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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MONTREAL, QC: Paul Coffey #7 of the Edmonton Oilers shoots the puck under pressure by Bobby Smith #15 of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980’s at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC: Paul Coffey #7 of the Edmonton Oilers shoots the puck under pressure by Bobby Smith #15 of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980’s at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images) /

9. 1980

The NHL decided to stop messing around in the late 1960s. It added more teams, upped the number of rounds in the draft and piled on the talent as much as it could. The result was pretty clear, and throughout the next decade you could see the game growing exponentially every season. There were some really good to above-average classes in that timeframe also. Some that were even considered for this list. But it wasn’t until 1980 that this whole thing really found some steam.

It would be remiss of us not to include that year. The number of talented players doesn’t exceed our previous mention of 2003, but the quality without a doubt shaped the next 10 seasons of NHL play. Mostly for the fact that the Edmonton Oilers drafted two Hall of Fame players in Paul Coffey and Jari Kurri, both of whom just about completed a powerhouse even Dr. Frankenstein couldn’t possibly conceive of.

If you weren’t aware, Edmonton ruled the roost from 1983 to ’90, winning five Cups in that span on the strength of a roster featuring the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Kurri and Coffey, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame.

They also drafted goaltender Andy Moog that season, a solid piece who finished his career with over 300 wins. Paul Coffey scored over 1,500 points as a defenseman and won three Norris titles, then won another Cup with the Penguins in ’91. Kurri scored over 600 goals, 1,300 points, won all five Cups with the Oilers and made nine All-Star games.

But I mean, aside from all that, two other Hall of Fame players were drafted within the first four overall picks — center Denis Sevard going to the Blackhawks and defenseman Larry Murphy to the Los Angeles Kings. Sevard popped more 1,300 points while Murphy won four titles, two with Pittsburgh and two more with Detroit. He also had more than 900 assists. Let’s also not forget fourth-round pick Bernie Nicholls, who is not in the Hall despite scoring more than 400 goals and 1,200 points. If only he had been selected by Edmonton.

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