The 2005 NHL Entry Draft is most known for being the Sidney Crosby draft. As
one of the most anticipated prospects in NHL history, Crosby was a solid lock
for first overall. But the 2005 draft is often overlooked for how many future
stars would come out of it. Players like Anze Kopitar, T.J. Oshie, Marc-Edouard
 Vlasic, Keith Yandle, Carey Price, and Johnathan Quick would all come out of
this draft, and that is only mentioning the top guys.

On the flip side, while every draft has their duds, this one seems to have a
disproportionate amount. Almost half of the players in the first round alone
failed to play at least 300 games in the NHL. But this draft also seems to be a
 bit cursed. Many of the players that did make it to the NHL had their careers
cut short by injuries, including most of the players below, and even Crosby has
 had notable concussion issues. On top of the injuries, Devon Setoguchi';s
career was derailed by addiction, and then there was the horrible tragedy that
was the death of 21-year-old Vancouver Canucks prospect Luc
Bourdon.Related: Luc Bourdon RememberedDespite their short NHL careers, the
following five players should at least ring a bell in your mind for their brief
 impact on the league. While they may not have left quite the impact of a
Crosby or a Kopitar, it is always worthwhile to look back on the forgotten
names of the past and remember their contributions to where we are now.Gilbert
Brule: Blue Jackets, 6th Overall

When you discuss high draft picks that did not live up to their potential,
often times the stories range from unlucky to tragic. Brule's selection at
sixth overall is just one of many whose story is more complicated than a lack
of ability or effort. Brule was a hyped prospect, drafted after two seasons
with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he collected 147 points in 137
games. He was originally touted as an offensively gifted center with a physical
 side, despite standing under six feet tall.

However, neither his offensive side nor his physical side developed to the NHL
level after being picked by the Blue Jackets. He suffered two huge injuries his
 rookie year, limiting him to only seven games. In his sophomore year, he was
limited to bottom six playing time, ending with 19 points in 78 games.

After being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2008 offseason, Brule managed
his best season in 2009-10, scoring 37 points in 65 games. Unfortunately, he
trailed off the next season, had two brief stints with the Arizona Coyotes, and
 retired from the NHL in 2014. His demise in North America is often attributed
to his numerous injuries as well as a complicated relationship with his father
and bouts of depression.Related: 5 Biggest Busts in NHL Draft History -
2000-2010

Since then, Brule has spent his time playing in the KHL as a reliable scorer.
He claims his retirement from the NHL reinvigorated his passion for hockey, and
 playing in Russia has allowed him to find a more important role on the ice.
Now with Kunlun Red Star in Beijing, Brule's success overseas found him on the
2018 Canadian Olympic Hockey roster, posting three points in five games on his
way to a bronze medal.Jack Skille: Blackhawks, 7th Overall

Skille is actually the most experienced NHL player on this list, having played
368 games with five different teams. After winning an NCAA Championship in
2006, the hard-nosed winger spent most of his first three professional seasons
in the AHL before earning a full season in 2010-11, during which he was traded
from the Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers. After three seasons with the
Panthers, and then two with the Blue Jackets, he was teetering on the edge of
leaving for Europe in back-to-back offseasons.Skille has his second best season
 statistically with the Avalanche after signing a tryout contract. Still, teams
 were reluctant to sign him, forcing him to once again sign a PTO with the
Canucks where he was once again able to fight for a roster spot. (Amy Irvin/The
 Hockey Writers)

During both summers of 2016 and 2017, it took last-minute professional tryout
agreements from the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks, respectively, to
keep Skille in the NHL. Unfortunately, he ran out of options this past
offseason, having to sign with Minsk Dynamo of the KHL. His first year in
Belarus saw him post 25 points in 41 games.Related: 2012 NHL Draft Top 10 -
Where Are They Now?

