Hindsight has the potential to rattle even the most anchored of NHL general managers.

Keeping the second-guessing out of mind is as challenging as any seven-game series, and it has turned many a head of black hair into grey.

Such is the reality of the job.

Speculating how well a high-school aged hockey player will develop is an enormous part of that reality, and it happens every year in June.

So, if you're going to take the unenviable task on, wouldn't the year 2003 be a bountiful place to begin?

After all, there weren't an abundance of screw-ups made at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn., on June 21, 2003.

It was the best draft, talent-wise, in history.

We'll give you that, down the line, 2004 might turn out to be the tops as far as 1-2 punch (Washington lands Alex Ovechkin first, Pittsburgh latches onto Evgeni Malkin second), but for pure stud power, 2003's first round packs a wallop.

If you were constructing a franchise built to win and were after leaders loaded up on ability, aptitude and brawn we throw Eric Staal (second overall, Carolina), Jeff Carter (11th overall, Philadelphia), Ryan Getzlaf (19th overall, Anaheim), Mike Richards (24th overall, Philadelphia) and Corey Perry (28th overall, Anaheim) your way.

Looking for defencemen with size, ability and ones who've already established themselves as stars?

Braydon Coburn - all six-foot-five, 225 pounds of him - is a good place to start, which is where Atlanta did with the eighth pick overall. (The Thrashers, though, proved why they're the, cough, Thrashers near the trade deadline in 2007 when they sent Coburn to the Flyers for Alexei Zhitnik.)

Ryan Suter was a pretty nice pick then for Nashville in the seventh slot, but the Preds really hit it out of the ball yard in the second round when - oh look - Shea Weber was sitting there ripe for the plucking with pick No. 49.

Weber's Western Hockey League rival Dion Phaneuf - mean-spirited with a mean shot - was selected right after Coburn by Calgary. He endured a tough, injury-plagued year, but he'll most certainly bounce back and should be a candidate for Canada's Olympic team (ditto for Coburn and Weber).

Another ditto goes to the 10th and 14th picks. Brent Burns in Minnesota and Chicago's Brent Seabrook are that good.

For breakout stars in 2008-09 we present picks 17 and 23 for your examination.

Zach Parise (17th) did more than break out, he dramatically altered our thoughts about the New Jersey Devils. Once considered a dreary trap team, the Devils suddenly became fun to watch thanks to the electrifying Parise and his 45-goal, 49-assist season.

Ryan Kesler (23rd) also did more than break out, he altered the way people once looked at the Vancouver Canucks - a one-line team with zero supplemental scoring. Kesler had 26 goals and 33 assists and isn't that far away from becoming another Ryan; that'd be Getzlaf. Kesler has the speed, skill and nastiness to take his game to a higher region.

Folks in Florida, all 239.7 of those hockey-mad Panther fans, are still waiting for their No. 3 pick to bloom. Nathan Horton still boasts potential, but injuries and let's face it, not much talent around him, have slowed his development. Horton could be this season's Parise/Kesler story.

After three straight 20-plus goal seasons, San Jose's Milan Michalek (sixth overall) is also on the cusp. Keep in mind, these young stars (or potential stars) are still (for the most part) 24 years of age.

Buffalo's Thomas Vanek (fifth overall) is one of the rare selections that has hit 25. He's also on his way to being a dominant sniper for the next decade. Vanek's scored 119 goals in the past three seasons.

Creative Nikolai Zherdev (fourth overall) has found his niche in New York. Taking less nights off has benefitted Zherdev's stock. Montreal has a similar situation in Andrei Kostitsyn (10th overall, 23 goals this past year).

Underrated is an apt description for Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown (13th overall). He has become a preeminent body-checker with 57 goals the last two years. And Boston surely likes the progress defenceman Mark Stuart has made. The 21st pick is a sturdy blend of toughness and skill.

The opening numbers at the 2003 draft weren't all major lottery winners, though. Robert Nilsson (15th overall, Islanders, now with Edmonton), Steve Bernier (16th, San Jose, now with Vancouver), Eric Fehr (18th, Washington), Marc-Antoine Pouliot (22nd, Edmonton), Anthony Stewart (25th, Florida), Brian Boyle (26th, L.A.), Jeff Tambellini (27th, L.A., now with Islanders), Patrick Eaves (29th, Ottawa, now with Carolina) and Shawn Belle (30th, St. Louis, now with Montreal) haven't cracked through the ceiling.

But the word 'potential' still is there.

Usually a first round has a number of busts, but only Hugh Jessiman (12th overall, Rangers) qualifies.

We're not leaving the first overall pick out of this mix. While it generally takes goaltenders more time and patience to develop, Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury arrived during last season's playoffs, and yes, is another candidate for Vancouver 2010.

Pass the pitcher of draft, and discuss among yourselves.

First round:                                                            NHL totals
1     Pittsburgh  Marc-Andre Fleury  G Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)    
2     Carolina     Eric Staal     C     Peterborough Petes (OHL)                    
3     Florida     Nathan Horton     C     Oshawa Generals (OHL)                    
4     Columbus  Nikolai Zherdev     R     CSKA Moscow (Russia)                
5     Buffalo     Thomas Vanek     W     U. of Minnesota (NCAA)                   
6     San Jose Milan Michalek     L  Ceske Budejovice HC (Czech)            
7     Nashville     Ryan Suter     D     U.S. Junior National Team (Intl)            
8     Atlanta     Braydon Coburn     D     Portland Winter Hawks (WHL)                
9     Calgary     Dion Phaneuf     D     Red Deer Rebels (WHL)                    
10   Montreal  Andrei Kostitsyn     R     CSKA Moscow (Russia)            
11    Philadelphia     Jeff Carter     C  Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 
12     NY Rangers     Hugh Jessiman     R     Dartmouth College (NCAA)                    
13     Los Angeles     Dustin Brown     R     Guelph Storm (OHL)                   
14     Chicago   Brent Seabrook     D     Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)        
15     NY Islanders     Robert Nilsson     C     Leksands IF (SEL)                
16     San Jose     Steve Bernier     R     Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)         
17     New Jersey   Zach Parise     C     U. of North Dakota (NCAA)           
18     Washington     Eric Fehr     R     Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)           
19     Anaheim     Ryan Getzlaf     C     Calgary Hitmen (WHL)                
20     Minnesota     Brent Burns     D     Brampton Battalion (OHL)                
21     Boston     Mark Stuart     D     Colorado College (NCAA)                
22     Edmonton     Marc-Antoine Pouliot     C     Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)    
23     Vancouver     Ryan Kesler     C     Ohio State University (NCAA)            
24     Philadelphia  Mike Richards     C     Kitchener Rangers (OHL)            
25     Florida     Anthony Stewart     R     Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)            
26     Los Angeles     Brian Boyle     C     St. Sebastian's (Mass. H.S.)          
27     Los Angeles     Jeff Tambellini     L     U. of Michigan (NCAA)            
28     Anaheim     Corey Perry     R     London Knights (OHL)                
29     Ottawa     Patrick Eaves     R     Boston College (NCAA)              
30     St. Louis     Shawn Belle     D     Tri-City Americans (WHL)