Pittsburgh products John Gibson and Brandon Saad were projected by most analysts to be taken in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft. They weren’t.
But they didn’t have to wait long after.
Gibson, the top rated North American goaltender in the draft, was taken with the ninth pick of the second round, 39th overall, by the New York Rangers while Saad was taken four picks later by the Chicago Blackhawks.
As recently as December, Saad was projected by many to be taken with one of the top ten picks in the draft. Concerns over a big dip in form over the second half of the OHL season raised red flags and resulted in a pretty steep drop.
Gibson ends up as the second goaltender taken in a draft lacking any true standouts at the position. The first goaltender selected was Magnus Hellberg, one spot before Gibson.