Draft picks get traded every single NHL season. In the 2015 draft alone, 78 of the 211 picks moved from their original team. Draft picks are usually traded, in order to spice up a deal to obtain players, to move their position in the draft or to have more picks in the draft, allowing them to have more draft picks.
However, there are some draft picks that get traded more, than the player that was drafted with the pick, with some of those draft picks being in some of the biggest and well-known trades in hockey.
One such pick, is Pick 32 of the 2010 Entry Draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs originally held the #32 pick, the second pick of the second round, by finishing 29th in the 09-10 season, only better than the Edmonton Oilers. However, on the 3rd of July 2008, Toronto traded the pick, along with defensemen Greg Pateryn, to the Montreal Canadiens, for forward Mikhail Grabovski.
Pick 32’s travels didn’t end there. Montreal moved the pick on September 12, 2008, to the Chicago Blackhawks, in exchange for forward Robert Lang.
Chicago, on the 5th September, 2009, moved pick 32, back to the franchise that originally held the pick, Toronto. In return, the Blackhawks received picks 43 and 69 in the 2010 draft, which were used to draft Brandon Saad (43), and
Michael Paliotta (69).
With the Maple Leafs regaining the pick, it would be moved one more time before reaching its final destination. On the 18th of September, 2009, Toronto sent the pick, as well as their first round pick in 2010, and their first round pick in 2011, to the Boston Bruins, in exchange for Phil Kessel. Boston would use the picks to draft Tyler Seguin (Pick 2, 2010), Dougie Hamilton (Pick 9, 2011) and with pick 32 of the NHL draft, Jared Knight.
Knight would spend time in Boston, before being traded to the Minnesota Wild, on March 2, 2015, in exchange for Zack Phillips, where he remains on the roster. Thus ends this draft pick road. Four franchises and seven players were all affected in some way shape or form, by pick 32, with another player and franchise affected after Jared Knight was drafted. As for the franchises and players affected?
Greg Pateryn remains in Montreal, under contract until 2018. Mikhail Grabovski was bought out by the Leafs, spent one season in Washington, before signing for the New York Islanders, where he currently plays.
Robert Lang would spend the remainder of the 08-09 season in Montreal, before signing as a Free Agent for his final season, the 09-10 season, in Arizona.
Brandon Saad and Michael Paliotta, would both remain members of the Chicago Blackhawks, before both were traded in the same deal, along with Alex Broadhurst, to the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, Corey Trapp, Marko Dano and a 2016 4th Rd pick.
Tyler Seguin would win a Stanley Cup in Boston, before being traded with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button, to the Dallas Stars. In return, the Bruins received Loui Eriksson, Matt Fraser, Reilly Smith and Joe Morrow.
Dougie Hamilton would also be traded out of Boston. Moved to the Calgary Flames organization, in exchange for a 2015 1st Rd pick (Zach Senshyn, 15), and two 2nd Rd picks (Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, 45), (Jeremy Lauzon, 52).
Phil Kessel would lead scoring for the Maple Leafs in every season he was a member of the roster, before the Pittsburgh Penguins came calling. Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon, and a 2nd Rd pick in 2016 (61), would head to Pittsburgh, with Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, a 2016 1st Rd pick (30), and a 2016 3rd Rd pick (72).
Zack Phillips would be traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 4, 2016 for future considerations, and on July 1, after his NHL contract expired, Phillips agreed to a one-year deal with Swedish Allsvenskan franchise, Tingsryds AIF.
