Cardiac Cane
Fansided

Carolina Hurricanes: Top Five First-Round Misfires

By Jeb Bohn

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: Twelfth overall pick Ryan Murphy by the Carolina Hurricanes stands onstage for a photo with Ron Francis and a member of Carolina Hurricanes organization during day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: Twelfth overall pick Ryan Murphy by the Carolina Hurricanes stands onstage for a photo with Ron Francis and a member of Carolina Hurricanes organization during day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
2000 Season: Nikos Tselios. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
2000 Season: Nikos Tselios. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Nikos Tselios

The first-ever draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes (22nd overall at the 1997 Entry Draft), Nikos Tselios had the size (6’5″, 226) and bloodline (he is a cousin of NHL legend Chris Chelios) to be an intriguing pick.  Possessing fair mobility for a player his size, Tselios also displayed offensive vision, putting up 21 goals and 39 assists with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers.

Despite transitioning to the pro game relatively well with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL, Tselios never looked totally comfortable after making the jump to the AHL.  He saw action in two NHL games late in the 2001-02 season, going pointless while averaging 13:13 minutes in ice time.  That would prove to be his only NHL action.

Tselios signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in the summer of 2003 but spent the rest of his playing career in the minor leagues, offset by a year split between Finland and Sweden.

DALLAS, TX – MARCH 14: Brenden Morrow #10 of the Dallas Stars takes a breather during a stop in the action against the Anaheim Ducks at the American Airlines Center on March 14, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – MARCH 14: Brenden Morrow #10 of the Dallas Stars takes a breather during a stop in the action against the Anaheim Ducks at the American Airlines Center on March 14, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

What Might Have Been

When you look at the picks directly after Tselios, two names jump out.  The first is Scott Hannan, a defenseman who played 1055 games in the NHL with San José, Colorado, Washington, Calgary, and Nashville.  Hannan’s steady defensive play would have fit in well with the early 00’s Hurricanes and given them another layer of depth on the blueline.  He was taken directly after Carolina selected Tselios.

The more intriguing possibility to me is Brenden Morrow, taken by the Dallas Stars three picks after Tselios.  A talented two-way winger, Morrow amassed 575 points over 991 games while developing into a lead-by-example captain.

Excuse me while I imagine Morrow playing wing on a line with Rod Brind’Amour.

Home/Editorials