High picks such as Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson have hit. Jackson LaCombe (No. 39 in 2019) took off last season. One day, Carlsson might be the definitive choice here. But they\u2019ve gotten a lot of mileage out of Terry, who fits under the cutoff as a 2015 draft pick. The fifth-round choice (No. 148) has done well with 101 goals and 237 points over the last four seasons.<\/p>\n
Worst: Jacob Larsson<\/strong><\/p>\n The good thing for Larsson is that, as a 2015 pick, he\u2019ll have aged out of a similar future article. The bad thing is that the error-plagued No. 27 pick never found his footing as a consistently solid presence on Anaheim\u2019s blue line. After spending time in Ottawa\u2019s organization and playing seven games with the Senators, Larsson latched on in Switzerland\u2019s National League with SC Rapperswil-Jona. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n Boston BruinsBest: Charlie McAvoy<\/strong><\/p>\n Three defensemen went before McAvoy in 2016. He is better than all of them. McAvoy has become a foundational player who should have been picked far earlier than No. 14.<\/p>\n Worst: Urho Vaakanainen<\/strong><\/p>\n Vaakanainen became a third-pair depth NHL defenseman. The Bruins should have gotten a higher-impact player at No. 18 in 2017. Robert Thomas was drafted two slots later. \u2014 Fluto Shinzawa<\/p>\n Buffalo SabresBest: Brandon Hagel<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sabres have hit on some talent at the top of the draft, but the best value pick the franchise has made this decade is finding Hagel in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. Of course, the Sabres botched it by not signing him to an entry-level contract and letting him walk. He\u2019s since become a 90-point player for the Lightning and was on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.<\/p>\n Worst: Alexander Nylander<\/strong><\/p>\n The No. 8 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Alexander Nylander, played just 19 games and scored only three goals for Buffalo. He has just 49 points in the NHL and has now played for five different NHL teams. Mikhail Sergachev, Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Chychrun all went after him in the top half of the first round in 2016. \u2014 Matthew Fairburn<\/p>\n Calgary FlamesBest: Matthew Tkachuk<\/strong><\/p>\n A game-breaking talent who can agitate opponents and produce as a first-line option in the regular season and the playoffs. The Flames hit a home run when they drafted Tkachuk sixth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, the Flames are no longer benefiting from his abilities as a result of the Jonathan Huberdeau-Tkachuk trade. Flames fans are left thinking about what could\u2019ve been.<\/p>\n Worst: Tyler Parsons<\/strong><\/p>\n There were a handful of players to choose from and some honorable mentions. But it\u2019s second-round Parsons who is one of the biggest draft duds of the last decade. The Flames could\u2019ve drafted better with some first-round picks, but at least they played games (even Juuso V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki). Parsons never got a game in with Calgary, and Filip Gustavsson (a starter in Minnesota) went right after him. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n Carolina HurricanesBest: Sebastian Aho<\/strong><\/p>\n Down the road, the answer could very well be defenseman Alexander Nikishin, a third-round pick in 2020, but for now, the clear choice is Aho. Selected 35th overall in the second round of the 2015 draft, Aho is on pace to hold many of the franchise\u2019s offensive records and is signed through 2032. Jackson Blake (fourth round in 2021) also deserves mention.<\/p>\n Worst: Jake Bean<\/strong><\/p>\n Both of the picks former GM Ron Francis made in the 2016 draft were misses, but Bean going 13th overall, ahead of Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Chychrun, makes his selection worse than choosing Julien Gauthier eight picks later. Bean failed to develop into an offensive defenseman, as expected when he was drafted, and has become a No. 6 or 7 in Calgary. \u2014 Cory Lavalette<\/p>\n Chicago BlackhawksBest: Alex DeBrincat<\/strong><\/p>\n DeBrincat would easily be a top-10 pick in a 2016 redraft. The Blackhawks got him 39th overall back then because teams weren\u2019t sold on his scoring ability at his size. After 253 goals in 614 NHL games, DeBrincat has obviously proven everyone wrong.