A Review of the Carolina Hurricanes First Round Draft Picks Part I: 1997-2007

2005: Jack Johnson (D) 3rd Overall 1107GP 74G 246A 599 PIM

If you look at just Jack Johnson’s stats, you can see he’s had a long NHL career.  He never quite lived up to the hype of the 3rd overall pick but he has been a solid NHL player for close to 20 years.  However, he is one of the worst Hurricanes draft picks ever. He had no intention of ever signing with the team and forced a trade before ever playing an NHL game.  The ‘Canes received Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger in return, and while they are decent NHL players, they are not near the return you should receive for a prospect held in his regard.  He is the subject of one of the stranger stories in recent years with his parents stealing all of his money and forcing him into bankruptcy.  Regardless, considering the circumstances, this was a bad pick.  If the Hurricanes were hell-bent on picking a D-man, they could’ve chosen Marc Staal (12th Overall).  Other notable players the ‘Canes missed are future Hall of Famers Carey Price (4th Overall), Anze Kopitar (11th Overall), and Tuukka Rask (21st Overall) as well as All Star TJ Oshie (24th Overall)

Note: A Carey Price/Tukka Rask tandem with Cam Ward would’ve been amazing.