The 2024 NHL Draft is only barely in the rearview mirror, and it was historic. From taking place in the Las Vegas Sphere to representing several countries, there was no shortage of storylines. So, now is a great time to look back at the top five best NHL Draft picks ever. Remember, this is when the players were selected to provide the greatest value.

#1: Brett Hull – #117 overall (Calgary Flames)

Given that hockey was in Brett Hull’s blood, thanks to his father, Bobby, many fans would have thought he would have gone before the sixth round. Despite that, the Flames were able to grab him, although they would not be the franchise to benefit from his greatness.

Hull played most of his career with the St. Louis Blues before ending it with a few years in Dallas with the Stars and Detroit with the Red Wings. Across his 19-year career, he racked up 741 goals, which is the fifth-most in NHL history.

To keep the theme of fives going, he is one of the five players all-time to record 50 goals through 50 games en route to two Stanley Cup victories. Brett Hull is without a doubt one of the best NHL Draft picks ever.

#2: Dominik Hasek – #199 overall (Chicago Blackhawks)

If history has taught us anything, it’s that an elite goaltender can make any team a contender as soon as the Stanley Cup playoffs start. Little did the Chicago Blackhawks know, they’d draft exactly that when they snagged Dominik Hasek with the #199 overall pick. However, like Hull, it is not the team that drafted him that would reap the rewards.

Hasek is known as the face of the Buffalo Sabres franchise, given his nine years there before transitioning to the Detroit Red Wings. He played 16 total years in the NHL, and in six of those, he won the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender. That’s tied for the second-most in history, and his 81 shutouts are tied for the sixth-most.  

#3: Patrick Roy – #51 overall (Montreal Canadiens)

We have another goaltender on our list of the best NHL Draft picks ever, Patrick Roy. This time, the team that drafted him was able to benefit from the pick, as Roy would lead the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cup victories. That includes doing so the first year he took over as a starter in 1986 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy that season.

As if that wasn’t enough, Roy also led the Colorado Avalanche to Stanley Cup victories in 1996 and 2001. So, while he may have been a much earlier pick than those we’ve covered thus far, a third-round selection for four Stanley Cup victories is still extremely valuable. He also has a chance at another title as the current coach of the New York Islanders.

#4: Henrik Lundqvist – #205 overall (New York Rangers)

We certainly wouldn’t blame anyone for having Henrik Lundqvist higher on the list of best NHL Draft picks ever, given he was such a late selection. There were a whopping 21 goalies drafted ahead of him, which is unheard of. Unfortunately, the only thing keeping us from having him higher is that he couldn’t hoist the Stanley Cup.

Even still, he had a remarkable 20-year career with 64 shutouts and two Eastern Conference Finals, ultimately leading him to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Many fans also love that he played for one team for his entire career, although he was not the starter for the first handful of seasons. Regardless, his .918 career save percentage proves he was one of the best to get between the pipes.

#5 – Doug Gilmour – #134 overall (St. Louis Blues)

Perhaps the least recognizable name in our list of the best NHL Draft picks ever is Doug Gilmour, but some fans would argue that he should be even higher. Unlike Lundqvist, Gilmour would hop to several different teams, playing for seven franchises across 20 seasons.

The majority of those years were in Toronto with the Maple Leafs, and across 1,474 games in total, Gilmour recorded 1,414 points. Although he won just a single Stanley Cup in his long career, his career plus-minus of +129 demonstrates that good things happened with him on the ice. That also helped him become a member of the Hall of Fame and have his jersey #93 retired in Toronto.