Lidstrom could've ended up in Toronto instead of Detroit

[B Boarding]

Not sure if this have been posted yet.
But in an article posted today at hockeysverige.se: http://www.hockeysverige.se/2015/11...-har-berattar-han-om-sin-fantastiska-karriar/, Nick Lidstrom’s first senior coach in Sweden, tells us a little anecdote of something that happened seemingly before the draft where Lidstrom went to Detroit (Google translated from Swedish to English):

- "A fun episode I can tell you about, was that I actually sent a letter to my childhood companion Borje Salming's director of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gary McNamara. I wrote that if Nicklas Lidstrom would not be a star in the NHL, I'd work for free for Toronto the rest of my life. McNamara never answered the letter and never sent anyone to follow up on the tip. It went pretty well for Nicklas despite itâ€

So…Lidstrom could’ve ended up in Toronto. Kind of a slight bummer there by McNamara not following up on that lead...

Click to read more...

 

[613Leafer]

Throw him on the pile with Niedermayer, Luongo, Seguin, etc, (all draft picks of ours) and Gretzky (reportedly wanted to sign here in the 90s, but ownership inexplicably had no interest).

 

[Borschevsky]

Three 1st rounders that year and we ended up with Thornton, Pearson, and Bancroft

 

[Cor]

He could've been on any team.

Every team passed over him.

 

[LeafsFIO*]

Meh, Borje Salming could've just as easily gone to Detroit.

I'm more upset on us missing out on Bobby Orr than Lidstrom.

 

[Canada4Gold]

maybe McNamara didn't respond because he didn't want Lindstrom? It's not like there's proof he wanted him and something went wrong or something, had plenty of opportunity to take him if he wanted him, obviously he didn't

 

[Woll Smoth]

Every year X is revealed to have almost been a Leaf at some point, but Y happened so he landed in Z instead. Every year it gets way more interesting too.

 

[yubbers]

I could've been a Bruins fan if my Dad moved to Boston

 

[Ovate]

He could've been on any team.

Every team passed over him.

Exactly. No one knew how good he would be, not even the Red Wings.

 

[Grant]

If I got a letter like that I would think it was a joke and not follow up too.

 

[Gary Batman]

He could've been on any team.

Every team passed over him.

Did you even read the OP?

 

[MJ65]

So? I don't understand this what if?

 

[Drew311]

Pronger could have been a Leaf too. Probably only for a few years though.

JFJ declined an offer of Kaberle, Steen and a 1st at the 2006 draft.

 

[pspot]

Still think they should bring him in as a coach

 

[Cor]

Did you even read the OP?

Yes, a random coach sent a letter to the Leafs and told them to scout this player on his team. They didn't reply.

He could've been a Leaf, but he could've been a member of every team.

It's nothing special.

 

[mallory67]

He could've been on any team.

Every team passed over him.

Yeah, but did every team ignore that kinda letter?

 

[Eb]

Yes, a random coach emailed the Leafs and told them to scout this player on his team. They didn't reply.

He could've been a Leaf, but he could've been a member of every team.

It's nothing special.

 

[glucker]

Yes, a random coach emailed the Leafs and told them to scout this player on his team. They didn't reply.

He could've been a Leaf, but he could've been a member of every team.

It's nothing special.

 

[Morbo]

anybody could've had him given his draft position. nobody knew lidstrom would be lidstrom.

but yeah, the Leafs, a team who preferred Luke Richardson over Joe Sakic, weren't going to be the ones who ended up with him.

 

[Gabriel426]

So what? Pretty sure all teams but Detroit regretted not to draft him.

 

[JackJ]

Nicklas Lidstrom round 3 #53 overall 1989 NHL Entry Draft

All teams could have had him.

 

[Stephen]

Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom, Tyler Seguin, Scott Niedermayer, Roberto Luongo, Joe Sakic, Wayne Gretzky...

 

[ConnorTO]

life isn't about what could of happened

what has happened and what you can do from there is what makes life

 

[Bullseye]

Every single draft there are many stories but not many of this magnitude - Detroit seems to be the teller of the good side of these stories.

Imagine Dallas drafting Julius Honka last year instead of Dylan Larkin... it goes on and on...

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

And what difference would it have made if the Leafs drafted this guy or that?

They've never approached building a team in a way that would end up with being legit cup contenders.

I've been a fan since around '97, lucky me I only had to endure a couple bad seasons before seeing some conference finals, but even then I knew they weren't solid cup contenders. It was still hoping for a miracle that they make a cup run back then and those were the best Leafs teams in my lifetime.

The way they are doing it now really seems like the best approach for the future and all the crap in the past really has no effect on what's going on now. The recent history of the Leafs is pretty bad in hindsight and I just don't care about "could of had this guy or that" etc.