History shows there’s life at 25 … and after

The 2009 NHL Entry Draft can still be exciting for the Boston Bruins, who are picking at No. 25 rather than in the teens or closer to the lottery like they’d been used to before this year. That’s the other side of emerging as a Stanley Cup contender.

But just because the Bruins will be making their first pick (barring a trade up) late on the first night of the draft doesn’t mean their scouts can’t land a solid NHLer for the future.

In fact, a look back at the other drafts this decade proves that No. 25 can be a pretty prosperous position. It’s too early to look back at last June’s draft, but in 2007 St. Louis picked budding star David Perron at No. 26. (No. 25 pick Pat White is still skating for the University of Minnesota while Vancouver waits for him to come out.)

The latter stages of the ’06 first round produced Patrik Berglund, a solid Calder candidate this season, to St. Louis at No. 25 and Nick Foligno to Ottawa at 28. In ’05, Edmonton got Andrew Cogliano at 25, while Matt Niskanen (Dallas at 28) and Steve Downie (Philadelphia at 29) have also turned out to be serviceable or better players.

While finding another Mike Green like Washington did at 29 in ’04 is highly unlikely, that year’s draft also produced Cory Schneider at 26, Jeff Schultz at 27 and Mark Fistric at 29. In ’03, the Florida Panthers had to settle for Anthony Stewart at 25 after Philadelphia took Mike Richards at 24. But Jeff Tambellini, Corey Perry and Pat Eaves all went later in that first round.

In ’02, Boston nemesis Cam Ward went 25th to Carolina. While ’01 was a down year for first-round picks 25 and on, the ’00 draft produced four solid NHLers in the final six picks of the first round.

So what’s the lesson learned here? It’s still more than important that the Bruins do their homework before June 26 because No. 25 is not a dead man’s land. And if you make the right pick, it’ll probably take two or three years of seasoning, but you should have yourself at least a solid top-four defenseman or top-nine forward even if you dont’ hit a home run with a Ward, Richards or Perry.