Fansided

The 10 most loaded draft classes in NHL history

By C.L. Kohuss

Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the ice during a road game, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 1984. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the ice during a road game, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 1984. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA. – 1980’s: Mark Messier #11 and Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Edmonton Oilers watch te play from the bench against the Boston Bruins at Boston Garden. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA. – 1980’s: Mark Messier #11 and Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Edmonton Oilers watch te play from the bench against the Boston Bruins at Boston Garden. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. 1979

We dabbled earlier in this class when mentioning 1980, but there’s far more to it than what Edmonton did. That was simply cherries on a chocolate cake. Frequently mentioned as perhaps the best the NHL has ever offered, right up there with ’03, 1979 goes down as a short (six rounds) but totally pure and incredible achievement in the history of the game.

Of the 21 picks in Round 1, four scored more than 1,000 points (Mike Gartner, Ray Bourque, Brian Propp and Michel Goulet) and 12 played in at least 1,000 games. Twelve. Did we also mention that the Oilers (again!) picked up seven-time All-Star Kevin Lowe No. 21 overall? No? Because they did. He won the five Cups with the Oilers, then won another with the New York Rangers in ’94.

Catch your breath and let’s move to Round 2. Neal Broten put up more than 900 points in 1,000 games, Dale Hunter scored more than 1,000 points, Dave Christian notched nearly 800 points, Lindy Ruff has gone on to win almost 800 games as a head coach and center Billy Carroll won three titles with the New York Islanders before winning a fourth in Edmonton.

We’ve done the research, and this is still a bananas draft. It’s getting better, though. As mentioned, Mark Messier went to the Oilers in Round 3, but stellar Centre Guy Carbonneau also went four picks beforehand. We aren’t sure how he hasn’t made the Hall of Fame yet. Carbonneau played in more than 1,300 games, scored more than 600 points, won two Cups with the Canadiens and one with Dallas, and maybe most importantly he won three Selke Trophies. In fact, the Stars Cup winning team in 1999 featured both Carbonneau and Jere Lehtinen, another three-time Selke winner. Try that on for size.

John Ogrodnick in Round 4 was nearly a point-per-game guy with 827. He also scored over 400 goals.

I mean, as a general manager, you really didn’t need to worry about which order you were selecting in. It was likely you’d pick up a guy set to play in somewhere between 800 to 1,000 career games and give you at least 200 to 300 goals. Spin the wheel and throw a dart at the board, we say. See where it lands. Probably on at least a Jim Peplinski, or if luck is really on your side you get Glenn friggin’ Anderson in Round 4.

At worst, you land Bill McCreary, whose only true contribution was dusting Wayne Gretzky. That’s some entertainment value if you’re in the market for it.

Next: 30 best NHL goaltenders of all time

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