Remembering 10 NHL Draft picks that toured the league before finally being used

The 25th pick in this year’s NHL Draft has been on a bit of a journey.

The story starts at last year’s trade deadline. The pick originally belonged to the Lightning, but they traded it to the Kraken in a deal for Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. The pick stayed with the Kraken until this weekend, when they shipped it to the Panthers for Mackie Samoskevich. We didn’t realize it at the time, but the Panthers had something even bigger in mind, flipping the pick to the Senators a few hours later in the Brady Tkachuk blockbuster. Now we wait to see if Ottawa uses the pick or moves it again for immediate help.

Not a bad story for one pick. And I’ll be honest, I kind of love it when this happens. Some picks have lived a full life before they’re ever actually used to draft a player. I remember as a kid being fascinated that the biggest trade of 1992, the Eric Lindros blockbuster, and the biggest of 1994, Mats Sundin for Wendel Clark, both involved the same pick, one that started off in Philadelphia before heading to Quebec, then Toronto, and ultimately on to Washington (where it was used on Nolan Baumgartner, who played just 143 NHL games).

Today, let’s go back through the cap era and see if we can find some picks that have stories to tell. We’ll set the bar high, looking for picks that changed hands at least four times. We’ll rely on the invaluable Pro Sports Transactions database and see where this takes us.

Origin of a rat: Pick 98, 2006

How it started: Originally, the Bruins’ fourth-rounder.

But then: With trading just having reopened after the end of the lockout in August 2005, the Bruins sent the pick to the Oilers for Brad Isbister.

But then: Roughly four weeks later, the Oilers sent the pick back to the Bruins in exchange for Yan Stastny. Why didn’t the two teams just trade Isbister for Stastny directly? Look, we were all just happy to have hockey back, don’t overthink it.

But then: On the draft floor, the Bruins sent this pick and a fifth to the Islanders for a third, which they then used on some kid named Brad Marchand.

But then: The Islanders flipped the pick to the Sharks, moving down ten spots and adding a sixth. By the way, all that wheeling and dealing ended with the Islanders passing on Marchand to draft Shane Sims, Jase Weslosky and Stefan Ridderwall, a trio that combined to play one NHL game. Did this have anything to do with the Islanders immediately replacing their GM with their backup goalie? Hard to say.

And in the end: The Sharks took James Delory, who didn’t play in the NHL.

A barnburner: Pick 73, 2008

How it started: This was the Oilers’ third-rounder.

But then: At the 2007 deadline, the Oilers sent this pick and Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Islanders for Denis Grebeshkov, a young defenseman who was playing overseas after a contract dispute.

But then: Later that summer, the Oilers reacquired the pick from the Islanders along with Allan Rourke in exchange for a second. That turned out great for the Islanders, who used the second on Travis Hamonic. As for the Oilers, it was kind of weird to see a team pay a premium to reacquire their own pick, which made you wonder if they needed it for an … oh no.

But then: The Oilers were indeed getting their own pick back so that they could use it in an offer sheet. They did a few weeks later, targeting Anaheim’s Dustin Penner. The offer sheet was successful, meaning this pick plus a first and second went to the Ducks as compensation.

In other words: Yes, this is the draft pick that almost led to a barn fight.

But then: Midway through the 2007-08 season, the Ducks sent the pick to the Islanders for … Marc-Andre Bergeron. As in, the same guy from the first transaction. Does this make Bergeron the only player to ever have been traded both with and for the same draft pick? I’m honestly not sure, but check back in August for my 4,500-word investigative report.

And in the end: The Islanders used the pick on Russian winger Kirill Petrov, who never played in the NHL.

A six-pack: Pick 26, 2009

How it started: This late-round first originally belonged to the Sharks.

But then: San Jose sent the pick to Tampa as part of the Dan Boyle blockbuster during the 2008 offseason.

But then: Later that summer, Tampa sent the pick to Ottawa as part of the Andrej Meszaros trade that also brought Filip Kuba to Ottawa.

