The 1996 Draft
The 1995-96 season was a lot of the same for the Whalers. They weren't bad enough to be bottom feeders, but not good enough to make the playoffs, finishing 11 points under the line. Boston was solidly in the playoffs, though they had another quick exit. The Whalers' pick was 8th overall, one spot better than the previous year.
Fortunately for the Whalers, the 1996 Draft is considered one of the weakest of all time, so they didn't miss out on very much at the top of the draft. The Bruins selected defenseman Johnathan Aitken with the pick. Aitken played just three games with the Bruins and 44 games in his NHL career. He was a certified bust in a rough opening round.
There weren't many better alternatives for the Whalers to take in this range if they held their pick. One of the more prominent names was the player selected next, defenseman Ruslan Salei, who played over 900 games in his career. A little further down the line, Derek Morris (#13), Dainius Zubrus (#15), Marco Sturm (#21), and Daniel Briere (#24) were picked.