My Top Ten Number One Draft Picks – 1970 to the Present
With the annual National Hockey League Entry Draft on the horizon (June 26), attention is focusing on the New York Islanders, who have first pick.
Ask The Maven and the question is, who will Garth Snow pick?
I do not know; but were I picking, my choice would be defenseman Victor Hedman over forward John Tavares.
My reasoning is based on history.
In 1973, Islanders General Manager Bill Torrey laid the foundation for four straight Stanley Cup-winners by drafting Denis Potvin, a defenseman.
Hedman could be a latter-day Potvin.
With that in mind, here are my Top 10 Number One Draft Picks – 1970 to the Present:
The husky backliner – drafted in 1973 – was everything Torrey had hoped he would be, and then some. While critics raved about Bobby Orr, they overlooked the fact that Potvin could do more than Orr, who essentially was a one-way (forward) defenseman. The Isles' ace was a devastating bodychecker, an excellent point man on the power play and a captain who paced his club to an unprecedented nineteen consecutive playoff series wins. Those who played with him commended Potvin as a talent, as well as a captain who led by example.
Plucked by Montreal in 1971, The Flower emerged as yet another French-Canadian scoring ace with the Canadiens. Following in the footsteps of Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Jean Beliveau and Henri (Pocket Rocket) Richard, Lafleur was both playmaker and scorer. He was a key member of Scotty Bowman's sextet which put together four consecutive Stanley Cup wins, starting in 1976 and ending in 1979. He had a short stint with the Rangers in 1988-89 but still had the flair of a winner.
Unequivocally head and shoulders above any competition – Kirk Muller was drafted second by the New Jersey Devils that year, 1984 – Le Magnifique was gobbled up by the Penguins after a controversial homestretch where the Pittsburghers did not appear to some observers to be trying all that hard to win. They did win Lemieux, who challenged Wayne Gretzky as the most prolific and gifted offense player of the post-expansion era. He won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins and a host of other awards. Lemieux or Gretzky; take your pick. Wayne won two Cups as well.
If Denis Potvin proved to be the balance-wheel of the Islanders, Perreault – selected in 1970 – did likewise for the Buffalo Sabres on the front line. General manager George (Punch) Imlach needed a sharpshooter to launch the expansion club and got a dandy. In four NHL seasons, Perreault won both the Calder (rookie) and Lady Byng (sportsmanship-talent) Trophies. In many ways, physically and artistically, especially, the French-Canadian resembled a latter-day Jean Beliveau. He played seventeen sensational seasons with the Sabres.
Easily the most exciting forward in the NHL, Ovechkin was picked by Washington in 2004. Almost overnight, he began exciting fans in a manner reminiscent of Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Bobby (The Golden Jet) Hull and Bobby Orr. No player in league history has produced so many "highlight film goals" than Ovie.
Almost singlehandedly, he turned the Caps from a "Who Cares?" kind of club to one that has become one of the most-watched on the continent. In the first round of the 2009 playoffs, he was a major factor in helping Washington defeat the Rangers. One of his goals included a dipsy-doodle stickhandling maneuver that made him look like a scared jackrabbit.
He certainly has not completed the test of time, but all things considered, Sid The Kid has been the "wunderkind" everyone thought he would be while playing Junior hockey in Quebec. That's why – in 2005 – giving Crosby the nod was a no-brainer for the Penguins.
As captain, he already has spearheaded Pitt to a pair of Stanley Cup Finals and one Cup. He plays tough, can score creatively and, best of all, has emerged as one of the premier playmakers. Alas, the lad is only 21 years old!
We tend to forget that all the fuss and fanfare that accompanied Crosby's selection was similar to that in 1998 when tall, handsome Lecavalier was the Tampa Bay Lightning's prize. The maturation of Number Four (same as Jean Beliveau's sweater number) took a lot longer than Crosby's or, for that matter, Lemieux's, but when Vince was ready, he was a huge offensive threat. Working with the smallish Martin St.Louis, Lecavalier keyed the Lightning to the first Stanley Cup ever seen in the state of Florida in 2004.
The worst thing that happened to this all-purpose center when the Winnipeg Jets picked him in the 1981 Draft was some media type calling him "The Next Gretzky." It was an unfair comparison at a time when The Great One was just beginning to feel his NHL oats.
Nevertheless, he captained the Jets nobly, and in 1984-85 he recorded a career-high 130 points, including 53 goals. He would crack the 100-point mark six times. Although he never skated for a championship team, Hawerchuk was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Without a doubt, the Livonia, Michigan native was the premium player available in the 1988 Draft and was eagerly snagged by the Minnesota North Stars. He was a star from the get-go, scoring 29 goals and totalling 75 points as a rookie, as well as being runner up for the Calder Trophy.
Remaining with the franchise after it moved to Dallas, Modano soon became one of the best – if not THE best – American-born NHL products. His reputation soared in 1999 when the Stars won their first Stanley Cup. He's still playing after two decades in The Show.
Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989, the tall center has made as big an impact on big-league hockey as any Swedish import. The first European to be drafted first overall, Sundin would live up to his early press notices, first as a star in Quebec and later with the Toronto Maple Leafs and, finally, the Vancouver Canucks.
His ability to play through pain became legendary in the 2002 playoffs when he fractured his wrist against the Islanders but continued playing for two more games. His Leafs eventually won the seven-game series.
Disagree with Stan's list?
Post yours in the comments section below.