But then: Ottawa sent the pick to the Islanders as part of the trade that brought Mike Comrie to Ottawa. For the second time, apparently.

But then: On the draft floor, the Islanders sent this pick along with a second, third and fourth to Columbus to move up to the 16th pick, which they used on Nick Leddy. They also got a third in the deal.

As an added bonus, the Islanders then reacquired the third and fourth-rounders from Columbus the next day in exchange for a second.

But then: The Ducks turned around and flipped this pick, plus the second they’d just got from New York, to Anaheim to move back up to the 21st pick, which they used on John Moore.

And in the end: After belonging to six separate teams over the course of one calendar year, the Ducks finally used this well-travelled pick on Kyle Palmieri, who’s still kicking around the league to this day.

A Kess mess: Pick 32, 2010

How it started: This was originally the Maple Leafs’ second-round pick.

But then: In the best deal of his brief second tenure as Leafs GM, Cliff Fletcher sent this pick to the Canadiens for Mikhail Grabovski.

But then: Montreal flipped the pick to the Blackhawks for Robert Lang.

But then: The Leafs got the pick back from the Hawks in exchange for a second and third; the Hawks then used the second on Brandon Saad. Meanwhile, like the 2008 Oilers, the Leafs were reacquiring their own pick to set up the threat of an offer sheet, which they never ended up using because …

But then: This was the second-round pick the Leafs sent to Boston along with two firsts for Phil Kessel. Those firsts, of course, ended up being Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton.

And in the end: The Bruins took Jared Knight, who never played in the NHL, which is why you never hear this pick mentioned when people relitigate the Kessel trade.

Call a Kab: Pick 54, 2012

How it started: This was the Bruins’ second-round pick.

But then: At the 2011 deadline, the Bruins traded this pick to the Leafs as part of a package for Tomas Kaberle … sort of. This was actually a conditional pick, which would only transfer if the Bruins went all the way to the 2011 final. Canucks fans, does anyone remember if that happened?

But then: Days after the 2011 final, the Leafs flipped this pick to Colorado for John-Michael Liles.

But then: One week later, the Avalanche sent this pick and a 2012 first to the Capitals for Semyon Varlamov. It was a good deal for both teams, with the Avs getting a starting goalie and the Caps using the first on Filip Forsberg, who they presumably kept forever.

But then: The Caps held onto the pick for almost a full year, then traded it to Dallas at the draft for Mike Ribeiro.

And in the end: The Stars took Mike Winther, who never made the NHL.

Rem cycle: Pick 76, 2016

How it started: This was the Wild’s third-round pick.

But then: The Wild sent the pick to Florida for Sean Bergenheim, who scored one goal in 17 games in Minnesota and then left the NHL.

But then: At the 2015 deadline, the Panthers sent this pick and a second to the Devils for a fresh-faced prospect named Jaromir Jagr, who legend says is still playing hockey to this day.

But then: At the 2015 draft, the Devils sent both picks from the Jagr trade to Anaheim for, of all people, our old pal Kyle Palmieri. Find someone who loves you as much as Kyle Palmieri loves being part of the same pick being traded over and over again.

But then: At the 2016 deadline, the Ducks sent the pick to Buffalo for Jamie McGinn.

But then: This was the pick the Sabres sent to the Predators for the negotiating rights to Hobey Baker-winning college prospect Jimmy Vesey. He snubbed the Sabres and signed with the Rangers later that summer.

And in the end: On its sixth stop, the Predators finally used the pick on Rem Pitlick, who only played 132 NHL games but somehow stuck around the sport long enough to be involved in the 2023 Erik Karlsson trade.

OK fine, I’ll stop making terrible puns: Pick 87, 2018

How it started: This was originally the Maple Leafs’ third-round pick.

