What if: The Florida Panthers never trade their 2002 and 2003 first-overall picks.

So, the Florida Panthers had two first overall picks in the 2002 and 2003 draft both which they traded down from. In 2002, they traded down with the Columbus Blue Jackets where they selected Rick Nash, and Florida took Jay Bouwmeester. In 2003 the Panthers traded down with the Pittsburgh Penguins which they selected Marc-Andre Fleury and Florida took Nathan Horton. 

We're going to start with the two teams Columbus... and Pittsburgh. I think Atlanta still takes Kari Lehtonen, who I believe should've been a star goalie in the NHL but was always overlooked because he played on bad teams. In fact, he's going to be another topic for another day. I think Columbus still drafts Bouwmeester who becomes their face of the franchise, but I think Columbus is bad but also good going into the following season. I think they draft in the second overall position the following year as I think Pittsburgh would still be at three. With the second pick I think Columbus takes Nathan Horton given they didn't take Vanek, but some might ask where Nikolai Zherdev is taken? I think the Sabres take Zherdev and Vanek is now a San Jose Shark; or Zherdev is taken by the Flyers with the pick used to select Jeff Carter. But we're going to say Zherdev ends up a Buffalo Sabre. But I think Fleury still gets drafted by Pittsburgh with the same outcome of Crosby and Malkin. But where this may get interesting is I think Milan Michalek falls into the lap of the Montreal Canadiens, where I think he becomes an impactful player. As for Andrei Kostitsyn I think he falls to the Islanders where he has a similar career to the one he had in Montreal. As for Robert Nilsson I think he falls to Edmonton, where Marc-Antoine Pouliot falls to the St. Louis Blues. I don't think there's any difference here other than trades, but I think here we should focus solely on the Blue Jackets. I don't think Horton and Bouwmeester make a difference with Columbus shown what they did in Florida but in fact think they become a worse team who finishes in the bottom again in the 2004 season. Except I see them drafting Andrew Ladd, Jack Johnson, Jordan Staal, Kyle Turris, Nikita Filatov, and by 2009 I think they make the playoffs as I still believe they take the solid rookie Steve Mason. Although, I think that playoff appearance may convince Jay Bouwmeester but as for Horton I think he signs long-term to potentially retire a Blue Jacket. But I think Jay Bouwmeester still gets traded for a large haul, but if he goes anywhere at this point we're going to say Florida because they're a contending team at that time and might need some defense to improve their team in hopes of keeping... and this is where it gets interesting. Because in the next bit we're going to see what happens with Florida. But as for Columbus I think the ones who stay out of that core are Kyle Turris, Nathan Horton, and Jack Johnson. I think Columbus goes back into the basement, but the difference here is they don't need to trade for Jeff Carter, but hard to tell if they end up with Bobrovsky so we're going to say he never ends up in Columbus. I think in 2010 they take Cam Fowler, in 2011 they take Jonathan Huberdeau who is a key player for the Blue Jackets on a line with Turris and Horton with Fowler and Johnson on their blue-line. In 2012 they take Ryan Murray which I think was meant to happen, and crazy enough I think they end up drafting Seth Jones in 2013. But by the 2013-14 season, Columbus is a competitive team carried by Huberdeau, Turris and Horton being one of the best lines in the NHL. I don't think Horton's career is shortened. But I think by the 2017-18 season we see a huge decline with the Blue Jackets which is heavily relied amongst Huberdeau, Fowler and Johnson which ultimately leads to them being traded. In the 2018-19 season Columbus finishes back in the basement where I imagine they end up with Kaapo Kakko to replace Huberdeau, in 2020 they finish last again where they likely take Jamie Dyrsdale. It gets even crazier, they end up drafting Owen Power in the 2021 NHL Draft, and in the 2022 NHL Draft Shane Wright, in 2023 I think they take Adam Fantilli which solidifies their top-six. I think they end up where they are present day. 

Now, funny enough I don't think it'd had made a difference. But I imagine Florida had never traded those picks they select Eric Staal and Rick Nash who are a dynamic duo in the NHL and playing for Florida helps their careers have a better outcome. But I think both Nash and Staal make Florida a place for stars to play like the Chicago Blackhawks. But not just that, they also have Roberto Luongo who I don't think gets traded in fact gets potentially a Vezina. But this means Luongo never goes to Vancouver, meaning they don't lose the first trade. I think they find defense in free agency, but also they have Olli Jokinen as their captain and a rookie named Stephen Weiss who was a really good player for the Panthers. Now, I think Stephen Weiss gets traded, and after the lockout they start making consistent playoff appearances. They also attracted the likes of Joe Nieuwindyk and Gary Roberts to make this team stronger. I think by 2011-12 Eric Staal and Rick Nash move on from the Panthers putting them in rebuild mode starting the 2012-13 season and the only different thing here is they don't end up drafting Huberdeau because they're not a bad team but also not good around that time. They still end up with Barkov, Ekblad and co. with tools to rebuild based on what they get for Nash, Staal, and might I add Jokinen or even Luongo. But speaking of Luongo, I think he gets traded to a contender and based on how different the timeline is I can't speak on where he goes but I'll guess Chicago. But also, I think Florida has a high pick in the 2015 NHL Draft which ends up being Zach Werenski, with the following year they end up taking none other than Matthew Tkachuk... the one player they need to put them in the direction they needed. By 2018-19 they go back to full form from the Staal-Nash era where they become the dynasty they were destined to become. 

How does this effect Vancouver though? And why are we talking about the Canucks? Luongo, because that means Schneider is likely the Canucks long-term starting goaltender, they don't trade him to New Jersey for the pick to select Horvat, which also questions if the Canucks even come close to the conference finals. Well, I think they're still the good team with Schneider in net and the team is a lot more close knit lasting likely until the 2018-19 season, at least around the time the Sedins retire where they all likely go their own way. The Canucks start a rebuild around the 2020-21 season, and ultimately I think they end up with both Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, two Vancouver boys eager to bring a cup to their hometown. I don't think the Canucks end up with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, or JT Miller.