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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) /
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RALEIGH, NC – SEPTEMBER 28: Defenseman Igor Knyazev #38 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates on the ice during the NHL preseason game against the Washington Capitals on September 28, 2002 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Capitals won 6-1. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI)
RALEIGH, NC – SEPTEMBER 28: Defenseman Igor Knyazev #38 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates on the ice during the NHL preseason game against the Washington Capitals on September 28, 2002 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Capitals won 6-1. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI) /

Igor Knyazev

With the 15th pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes gambled on Russian defenseman Igor Knyazev.  A strong puck mover with decent size, Knyazev entered the draft as the second-ranked European defenceman.

His pro career started with the Lowell Lock Monsters in the AHL where Knyazev didn’t show much promise in terms of his offensive upside.  To compound things, his defensive play regressed, leading the Hurricanes to trade him to the Phoenix Coyotes in the summer of 2003.

Unable to crack the NHL roster of either the Hurricanes or Coyotes, Knyazev returned to Russia in 2004, having spent two seasons in the AHL without ever seeing NHL action.

Note: Danny Markov, the player received from Phoenix in the trade, was later sent to the Philadelphia Flyers for Justin Williams.  The Markov trade also marked the end of David Tanabe‘s first stint with the Hurricanes.

LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 15: Tim Gleason of the Los Angeles Kings poses for a portrait on September 15, 2003 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by: Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 15: Tim Gleason of the Los Angeles Kings poses for a portrait on September 15, 2003 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by: Getty Images) /

A Familiar Face

Eight spots after Knyazev was selected, the Los Angeles Kings took Tim Gleason.  As we all know, Gleason went on to spend the majority of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he became a fan-favorite.

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