But then: A full three years earlier, during the 2015 offseason, this pick went to New Jersey as compensation for the Leafs hiring Lou Lamoriello. Remember that brief era where teams had to give up draft picks to hire coaches and GMs? That was fun. Anyway, Lamoriello becomes the second-oldest asset acquired as part of today’s list, trailing only Jaromir Jagr.

But then: The Devils held the pick for two years, presumably because they forgot they had it, before sending it along with a second to Washington for Marcus Johansson.

But then: The Caps traded this pick at the 2018 deadline for Michal Kempny. Yes, this was the pick the Capitals used to make their big deadline reinforcements deal in the year they won the Cup. Thanks, Lou.

But then: The Hawks sent this pick and a fifth to Arizona to move up to 74th, where they took Niklas Nordgren.

But then: The Coyotes flipped the pick to San Jose for a fourth and a fifth.

And in the end: The Sharks finally used the pick to take Linus Karlsson, who took a while to get to the NHL but is now a regular with the Canucks.

The one that almost broke me: Pick 104, 2019

How it started: This pick was the Wild’s fourth-rounder.

But then: It was sent to Arizona at the 2017 deadline as one of seven assets changing hands in the way-too-complicated Martin Hanzal trade, the full details of which this margin is too narrow to contain.

But then: Late in 2017, it went to the Penguins as one of five assets in a deal involving Michael Leighton.

But then: On the same day, the Penguins flipped the pick to Dallas for Jamie Oleksiak.

But then: It took just over 13 months, but eventually the Stars and Penguins went “nah” and sent Oleksiak back to Dallas for the same pick he’d originally been traded for. Good thing the Pens kept the receipt.

But then: Four days later, the Penguins sent the pick to Florida as one of seven assets in a trade that involved names such as Jared McCann and Derick Brassard, and honestly, at this point, this draft pick is just showing off.

But then: The Panthers sent this pick and another fourth to Columbus to move up into the third and draft Cole Schwindt, who you may remember being part of the Matthew Tkachuk trade.

And in the end: Now on its seventh stop and sixth team after a trail of transactions that totaled 24 assets in all, the pick was mercifully used by the Blue Jackets, who took Swedish defenseman Eric Hjorth, who has yet to make the NHL because, of course, he hasn’t.

Conn job: Pick 48, 2021

How it started: This was the Blues’ second-rounder.

But then: In the 2018 offseason, it went to Buffalo as part of the Ryan O’Reilly blockbuster that also included Tage Thompson. It worked out pretty well for the Blues, who won a Cup with O’Reilly taking the Conn Smythe, but the Sabres are good with it, too.

But then: One year later, the Sabres sent the pick to Vegas along with a fifth for Colin Miller.

But then: At the 2020 deadline, this was one of two second-round picks the Knights sent to the Kings for Alec Martinez.

But then: On the draft floor in 2021, the Kings sent this pick and a fifth to the Senators to move up seven spots. For those keeping track at home, this means this pick was traded exactly once in each of four consecutive years, which amuses me more than it should.

And in the end: The Senators took defenseman Ben Roger, but never signed him.

Full circle: Pick 80, 2023

How it started: This was the Flames’ third-round pick.

But then: It was one of three picks Calgary traded to Seattle for Calle Järnkrok at the 2022 deadline.

But then: The Kraken sent this pick and a fourth to the Blue Jackets for Oliver Bjorkstrand during the 2022 offseason.

By the way, Bjorkstrand later went to the Lightning in a deal that featured not only that first from the Brady Tkachuk trade, but also the 57th choice in last year’s draft, which was itself another five-stop pick. Back off, Oliver, this is Kyle Palmieri’s gimmick.

But then: The Blue Jackets held the pick for a year before sending it to the Devils in the sign-and-trade for Damon Severson.

But then: Two weeks later, the Devils used the pick to acquire Tyler Toffoli from, yes, the Flames. Welcome home, little pick, we knew you’d be back someday.

And in the end: The Flames took Aydar Suniev, who’s played a few NHL games and is “the real deal” as part of Calgary’s excellent pipeline.