from the first-round 1996 class from this draft, there was some great value in the later rounds on the blue line. The Toronto Maple Leafs originally selected defenseman Tomas Kaberle 204th overall in the eighth round of the 1996 draft.
Kaberle was one of just two defensemen from this draft class from 1996 who scored over 500 career points while registering a positive plus/minus rating at +17. He won a Stanley Cup playing alongside Chara on the blue line with the Bruins in the 2011 postseason.