Tampa Bay Lightning: 30 Best Draft Picks In Franchise History

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

9. Paul Ranger

Draft Year: 2002

Position: Defense

Paul Ranger was one another one of those players with the ‘what if’ tag attached to them. Though he experienced much success in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform, many were left wondering if his career was not cut short if he would have gone down as one of the top blue liners in team history. Anyways, we digress.

The Lightning drafted Ranger with the 183rd overall pick of the 2002 NHL draft from the Oshawa Generals. He was a bigger player, but not huge. 6’3 210 lbs with great reach and a force in the corners. He showed great puck skill and could lead the rush when he had open space. He wasn’t gifted with the best shot, but he was a smart player that knew how to pick his sports, generally doing it well.

At the age of 25 with what seemed like a promising NHL career ahead of him, Ranger suddenly left the game for personal reasons. He went back to his native nation of Canada and attended the local university in his hometown while also coaching bantam hockey. It is still not publicly known why Ranger decided to take three seasons off from professional ice hockey, and nobody really needs to know honestly.

Three years after leaving the Lightning organization, Ranger signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization to continue his career. He would spend a few seasons with the Leafs organization before leaving North America to continue his hockey career overseas.

Paul Ranger ended his Lightning career with 270 career games played, 18 goals, and 74 assists for a total of 92 points. Again, that ‘what if’ tag will always be clamped onto him, but we all understand that sometimes there are more important things than hockey. Still, Ranger ranks in our top 10.

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