Even though the top 10 is set, we'd be remiss if we didn't recognize the other outstanding players from the 2003 class. If we could do a full re-do of the first round it'd be a fascinating breakdown, but for now, these players merely missed the cut for our top of the charts. Chances are your favorite team would've happily taken them back in the day and been better off for it.

Zach Parise - Originally Drafted 17th Overall

When Parise was picked by New Jersey it produced one of those draft moments in which Pierre McGuire (rightfully) went off about how teams were foolish to let the high-scoring American from the University of North Dakota fall down the board. Six times in his career he scored 30 or more goals in a season and he's scored the fourth-most goals of anyone in the 2003 draft class. He's adapted his game later in his career and latched on with the Islanders to be a strong depth goal scorer for them. Lou Lamoriello knew best back then to draft him and knew well enough to bring him on as a veteran.

Jeff Carter - Originally Drafted 11th Overall

Very few players from the 2003 class have had as much drama surrounding them as Carter. His time with the Flyers was tumultuous despite success alongside 2003 classmate Mike Richards. His trade to Columbus could not have gone worse, but it turned into a blessing because it got him to L.A. where he helped the Kings win a pair of Stanley Cups. He's been a very good goal scorer throughout his career and his 431 career tallies are third most in the 2003 class. He's wrapping his career up (seemingly) in Pittsburgh, but he'll forever be known for his playoff brilliance with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

Ryan Suter - Drafted 7th Overall

When Suter and Weber teamed up with Nashville it was harder to find a better defense pairing in the NHL. Both players were elite defenders and provided a thunder-and-lightning approach. While Weber blasted bone-breaking slap shots, Suter was slick with the puck and could thread passes as well as defend his end of the ice tightly. From Nashville to Minnesota and now on to Dallas, Suter's reputation and abilities have carried him far. Although the more recent memories of his play in the postseason might sour current fans, there were so few defensemen that could do it all the way Suter did for the better part of 15 seasons. As he heads into his 19th season, his longevity shows how valuable he has been and still can be. He's averaged 20 minutes or more per game in ice time in the past 17 straight seasons, a true workhorse on the blue line.

Dustin Brown - Drafted 13th Overall

Brown was really close to busting into the top 10 here, but his overall stats didn't jump out among his draft-class peers. That said, he's probably OK with that because he's won the Stanley Cup twice. From 2007 to 2012 (five seasons), Brown had 50 points or more in each year. When the points dropped off in 2013, the thought was the hard miles he put in by playing a brutish power forward had taken their toll. Then in 2017-18 and 2018-19, the goals and points returned, a true resurgence for one of the best Kings players of all time. His 712 points in 1,296 career games don't totally grab your attention, but he was the leading scorer in the playoffs in 2012 with 20 and had 14 points in their Cup run in 2014. Scoring when it's most important doesn't make the goals count for anything more, but the ability to help create mythology counts for much more.

Ryan Kesler - Drafted 23rd Overall

For all the likable players that came out of the 2003 class, it had its fair share of guys that drove fans nuts and Ryan Kesler more than qualifies there. Kesler was an incredible defensive forward and played center with the kind of edge that made fans lose their voices screaming at him or at the referees about him. He was a Selke Trophy winner in 2011 with Vancouver and nine times in the 15 years of his career he scored 20 or more goals, including a career-high 41 in 2011. He had 573 points in 1,001 games but he also had 920 penalty minutes to go with it.

David Backes - Drafted 32nd Overall

Similar to Kesler, Backes was a hard-nosed forward who thrived on playing the physical game with the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins, but Backes' offensive touch with the puck was a bit more on-target. He had 248 goals in 965 games and had 561 points. But like Kesler, he feared nothing and no one and piled up 1,148 penalty minutes. He was the most emblematic player the Blues could've drawn up for his time with the franchise. He went all out for his team and went all out to make life miserable for opponents.

Brent Seabrook - Drafted 14th Overall

The end of Seabrook's career was tough to watch as injuries piled up and his game slowed down because of it, but Chicago doesn't win three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 without him. Seabrook teamed up with Duncan Keith to give them a dynamic blue-line setup that allowed them to control the ice for more than 40 minutes of each game. From his rookie season in 2005-06, Seabrook was a consistent point scorer putting up 20 or more points in every season except his final one in 2018-19 in which injury limited him to 32 games. He averaged 0.42 points per game for his career, seventh best among defensemen in the 2003 class.

Dion Phaneuf - Drafted 9th Overall

The transformation Dion Phaneuf went through as a player and a person from the beginning of his career in 2005 with Calgary through the years to Toronto and later on to Ottawa and Los Angeles was remarkable. While he maintained being one of the most physical defensemen of the era, he went from being an immature player on and off the ice to being captain of the Maple Leafs and one of the more thoughtful guys around the league. He was the kind of player meant to be in a different era, one where hammering opponents all game long was expected, but he was able to do that and generate scoring opportunities as well through most of his career. Being a hybrid throwback like that allowed him to have a long and solid career.

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