<\/p>\n Worst: Adam Boqvist <\/strong><\/p>\n The Blackhawks\u2019 defense was noticeably on the decline in 2018. With the eighth-overall pick in that year\u2019s draft, the Blackhawks had a chance to fix that. With defensemen Boqvist and Evan Bouchard still on the board at their turn, they went with the former. Boqvist played 76 NHL games before being traded. Bouchard is a key reason why the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final again. \u2014 Scott Powers<\/p>\n Cale Makar, the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has two Norris trophies. (Matthew Stockman \/ Getty Images)Colorado AvalancheBest: Cale Makar<\/strong><\/p>\n Makar has two Norris trophies and a Conn Smythe as Colorado\u2019s most valuable player in its 2022 Stanley Cup run, all before turning 27. The fourth-overall selection in 2017 is the best defenseman in the NHL, on pace to be an all-time great. There was consideration for Mikko Rantanen \u2014 taken 10th overall in the stacked 2015 draft \u2014 but it\u2019s hard to top a Conn Smythe.<\/p>\n Worst: Martin Kaut<\/strong><\/p>\n Taken 16th overall in 2018, Czech winger Kaut played only 47 games for the Avalanche, scoring three goals. He spent the vast majority of his five seasons with the organization playing for the AHL\u2019s Colorado Eagles before he was eventually traded to San Jose in 2023. He played nine games with the Sharks, then returned home to Czechia, where he has played the last two seasons. \u2014 Jesse Granger<\/p>\n Columbus Blue JacketsBest: Vladislav Gavrikov<\/strong><\/p>\n The Blue Jackets have hit first-round home runs, especially lately. But to land Gavrikov, a top shut-down defenseman, in the sixth round (No. 159 overall in 2015) was a steal. Only six defensemen in that draft have more points than Gavrikov, and only nine have played more games. Sadly, Columbus no longer reaps the fruits of its find. Gavrikov was traded to Los Angeles in 2023.<\/p>\n Worst: David Jiricek<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s still time for this to play out differently, but Jiricek is already on his second organization (Columbus and Minnesota), and he hasn\u2019t been able to crack the lineup regularly with either. Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell traded Jiricek and got a first-round pick in the deal from the Wild early last season. Jiricek, the No. 6 overall pick in 2022, has to improve his skating. \u2014 Aaron Portzline<\/p>\n Dallas StarsBest: Jake Oettinger <\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting to be cheeky and say Logan Stankoven at No. 47 in 2021 because he landed them Mikko Rantanen, but Oettinger is the choice. Teams are usually reluctant to draft goalies in the first round because they take so long to develop, but getting Oettinger at No. 26 in 2017 is extraordinary value. That they also got Miro Heiskanen (No. 3) and Jason Robertson (No. 39) in the same draft is bonkers.<\/p>\n Worst: Riley Tufte<\/strong><\/p>\n The Stars have done exceptionally well landing high-end talent in the back half of the first round (Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley, for example). But way back in 2016, at the edge of this exercise, they didn\u2019t quite nail the 6-foot-6 winger Tufte, who has played just 24 NHL games, 13 with the Stars. Now a tweener for the Bruins, he has two NHL goals and one assist. \u2014 Mark Lazerus<\/p>\n Detroit Red WingsBest: Moritz Seider<\/strong><\/p>\n Steve Yzerman\u2019s first draft pick as Red Wings general manager was a complete shock at the time, but it has aged brilliantly. Seider blends punishing physicality with smooth skating, skillful puck moving and unmatched durability. This past season, he also proved he could run a top power play. Seider is now a No. 1 defenseman who will be part of Detroit\u2019s foundation for years to come.<\/p>\n Worst: Filip Zadina<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2018, Zadina falling to Detroit at No. 6 looked like a potential coup. Instead, seven years later, the pick is looked back on with regret, as Zadina is no longer in the organization. Meanwhile, three top defenders picked shortly after him \u2014 including Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson \u2014 are all thriving as All-Star level players. This one still haunts Detroit. \u2014 Max Bultman<\/p>\n Edmonton OilersBest: Evan Bouchard<\/strong><\/p>\n Connor McDavid is the most obvious answer, but the Oilers selecting him first in 2015 didn\u2019t exactly require much ingenuity. Nabbing Bouchard 10th three years later was a master stroke. Bouchard has become one of the best offensive defensemen of his era and one of the most proficient point-producing blueliners of all time in the postseason. The pending RFA is integral to the Oilers.