The Predators had a really good pick to build their defensive core in the early-to-mid 2000s decade in front of goalie Pekka Rinne, selecting defensemen Ryan Suter and Weber in the first two rounds of the 2003 draft.
Getting longtime Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf seventh overall in this reimagining of the 2003 draft lottery shows how good this draft class was for so many teams in the league. Getzlaf was one of the four players from this draft class who played over 1,000 career regular season games and scored over 1,000 career points.
He also won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in the mid-2000s decade in 2007.
Getzlaf moves up a dozen spots in this hypothetical reimagining of the 2003 draft lottery.
The Atlanta Thrashers originally picked defenseman Braydon Coburn eighth overall in the first round of the 2003 draft lottery. Coburn only played a couple of years in Atlanta before moving on to Philadelphia with the Flyers in 2007.
Atlanta gets an upgrade on the blue line on defense, picking Suter eighth overall to boost their defensive core in the 2003 draft lottery.
While Suter doesn't get picked seventh overall by the Predators in the first round in this reimagining of the 2003 draft lottery, he only slides down one spot to the Thrashers at No. 8 overall in the top 10.
The Calgary Flames, instead of picking defenseman Dion Phaneuf ninth overall, go with center Jeff Carter to boost their offensive output in this 2003 redraft in the first round.
Carter slides up a couple of spots to get selected just inside the top 10 at No. 9 overall by the Flames in this reimagining of the 2003 draft lottery for Calgary.
Carter was one of five centers from this draft class from 2003 who scored over 800 career points and played in over 1,000 regular season games. He ranked fourth in goals scored (442).