Nearly five years have passed since the 2020 NHL Draft, so we’re taking a look at how the top-10 picks have shaped up over the first full four years of their careers, starting with picks 1-5
Tim Stutzle, to this point, is the only player from this class to establish himself early as an elite talent in the NHL. Others, like Lucas Raymond and Jake Sanderson, have solidified themselves as strong contributors and pieces to build around, but the top-end talent outside of Stutzle is somewhat lacking in this class.
With the benefit of hindsight, we’re redrafting this class to see where some of the players might have ended up if the scouts had done their jobs.
- NEW YORK RANGERS
Original Pick: Alexis Lafreniere (LW)
Redraft: Tim Stutzle (C)
Entering the draft, Stutzle was touted as one of the top prospects along with Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield. Originally taken by Ottawa, Stutzle is close to earning the ‘star’ tag if he hasn’t already through his first 341 games—putting up 198 goals and 303 points across those contests. A tier above the rest of this class, the Rangers beef up their top-six by adding Stutzle in this redraft.
- LOS ANGELES KINGS
Original Pick: Quinton Byfield (RW)
Redraft: Jake Sanderson (D)
Outside of Stutzle, the rest of the original top-10 went about where they should. Many of these redraft shuffles are interchangeable and come down to team needs, so I have the Kings taking Jake Sanderson over Quinton Byfield to add a cornerstone defenseman to build around. Thirty-five-year-old Drew Doughty only has so much left in the tank, so LA looks to refresh their blue line with Sanderson.
- OTTAWA SENATORS
Original Pick: Tim Stutzle (C)
Redraft: Lucas Raymond (LW)
The next-best available, Raymond has been a stud in Detroit thus far, and the Sens wouldn’t be too upset about getting him at three had they missed out on Stutzle. Raymond has 233 points in 293 games with the Wings, and those totals would probably look about the same in Ottawa, where he’d play in a similar top-six role. The Senators were the original bandits of this draft, having two top-five picks and nailing them both with Stutzle and Sanderson.
- DETROIT RED WINGS
Original Pick: Lucas Raymond (LW)
Redraft: Quinton Byfield (RW)
Byfield would drop outside the top three if this draft was done over, but that’s not to say the scouting report on the kid was wrong. It took him a couple of years to get it going, bouncing between the Kings and their AHL affiliate in Ontario, but he’s coming off career-highs in goals and points with 55 in 2023-24, on top of strong two-way play-driving. Detroit would surely add this 6’5” power forward given the chance, with what else is available.
- OTTAWA SENATORS
Original Pick: Jake Sanderson (D)
Redraft: Anton Lundell (C)
Without Sanderson on the board, the Senators opt for the young Finn currently representing his country at the 4 Nations in Anton Lundell. He’s put up impressive numbers so far with the Panthers after originally being taken 12th overall—148 points in 272 games—but he, like Byfield, is a very strong two-way player who does more than put points on the board. If Ottawa were able to grab both Lundell and Raymond in this draft, they’d still probably be the bandits based on those two guys.