Denis Pederson

Denis Pederson was once traded (along with Brendan Morrison) for Alexander Mogilny.

Now no one would ever confuse Pederson for Mogilny on the ice. Pederson's would score a career total of 57 goals in 435 games, whereas Mogilny scored 76 in one season.

But Pederson was a good if underrated player in his own right.

A scorer in junior hockey with his hometown Prince Albert Raiders, Pederson was an intelligent defensive forward in the NHL. His best years came in New Jersey, who drafted him 13th overall in 1993. He also played in Vancouver, Phoenix and Nashville.

A strong forward capable of playing center or left wing, he was as competitive as anyone on the ice. He skated hard equally hard on the forecheck or the backcheck, he was an effective bottom six forward. He was a regular on the penalty kill.

Pederson grew up not necessarily dreaming of playing in the NHL so much as for playing the WHL Raiders.

“When I grew up, I was watching the Raiders of the 80s. My dad had season tickets, I would go to see every game; they were a powerhouse back then. And that was kind of my dream: I loved hockey, hockey was my life," he said when he was inducted into the Raiders Wall of Fame.

He would go on to become one of the most decorated players in Prince Albert's storied hockey history.

After his NHL days came to a close in 2003, he continued to play in Germany for a decade. He led Berlin to no fewer than six German league championships.

Pederson now lives in Langley, British Columbia. He is active with the both the minor hockey scene as a coach and with the Vancouver Canucks alumni as a player.