1997: Nikos Tselios (D) 22nd Overall 2GP 0G 0A 6 PIM
With their first draft pick as the newly branded Carolina Hurricanes, they picked defenseman Nikos Tselios from the Belleville Bulls of the OHL. Tselios had the family pedigree (Cousin of Hall of Famer Chris Chelios) but he was never able to come close to the same success. This wasn’t the Hurricanes' original pick. They were slated to pick 8th overall, but traded that pick to Boston for franchise legend Glen Wesley. The ‘Canes got back into the first round in a trade that sent disgruntled star Brenden Shanahan to the Red Wings in exchange for Paul Coffey and Keith Primeau. Tselios’ career is very forgettable, only playing in two games and not registering a single point in his NHL career. He spent the rest of his career in the minors before heading over to Europe, finishing his pro-playing career in the Swedish 3rd division. This was a major miss for the Hurricanes. Chosen two picks later was Brendan Morrow, who went on to play close to 1000 games, have seven 20-goal seasons, and captained the Stars for 8 years.
Note: If the Hurricanes kept their original 8th overall, they could have picked Marian Hossa (Ouch)