<\/p>\n Worst: Xavier Bourgault<\/strong><\/p>\n The Oilers selecting Bourgault 22nd in 2021 was a whiff in so many ways. They traded down two spots when Jesper Wallstedt, a potential franchise goalie, was still on the board. He could have addressed an area of need. Instead, they chose Bourgault with Wyatt Johnston in play. Dallas was the beneficiary. Bourgault hasn\u2019t come close to playing in the NHL and was dealt to Ottawa \u2014 along with Jake Chiasson \u2014 last summer for Roby Jarventie and a draft pick. \u2014 Daniel Nugent-Bowman<\/p>\n Florida PanthersBest: Anton Lundell<\/strong><\/p>\n With the 212th selection in 2020, Florida drafted goalie Devon Levi, who popped enough as a prospect to, along with a 2022 first-round pick, help land Sam Reinhart in a trade from Buffalo. Earlier in that draft, though, with the 12th overall pick, they took Lundell \u2014 a key down-the-middle piece for a Stanley Cup winner. At 23, Lundell has already played nearly 80 postseason games and gets better each year.<\/p>\n Worst: Grigori Denisenko<\/strong><\/p>\n Pretty easy one here. Denisenko, a winger who was the 15th pick in 2018, left the KHL in 2020 and played 26 games across three seasons with Florida, putting up just seven points. He\u2019s been a productive AHLer, going from Vegas to Nashville after Florida waived him in 2023. No other Panthers pick from that draft has played an NHL game; tough year for the Dale Tallon regime. \u2014 Sean Gentille<\/p>\n Los Angeles KingsBest: Mikey Anderson<\/strong><\/p>\n Quinton Byfield (No. 2 in 2020) feels obvious here while Adrian Kempe (No. 29 in 2014) just missed the cutoff. But instead of playing the hits, we\u2019re looking at some deeper cuts. Anderson (No. 103 in 2017) has been a shutdown staple next to Drew Doughty on the Kings\u2019 top defense pair the last four seasons. Other fine picks: Matt Roy, Erik Cernak, Brock Faber, Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Laferriere.<\/p>\n Worst: Alex Turcotte<\/strong><\/p>\n Taken fifth overall in 2019, Turcotte is getting his NHL career going after dealing with injuries throughout his development years. The 24-year-old still has a future as a valuable contributor. But it\u2019s hard to overlook what fellow 2019 picks Moritz Seider, Matthew Boldy and Cole Caufield have become, or even the upside of Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Philip Broberg. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n Minnesota WildBest: Kirill Kaprizov<\/strong><\/p>\n It took five years to get \u201cKirill the Thrill\u201d to the U.S., but since entering the NHL, the 2015 fifth-round steal is third in the league behind Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl with 0.579 goals per game. The first legit superstar in Wild history is the face of the franchise. He also may be offered $15 million per year on an extension once he\u2019s eligible July 1.<\/p>\n Worst: Filip Johansson<\/strong><\/p>\n The 2018 draft was crummy, but we still haven\u2019t gotten to the bottom of how the Wild drafted this defenseman at No. 24. But on draft night, Craig Button said, \u201cI would say that he doesn\u2019t do any one thing really well,\u201d and Bob McKenzie said not one scout he surveyed had Johansson as a first-rounder. At least Paul Fenton\u2019s replacement, Bill Guerin, got a compensatory 2022 second-round pick for cutting him loose. \u2014 Michael Russo<\/p>\n Montreal CanadiensBest: Cole Caufield<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason why Caufield was passed over by 14 teams in 2019. A prolific scorer at the U.S. NTDP, there was a lot of doubt over an undersized winger\u2019s ability to translate that to the NHL (sound familiar?). Caufield\u2019s 118 career goals are second only to No. 1 pick Jack Hughes among 2019 draftees. This category will be owned by Lane Hutson (No. 62, 2022) very soon, for the exact same reason.<\/p>\n Worst: Jesperi Kotkaniemi<\/strong><\/p>\n There was a lot of pressure on then-Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin to find a center, largely because he had failed to do so for much of his tenure heading into the 2018 draft. The No. 3 pick looked like a golden opportunity to do that, but 2018 was a bad year at the center position. Bergevin still tried to fill that need and chose Kotkaniemi one pick before the Senators took Brady Tkachuk. \u2014 Arpon Basu<\/p>\n Nashville PredatorsBest: Juuso Parssinen<\/strong><\/p>\n There is nothing of exceptional quality in the past decade of Predators drafting, which speaks volumes about the franchise\u2019s current state. Maybe 2023 first-round defenseman Tanner Molendyk has stardom in his future. In the meantime, we\u2019ll go with the value of Parssinen as a 2019 seventh-round pick. He turned into an NHL player and the Preds flipped him for a third-round pick and a prospect.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2194326805-scaled.jpg\")
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