In 2004-05, after a lockout which robbed the league of the entire season, there was a draft lottery in which every team was given 1-3 balls, depending upon recent first overall selections and playoff entries. The teams with three balls, of which there were four, were the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The winner of the lottery, which was colloquially known as the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes, as 87 was the assumed first overall selection, was the Pittsburgh Penguins. What if, instead, one of the three other three ball teams had won, and Sidney Crosby never became a Penguin? Let’s answer it, shall we?
Pittsburgh Penguins
Let’s start with the Penguins, who, while missing out on Sidney Crosby, let’s say don’t miss out by much, and get the number two overall pick. While they attempt to trade up for Crosby, none of the three teams in this scenario are willing to lose the best player since Gretzky, and the Penguins settle for Bobby Ryan. A good wing to play with Evgeni Malkin, taken the year before.
The Penguins, even with Sidney Crosby, were the second worst team in the league the next year, and took Jordan Staal to be the third center for their team. Without Crosby, the Pens fall to the first overall pick, and select Jordan Staal still, placing more pressure upon a depth center to be a top 6 guy. Again, the Penguins fall short, and instead of having pick number 20, while they improve through good management and good play from the combo of Malkin and Ryan, they wind up barely missing the playoffs, let’s say number 12, where the Canadiens ended up that year (Penguins and Canadiens switch places, Canadiens make the playoffs but lose round one). With the best players all off the table, the Penguins know they have talent at wing and at first line center, and feel good with their depth. They know a need will be defense soon enough, and so draft the best defenseman available – Ryan McDonaugh. Never traded in this scenario, McD develops into a franchise defenseman for the Penguins, a true mate for Kris Letang.
While the Penguins don’t get to build around the Kid Sid, they make a great team around Evgeni Malkin, who becomes their quiet all star, and win one (instead of two [maybe more]) cup.
New York Rangers
The Rangers wind up with the first overall pick, selecting Sidney Crosby. Elated, the Rangers, who winded up going to the playoffs the following year (and trading up for Marc Staal – that doesn’t happen here) and a naturally gifted roster including Jaromir Jagr, rally around their new first line center, a compliment to Jagr, and go deeper than just the first round, making it to the second round. Jagr, inspired by his new linemate, does not leave for the KHL. Young goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Sidney Crosby keep each other in New York. Imagine those two on a team.
The Rangers then select at pick number 22, bumping the Philadelphia Flyers. You know who the Flyers selected at 22? Claude Giroux. He’s now a Ranger, playing second center to Sidney Crosby. The Rangers are on their way to the dynasty the Penguins created.
The 06-07 Rangers, with Crosby and Giroux, is better than the 06-07 Senators, and reach the Stanley Cup Finals, and the combination of Giroux, Jagr, and Crosby with Lundqvist in net proves too much for the inexperienced Ducks and their new old coach Randy Carlyle, and the Rangers win their first cup since 94. Drought no more.
The Rangers scouts prove effective, as PK Subban, who fell to the second round in the 07 draft, instead goes to the New York Rangers. The Rangers build their dynasty off the backs of Subban, Crosby, Giroux and Lundqvist, and win more cups than New York fans can deal with. The Yankees become second class citizens as the city rallies around their hockey team the way the Blackhawks did, and the Rangers become the new Blackhawks, salary cap issues and all.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets, who haven’t been able to build a team since 2005, now get Crosby to try a different route. Crosby gets to learn from the legend Sergei Federov, and eases into the NHL at the second line center position. The Blue Jackets, with this additional depth, are the first team out of the playoffs in the West – it was a strong year. They draft 14, and to complement Crosby select Chris Stewart – it was not a particularly strong draft late.
The Blue Jackets aren’t as successful as they would like, and barely win enough games to make the playoffs, becoming the second wild card, out after one series. As Edmonton proves, you can’t win with one player. With the 18th pick, the Jackets trade up to the fourteenth pick to improve their young defense, selecting Kevin Shattenkirk.
The Blue Jackets are a team who never found the right management, and even with Sidney Crosby, this doesn’t improve. Either Crosby leaves in free agency or he’s still searching for his first cup. This is the darkest timeline for Crosby.
Buffalo Sabres
And now, the brightest timeline for both parties, at least at first – the Buffalo Sabres, even without Sidney Crosby, made the playoffs in 05-06, winning 52 games and getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. This time, they win those, going to the Stanley Cup Finals, with a first line center at the helm. It’s tough beating the should be champions, but Crosby figures out Ward, and the Oilers are no match. The Sabres win the Cup their first year with Sidney Crosby.
The next year (yeah, the Sabres pick at 30 is irrelevant, the next best player after that round was Brad Marchand and there’s no reason Darcy Reiger would recognize a third rounder as first round material), the Sabres get back to the playoffs and win their division, and the East. They have the talent it takes to win championships still, and, recognizing need over drafting, sign free agent Marc Savard to play with Brian Campbell, who stays a Sabre. They make it back to the Championship, but run into a deeper Anaheim Ducks team.
The Sabres are also able to build around their superstar first line center, and win a few more cups over the years, keeping their guy content, even though it feels like the middle of nowhere, the Sabres aren’t the new championship-less Cleveland, as the city, already rallied around hockey, make Crosby into a god much like Pittsburgh did.
And for the kicks:
Chicago Blackhawks
Dollar Bill Wirtz screws us over and takes Bobby Ryan. Pittsburgh still becomes Pittsburgh, but the Chicago Blackhawks never sign Marian Hossa, thinking they have their guy to complement Kane and Toews with Ryan. They’re right at first, we win the 2010 cup, but no more. Thanks Dollar Bill.
JK. The worst franchise in sports is given their superstar tw0 years early. More people buy into Dollar Bill’s corrupted system, but the other sports remain far more popular – Rocky Wirtz will truly make the Blackhawks Chicago’s #1. Chicago still doesn’t have the team, but Crosby builds relationships with guys like Keith, Seabrook, and Byfuglien, and the team looks ready for the future. The Blackhawks still select number three, taking their second guy Toews. That’s right Chicago gets Toews and Crosby. The team takes a serious run at the Cup, but still fall short. Far from being able to draft Patrick Kane, who instead goes to the team whose dream he killed in the Philadelphia Flyers, the team instead takes Max Pacioretty. The team still wins championships with the Teenage Ninja Mutant Threesome (that’s their nickname), and simply the best leadership in the sport. There is no captain, as Crosby, Toews, and Patches share the duties with Keith. The team becomes simply unstoppable, backed by a great defense willing to take pay cuts to play and win (the quote from America’s Voldemort – “we’ll win so much you’ll get sick of winning” fits), and reflect the 90’s Bulls. The Blackhawks are remade by Rocky, but Dale Tallon remains the GM of the Blackhawks.