The Panthers reportedly tried to draft Ovechkin a year before the Caps using a creative argument
The 2003 draft is known as perhaps one of the best and deepest drafts in NHL history. It's where Marc-Andre Fleury, Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber and many many others started their NHL careers. In that draft, the Panthers owned the third overall pick, which they used to select Nathan Horton.
Horton didn't have a bad career by any means, but it was cut short due to a long list of injuries. Prior to selecting Horton though, the Panthers tried multiple times to select Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin would have been eligible for the 2003 draft had he been born on or before September 15, 1985. Unfortunately, he was born on the 17th meaning he would be eligible for the 2004 draft.
The Panthers, however, believed Ovechkin should have been eligible for the 2003 draft. Why you ask? Well the Panthers attempted to use the argument that Ovechkin would've been eligible for the 2003 draft had the league taken leap years into account. Imagine if the league sided with the Panthers and allowed them to draft Ovechkin? How different would the league look now had Ovi been a Panther? It's also worth noting that Ovi may be even closer to Gretzky's goal scoring record had he been drafted in '03.
Had the league sided with the Panthers, it also would have had implications for future drafts and we probably would've never seen the Crosby vs Ovechkin rivalry in the Metro Division either. Still, it's fun to think about what might have been.