Skille was never able to break out at the NHL level, but has proven on multiple
 teams to be a reliable depth forward in the league. We may never see the big
winger back in North America, though, considering the focus on speed and youth
in today';s game. Skille is not currently listed on Dynamo';s roster for the
upcoming season, but considering he was third on his team for points last
season, he should find another home in Europe soon.Brian Lee: Senators, 9th
Overall

Projected to be the sixth best defenseman in the 2005 draft, the Senators took
Lee at ninth overall, despite Jack Johnson being the only defenseman off the
board. Not that selecting Lee over some of the others would have benefited the
Senators - Lee actually had more games played than both his projected superiors
 Ryan Parent and Matt Lashoff combined. Lee was named the 2005 "Mr. Hockey" in
Minnesota after his senior year of high school before committing to the
University of North Dakota.Lee totaled 209 games in the NHL but his career was
cut short by a joint disorder called osteochondritis dissecans that
deteriorated the cartilage around his knee. (Jeff Griffith/USA TODAY Sports)

Upon being drafted by the Senators, Lee spent three seasons bouncing between
the NHL and AHL, never gaining a foothold on the main roster. After being
traded in 2012 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, he found himself in the AHL once
again, where he suffered a devastating knee injury that would end his career.

While he was offered tryouts by a few teams in 2014, his deteriorating knee
cartilage meant pushing any further would end up causing serious medical issues
 down the line. Lee decided, instead, to retire from professional hockey,
returning to UND to finish his degree. He now spends his time as an assistant
head coach with the division three women';s hockey team at Concordia College
and helps run youth hockey clinics in his hometown of Moorehead,
Minnesota.Michael Sauer: Rangers, 40th Overall

Yet another career cut short due to injury, Sauer';s is perhaps the saddest.
After spending his first three professional seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack
 of the AHL, Sauer got his first extended look in the NHL during the 2010-11
season, where he played 76 games and ended with 15 points. Going into his
second full NHL season at only 24-years old, Sauer was looking like he could
develop into a steady top-four role with the Rangers. Then he ended up on the
wrong end of this Dion Phaneuf hit near the boards.

Sauer would receive a concussion on that hit and would never step foot in an
NHL game again. He would be placed on long-term injury reserve by the Rangers
until his contract expired in 2013, when he was still feeling residual effects
from the hit. To make matters worse, Sauer was the third brother in his family
to retire from pro sports due to concussion problems. Were it not for this
unlucky hit, one that would still be clean even in today';s NHL, Sauer would
not be a forgotten player from the 2005 draft, but would hopefully still be
playing to this day.Guillaume Latendresse: Canadiens, 45th Overall

Latendresse is another interesting case of injuries impacting a career. After
three seasons in the QMJHL, where he put up 210 points in 169 games,
Latendresse was given a spot on the Canadiens roster at only 19 years of age.
In the midst of his fourth season with the Canadiens he was traded to the
Minnesota Wild, where he would have his best season yet, ending with 27 goals
and 40 points in 78 games. From there, things began to go downhill.Before his
retirement from the NHL, Latendresse did manage to score one career playoff
goal with the Senators. Game 1 of the team';s 2013 playoff series against the
Canadiens saw Latendresse pot the team';s fourth goal in the back of his former
 team';s net. (Michael Miller/Wikimedia Commons)

Latendresse began pilling up injuries with Minnesota. Over the course of two
seasons, he played a total of 27 games due to recurring hip problems and
numerous concussion issues. He managed one more season in the NHL with the
Ottawa Senators, playing only 27 games before leaving for a 12-game stint in
the Swiss league and retiring. He has since given multiple interviews, all in
French, about the severity of his concussion problems even years out of the
league. Concern over his future health from sustaining any more head injuries
caused Latendresse to retire from hockey in 2014 at the age of
26.Related: Concussions in Hockey - A Personal Account

After his retirement, Latendresse joined the French-Canadian sports channel RDS
 as an analyst, where he remains to this day. He also took a head coaching job
with the Charles-Lemoyne Riverains, a AAA midget hockey team, for four seasons
before stepping down this past March. While Latendresse seemed to have lost
passion for playing the game of hockey with his collection of injuries, he
clearly has not lost passion for being involved in the sport as he continues to
 remain in the world of hockey through various ways.

Honorable Mentions: Matt D';Agostini, Nicklas Bergfors, Mark Fraser

The post 5 Forgotten Picks of the 2005 NHL Draft appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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