2007: Brandon Sutter (C/RW) 11th Overall 770GP 152G 289A 149 PIM
This pick is similar to the Jack Johnson pick in the sense that the majority of his NHL games were after he was traded away. Sutter comes from a blue-blood hockey family and was a solid defensive forward throughout his career. He scored 20 goals twice and was an Alternate Captain for the Hurricanes and the Canucks later in his career. With all that being said, Sutter is an important player in Hurricanes history because he was one of the key pieces involved in the trade to acquire Jordan Staal. Jordan Staal, while never truly regaining his close to 30 goal scoring touch he displayed as a rookie, is an important player for the Hurricanes and one of the best face-off men in the entire NHL. Even though Sutter did not have a major impact in a Hurricanes jersey, we were able to use his potential to acquire our current captain. Notable players we missed in 2007 include all-stars Ryan McDonough (12th Overall), Kevin Shattenkirk (14th Overall), former ‘Cane Max Pacioretty (21st Overall), and David Perron (24th Overall).