The first NHL Draft came into play in 1963, but in its early days, it was a pathway for anyone not affiliated with an NHL organization to enter the league.
Now, it’s the crown jewel of the offseason, with all eyes on the prestigious taking of the first overall selection from the best young players in the world.
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In this list, for active players to be ranked among the best first overall picks in NHL Draft, they need to have been in the league for at least 15 seasons.
While there isn’t any denying the superstar status of Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid, there’s a long way to go in each of their careers.
Here’s a quick take on the best first overall picks in NHL Draft history, with more details on the legendary players below:
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Mario Lemieux
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Sidney Crosby
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Guy Lafleur
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Marc-André Fleury
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Denis Potvin
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Alexander Ovechkin
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Joe Thornton
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Dale Hawerchuk
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Mats Sundin
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Eric Lindros
Mario Lemieux
First on the list of the best first overall picks in NHL Draft history had to be Mario Lemieux.
His NHL record reads 690 goals and 1723 points in 915 games, giving him insurmountable goals per game and assists per game averages of 0.754 and 1.129 among those taken first from the board.
The Montréal-native also led the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, and won Gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics ten years later.
Sidney Crosby
Born in Nova Scotia, Sidney Crosby very much followed in the footsteps of Lemieux, getting picked first overall by the Pens to become their star player and bring home the Stanley Cup multiple times.
En route to his three Stanley Cups to date, Crosby has a +202 rating, 517 goals, and 1409 points.
It’s because he’s on the roster that the Penguins are still dark horse contenders in the ice hockey odds at +2000 to win another championship next season.
Guy Lafleur
A point-scoring powerhouse, “Le Démon Blond” was feared around the NHL in his day, being the first to put up 50 goals in six consecutive seasons.
Easily among the greatest players in NHL history, he was pivotal in making the Montréal Canadiens the team to beat in the late-70s.
It took him two years after being drafted first-overall in 1971 to get his first championship.
From their 1973 triumph, Lafleur and the Habs hauled in Lord Stanley’s trophy in 1977, 1978, and 1979 while the sniper himself scored 58 goals and 134 points in 128 playoff games alone.
Marc-André Fleury
Only three goaltenders have ever been taken off the board first overall, arguably only two, with Marc-André Fleury’s 2003 pick being the latest.
The Québécois was a founding pillar of the most recent Penguins dynasty and almost landed a fourth Stanley Cup as the centrepiece of the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural campaign.
Set to test the open market this summer, Fleury is already third in the all-time wins column with 520, and is just 31 behind Partick Roy in second.
If his 9-2-0 record with the Minnesota Wild at the tail end of last season is anything to go by, “Flower” still has plenty in the tank to climb up the rankings.
Denis Potvin
Picking up where Lefleur and the Habs left off, Denis Potvin and the New York Islanders went one better at the turn of the 80s, winning the first four Stanley Cups of the decade.
Playing at a time when offensive defensemen had a bite to them, Potvin scored 310 goals, 1052 points, and sat in the box for 1356 minutes in his 1060 NHL games.
In the postseason, he’d step up his game further: 56 goals, 164 points, and 253 penalty minutes in 185 games.
Alexander Ovechkin
“Heresy” would be called if a list of the best first overall picks in NHL Draft history featured Crosby but not Alexander Ovechkin.
The mighty Russian right-shot already has 90 more goals than the next highest-scoring first overall pick (Lemieux), put up another 50 last season, and will likely be among the top picks in the betting for the “Rocket” Richard Trophy next season.
The list of the best first overall picks in NHL Draft history could run another 20 entries at least, but those above stand out for their legendary contributions to the league.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 4th July 2022
