With the fourth overall pick in the first round of this 2006 redraft, the Washington Capitals decide to keep their original pick with center Nicklas Backstrom. A longtime reliable two-way center for the Capitals who led the first line alongside future Hall-of-Fame winger Alex Ovechkin, Backstrom is one of only two forwards from this draft class in 2006 who played in over 1,000 career regular season games and registered over 700 assists.
You could argue that Ovechkin wouldn't have the goal-scoring numbers he has today without the support of playing with Backstrom at center for over 15 seasons in the nation's capital in D.C. Not only that, but Backstrom was a key piece in the Capitals winning their Stanley Cup in 2018, and he scored over 1,000 career points, all while wearing the Washington jersey.
For the second pick in a row, the team picking in this spot keeps their original selection with the Boston Bruins going with winger Phil Kessel to complete the top five picks in this redraft in the first round. While Kessel didn't play his entire career in a Boston uniform, he was still very productive there in the offensive zone for multiple seasons.
Kessel had his first career 30-goal season for the Bruins in 2008-09 before Boston traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the deal that would eventually lead to picking forward Tyler Seguin second overall in 2010 and defenseman Dougie Hamilton ninth overall in 2011.
Kessel had a good long career in the NHL, where he played in over 1,000 career regular season games and came up just short of getting 1,000 career points.
Continuing the run on productive forwards picked in the top 10 in this lottery redraft from 2006, the Columbus Blue Jackets pick two-time Stanley Cup-winning center Staal sixth overall.
While Staal doesn't go second overall in this redraft, he's still had a great enough career in the NHL that he gets scooped up sixth overall by the Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets originally picked center Derick Brassard sixth overall in the 2006 draft in the first round. Brassard had some good years in Columbus as a reliable middle-six center, but Staal gives the Blue Jackets more playoff experience and defensive ability in the middle of the lineup in this hypothetical redraft.
Add us as a preferred source on Google