Center Alexander Steen was picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs 24th overall in the first round of the 2002 draft. Steen slides up 17 spots to got to the Anaheim Ducks in the top 10, at No. 7 overall in this reimagining of the 2002 draft lottery.
Steen ranked second among all forwards in this draft class in goals (245) and third in total points (622) from 2002. He was one of only two wingers in this draft class from 2002 who played over 1,000 career games and scored over 600 points.
The Ducks had originally picked left winger Joffrey Lupul seventh overall in the 2002 draft lottery in the top 10. Lupul played over 700 career regular season games mostly for the Ducks and Maple Leafs in Toronto.
The run of forwards picked in the top 10 in the draft lottery in this hypothetical reimagining of the 2002 draft class in the first round continues with the Wild selecting center Valtteri Filppula No. 8 overall. Filppula was one of just six players from the 2002 draft class who played over 1,000 career games in the league.
Minnesota originally picked center Pierre-Marc Bouchard eighth overall in the first round of the 2002 draft lottery. Filppula slides up over 80 picks (originally selected 95th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round in 2002) to be picked in the top 10 in the draft lottery by the Wild at the center position.
Frans Nielsen is the third straight center taken off the board in the top 10 in this reimagining of the 2002 draft lottery in the first round. Nielsen was originally picked 87th overall by the New York Islanders in the third round of the 2002 entry draft.
The Panthers originally picked center Petr Taticek in the top 10 at ninth overall in the 2002 draft lottery. Taticek was the only forward selected in the top 10 in the 2002 draft lottery in the first round who didn't play 100 career games in the NHL.
Nielsen ranks in the top five among centers in the draft class from 2002 in goals scored (167), assists (306), games played (925), and total points (473).