We continue our series of reimagining past editions of the NHL Draft with the 2002 class, over two decades later. Each draft class in the league in the NHL should be graded on the depth, longevity, and the fit that certain players had with development with the teams that picked them in the first round in the lottery in the past few decades.
The 2002 NHL Draft only produced six players who played over 1,000 career games in the regular season in the league over the past couple of decades
Looking back on the 2002 draft class in the NHL, this group didn't turn out to be the most impressive overall class as we see it over two decades later in 2025 in the league. With Duncan Keith already being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, forward Rick Nash is probably the only other player from this draft class of 2002 who would be considered for induction in the future in the NHL.
The Los Angeles Kings didn't have a lottery pick in the first round of the 2002 draft. But the Kings did pick defenseman Denis Grebeshkov 18th overall in the first round of the 2002 draft.
Here's a look back at our reimagining of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft lottery over 20 years later in 2025.
This is probably a controversial pick for some people. But I think it makes sense for Nash to remain going first overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2002 draft lottery in the first round. Nash led the Blue Jackets to the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance in 2009. He also led the NHL in goals and had the Jackets' first Rocket Richard Trophy winner in 2004.
Keith had the longer career and won more Stanley Cups than Nash. But the fact that Nash was the captain of the Blue Jackets for over a half-decade and he is Columbus' all-time career leader in points scored (547), goals (289), and All-Star Team selections (5), makes him a staple for this franchise that is hard to move around in this hypothetical redraft from the 2002 class.
It was a really tough pick to keep Keith from going first overall to the Blue Jackets in this hypothetical redraft of the 2002 lottery in the first round for this draft class from 23 years ago. Originally selected 54th overall in the second round of the 2002 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Keith is one of the all-time great defensemen from this century in the NHL.
Getting a defenseman who could control the game on both ends of the ice the way that Keith could would've been the perfect way for the Atlanta Thrashers to build their franchise in the early 2000s decade in the league. Keith won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks in the 2010s decade, and he scored more points and played more games than any other defenseman in this draft class from 2002.
The Florida Panthers originally picked defenseman Jay Bouwmeester third overall in the 2002 draft lottery in the first round. Bouwmeester immediately became a key part of the Panthers' blue-line core at defense in the 2000s decade, scoring over 35 points and double-digit goals in three straight seasons in Florida in the mid-to-late 2000s.
At the time, the Panthers had All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo who was one of the best goalies in the league in the mid-2000s decade. But the Panthers traded Luongo to the Vancouver Canucks in the 2006 offseason.
We didn't know that the Panthers would trade Luongo just a few years after the 2002 draft. In hindsight, the Panthers probably would've picked goalie Cam Ward in the top three in the 2002 draft lottery in the first round.
Ward was the most accomplished goalie from this draft class from 2002. He started over 500 career regular season games for the Carolina Hurricanes over the span of a dozen seasons in the league in the NHL. Ward registered a save percentage of .909 with the Hurricanes and helped Carolina with the franchise's only Stanley Cup in 2006.