Since its inception in 1963, the selection process at the NHL draft has always been an inexact science. Countless hours of reviewing scouting reports and conducting interviews can turn into best guesses and hunches as the clock ticks down on draft day.
Pick the right players and your team may enter a new era of prosperity. Pick the wrong players and, well, just look at the checkered history of the Florida Panthers.
Prior to the arrival of general manager Dale Tallon during the summer of 2010, there were few teams worse at evaluating potential talent than the Panthers. Of their 188 total draft picks, only 74 have made it to the NHL, and just 17 managed to skate in 400 NHL games -- less than five full seasons.
While many point to the Panthers' lack of financial stability as the main hindrance of their on-ice success, the club's draft day blunders have been just as, if not more, responsible for the organization making the playoffs just four times in the past 20 seasons.
There is hope for the future, however, as Tallon and the club's director of scouting, Scott Luce, have put together several promising drafts in recent years. In fact, the 303 (and counting) games played from Tallon's 2010 draft class are already more than the Panthers' 2008, 2005 and 2000 classes combined.
In possession of this year's No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers will look to distance themselves from the organization's past mistakes and continue to build upon the strong foundation they have already created. Until then, here is a look at the best and worst of the Panthers' draft history:
WORST DRAFT: 2005
Under the direction of former general manager Mike Keenan, the questionable decisions made at the 2005 draft helped keep the Panthers in the cellar of the Eastern Conference for many years to follow.
With the 20th pick in the draft, the Panthers selected forward Kenndal McArdle of the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors. He would go on to play just 33 games for the Panthers, recording one goal and two assists.
Of the team's seven other picks that year, only goaltender Brian Foster reached the NHL. He appeared in just one game for the Panthers, recording one save in five minutes played.
Though this egregious lack of production would be enough to make this draft an all-time dud in its own right, it's the play of the other draftees that year that have kept the "what ifs" from subsiding.
Considered by many to be one of the best drafts of the past 20 years, the 2005 draft was loaded with talented skaters in almost every round, including Sidney Crosby (first round), Bobby Ryan (first round), Paul Stastny, (second round), Jonathan Quick (third round) and Keith Yandle (fourth round) just to name a few.
Further proving that one good draft can launch your franchise into the stratosphere, 16 first-round picks from the 2005 draft competed in this year's playoffs.
BEST DRAFT: 1994
Ed Jovanovski.
The 1994 draft showed just how successful the Panthers could be when on-ice results match their draft day expectations.
With the first-overall selection, the Panthers picked Windsor Spitfires' defensemen and current team captain Ed Jovanovski.
Two years later, the Panthers entered an unmatched era of prosperity, as the team made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
Both Jovanovski and fellow draftee Rhett Warrener played key roles in the team's 1996 playoff run. The defensive duo combined for 10 points and a plus-5 rating over a stretch of 22 playoff games.
Of the team's 10 picks in 1994, five made the NHL and combined to play a whopping 2,764 games.
BIGGEST BUST: PETR TATICEK (2002, FIRST ROUND, NINTH OVERALL)
The Panthers thought so highly of Petr Taticek that they actually sent a fourth-round pick to the Calgary Flames just to move up one spot to select him.
After two seasons in the AHL, Taticek cracked the Panthers lineup during the 2005-06 season but only played in three games. He recorded no points and averaged just 5:51 of ice time.
Still just 30 years old, Taticek has most recently played for HC Lev Praha of the Kontinental Hockey League and Davos of the Switzerland's Nationalliga A.
BEST PICK: STEPHEN WEISS (2001, FIRST ROUND, FOURTH OVERALL)
The former face of the Panthers and an integral part of the franchise for over a decade, Stephen Weiss' NHL career literally started in South Florida when the Panthers selected him fourth overall at the 2001 draft held in Sunrise.
Stephen Weiss.
During his 11 seasons in Florida, Weiss established or approached most team records, finishing his tenure as the team's all-time leader in games played (654) and assists (249).
On July 5, 2013, Weiss left the financially strapped Panthers as a free agent and signed a five-year, $24.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
Though he never lived up to superstar expectations, Weiss was a consistent player and fan favorite during a decade in which the Panthers were often building teams on a shoestring budget.
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
