Dare to dream about a repeat of the 1999 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n
No, we aren\u2019t talking about Patrik Stefan. That isn\u2019t a fun subject for anyone. The 1999 NHL Draft is best remembered for Vancouver Canucks<\/a> GM Brian Burke pulling off a trade flurry that allowed him to select identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin back to back at No. 2 and No. 3 overall. Holding pick No. 3, Burke dealt Bryan McCabe and a 2000 first-rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> for 1999\u2019s No. 4 overall pick, then traded that one with two third-round picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> for the first overall pick, then traded down for Atlanta\u2019s second overall pick.<\/p>\n The Sedins went on to Hall of Fame careers, with Henrik winning the 2009-10 Hart Trophy as league MVP, both brothers winning a scoring title and the Canucks coming to within a single victory of a Stanley Cup in 2010-11.<\/p>\n Flash forward to the 2026 NHL Draft. Brothers Liam and Markus Ruck don\u2019t project to be prodigious talents on the Sedins\u2019 level, but the Rucks are highly skilled forwards who rate as probable first-rounders. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis slots Liam 16th and Markus 24th in our most recent draft rankings.<\/a> Liam, the Daniel Sedin equivalent, is the triggerman, the goal-scorer with the dangerous shot, and Markus, the Henrik Sedin facsimile, is a hardworking playmaker.<\/p>\n Like the Sedins, the Ruck twins have grown up playing as linemates and have hive-mind chemistry. They arguably would both become more effective NHLers if drafted as a duo.<\/p>\n Can a team out there pull off a Burke-level heist and select both brothers June 26 in Buffalo? It\u2019s difficult to predict a wild trade tree like the one Vancouver executed in \u201999, but we can identify a few asset-rich clubs well positioned to take runs at the Rucks.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on these franchises as possible homes for both brothers.<\/p>\n The Flames\u2019 No. 6 overall pick is too high to use on a Ruck brother. But they also have the 30th overall pick, not to mention four second-round picks in this draft class. If the Flames wanted to energize their pipeline with the brothers, they could cobble together a few second-rounders as part of a package to move up and pick three times in the first round. They could choose one of the many well-rounded D-men available in the No. 6 range, then double up on Rucks.<\/p>\n