Logan Couture: Mr. Relatively Irrelevant

To some, All-Star Fantasy Drafts end in publicized cruelty. Instead of soaking in the joy of being named one of the best players in the league, one player – Phil Kessel in 2011, Logan Couture tonight – likely regrets being there. (A free car might soothe them, although it’s likely that a professional hockey player has that base covered already.)

That being said, there’s almost a karmic balancing act going on here. I would guess that Couture and Kessel have never been picked last in a P.E. class or random game between friends. For fans watching who drew the shortest straw physically speaking, there might be a sense of sadistic glee.

Still, Couture isn’t quite the lightning rod of criticism that Kessel’s been in his career. Both provided cringe-worthy displays of discomfort at the situation, but at least Kessel has been seasoned in the harshness of the hockey world’s ways. (See: his draft stock plummeting because of “character issues” and all the fallout from being traded to Toronto.)

It’s silly to call the last pick of the Fantasy Draft Mr. Irrelevant because Couture will go on to have a fine NHL career and could very well make more All-Star teams.

Instead, it’s probably most appropriate to call him “Mr. Relatively Irrelevant,” since that is how he stacks up to his peers. (Of course, this situation carries the huge caveat that goalies had to go by Round 10 and defensemen by Round 15.)

This begs the question: who deserved to go last? Keeping in mind that forwards are the only ones who can be picked last and excluding the team captains, select your choice in the poll below.