When Chris Thorburn was drafted in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Buffalo Sabres, his career longevity probably wasn’t on the mind of fans and pundits. He only played two games with the Sabres before going to the Pittsburgh Penguins to play 36 games in 2006-2007. He had some success with the Rochester Americans and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in the AHL, but his NHL career looked like he’d wind up a constant injury call-up at best. He was a depth guy.
In 2007, he was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers for a third round pick, and Thorburn would spend the next eleven seasons with the franchise, bridging two cities.