Instead of picking defenseman Rostislav Klesla fourth overall in the first round of the 2000 draft lottery, the Columbus Blue Jackets pick Mr. Game 7, and right winger Justin Williams. One of the great all-time playoff performers, Williams put up a mind-boggling 102 career points in the postseason and he won three Stanley Cups.
The Blue Jackets were an expansion team just coming into the league in the 2000 draft, in the first round. This would be a good way for the Blue Jackets to kick off the franchise for the forward group lines with Williams in the 2000 draft lottery in the first round.
In this hypothetical reimagining of the first round of the 2000 draft lottery, the Isles get to knock it out of the park again after picking Lundqvist with the No. 1 overall pick by selecting left-winger Scott Hartnell fifth overall in the top five.
The Isles originally picked another left winger, Raffi Torres, fifth overall in the first round of the 2000 draft lottery.
Hartnell and Williams were the only two forwards from this draft class in 2000 who played over 1,200 career regular season games. Hartnell ranks third in goal-scoring (327 career goals) and fourth in career regular season point total (707) in this draft class from 2000.
The Ottawa Senators picked the most productive center from this draft class from the 2000 entry draft in the second round at No. 55 overall, QMJHL product Antoine Vermette to help lead the franchise into the new decade and century. Vermette was one of seven players from the 2000 draft class who played over 1,000 career regular season games.
Vermette was a reliable two-way center for the top-nine forward group for the Senators, Arizona Coyotes, and Blue Jackets for well over 10 years in the NHL at the position. He played all 82 games (except for the 48 game shortened regular season from the lockout in the early 2010s in the 2012-13 season) six times and played all playoff games for the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup in 2015.