Time is really cruel.
When the 2023 NHL Draft went down in Nashville late in June, it marked 20 years since the draft was in Tennessee for the first time. It also marked the 20th anniversary of one of the best draft classes of all time.
While Connor Bedard will provide the first lasting memory from the 2023 event, the sheer number of top players who came out of the 2003 draft is incredible. Sixteen players from that draft have played 1,000 or more NHL games. Six players have scored 400 or more goals and four players have 1,000 or more points.