Best player at every NHL Draft pick: #129-160

The 2024 NHL Draft is just around the corner, and while a lot of the build-up to the event is looking toward the future and imagining the careers to come from the players selected, I thought it’d also be fun to take a look back at the best players to come out of the draft – or better yet, the best player taken with each selection.

Thanks to Hockey DB, we have the ability to look at all the players selected at each draft slot, so figured I’d try and identify the best player taken with each pick. Over the next seven days, we’re going to cover Rounds 1-7 and picks 1 all the way to 224. That means we’re following the current format; the Draft used to be longer, with as many as 293 players picked across nine rounds as recently as 2000.

Today, it’s Round 5, which still features some all-timers, but they’re few and far between.

As a disclaimer: “Round 5” means picks 129-160. So you’ll find some “fifth-rounders” here who were sixth, seventh or even eighth-rounders in their actual draft years.

129. Jamie Benn

Also Considered: Valeri Kamensky, Tom Gilbert

We kick off the fifth round with Jamie Benn, who’s carved out quite the career for himself in Dallas. Not only does he have 1,112 games played and 907 points, he also holds the unique distinction of having the lowest-scoring Art Ross Trophy-winning season in an 82-game season with 87 points in 2014-15.

130. Connor Hellebuyck

Also Considered: Mike Hoffman, Larry Patey

It’s tough to get a goalie that is consistently good in the NHL, never mind one that is consistently elite, so for the Jets to get Connor Hellebuyck where they did is insane value. Since becoming a consistent starter in 2017, his worst season was a .910 save percentage. He already has one Vezina Trophy on his resume and will most likely get another one later this week.

131. John Klingberg

Also Considered: Roland Eriksson

Say what you will about John Klingberg’s play in recent years, but in his early years, he was one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, highlighted by a career-high of 67 points in 2017-18, and twice he found himself sixth in voting for the Norris Trophy.

132. Andy Moog

Also Considered: Darren Helm, Bates Battaglia

Moog had a good start to his career with the Oilers, getting the odd chance to run with the starter role and winning three Stanley Cups as primarily the backup goalie to Grant Fuhr. It wasn’t until he went to Boston where he saw a bit more individual success, highlighted by a Jennings Trophy win and being a finalist for the Vezina in 1990.

133. Daniel Alfredsson

Also Considered: Robert Lang, Doug Lidster

This was a pretty easy pick. In a vacuum, Alfredsson had a career that eventually got him a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame and accumulated 1,157 points in 1,246 games, although his only award for that was a Calder Trophy in 1996. But then you add in the impact he had on the Senators franchise on and off the ice, and it makes a simple decision even simpler.

134. Doug Gilmour

Also Considered: No one

There were a couple of other long-time NHLers at this spot like Cliff Ronning and Rob Scuderi, but no one had a career like Gilmour. He finished his career with 1,414 points in 1,474 games, highlighted by his 127-point season in 1992-93 that earned him a Selke Trophy, made him a Hart Trophy finalist and also stands as the record for most points in a single season for the Maple Leafs. Along with his Hall of Fame status, it’s an easy choice.

135. Kirill Kaprizov

Also Considered: Pete Peeters, Andrew Raycroft

Both goalies had their moments in the NHL, but in only 278 games, Kirill Kaprizov is far and away the best player in this pool based on his performance already. He won the Calder in 2021 (to some controversy), and has gotten better since, already sitting at just 330 points. Peeters’ Vezina win made it a bit of a conversation, but Kaprizov has already shown to have a bit more consistency.

136. Mike York

Also Considered: Andreas Dackell

York and Dackell are the only players of note in this spot, as they’re the only ones to play at least 500 games and get at least 250 points. York was the more productive player, and had a few more “accolades”, as he was voted to the All-Rookie team and as a Calder Finalist in 2000 and also received Lady Byng votes in 2003.

137. Noah Cates

Also Considered: Carson Soucy, Dominik Simon

It might be a bit bold going for a player only two full seasons into their NHL career, but considering that the most productive player at this pick is Simon and no one has played more than 300 games, Noah Cates’ brief success thus far has earned it. He had an excellent rookie season, getting Calder and Selke votes thanks to an already high-end defensive game so early in his career.

138. Ryan Miller

Also Considered: Bryce Salvador

Salvador is the only player with similar tenure at pick #138, and Miller still has him beat as a goalie. In 796 games, Miller put together an excellent career as an elite starting goalie for the Sabres, capturing the Vezina in 2010, and then was a reliable backup in his final seasons. With only three full seasons with a save percentage below .910, he was quite consistent in his career.

139. Andrew Shaw

Also Considered: Pat Boutette

Neither player got a ton of recognition, with Boutette getting All-Star team votes in 1980-81 and Shaw getting a Calder vote in 2012. While Boutette was the slightly more productive player, Shaw’s production was close enough in a lower scoring era where it feels more impressive, and he has two Cups.

140. Dave Brown

Also Considered: Alexander Selivanov, Jamie Hislop, Mike Hudson

When the draft pool isn’t super strong at a pick like #140, any form of longevity and success can take the win here. While Brown didn’t even hit the 100-point mark in his career, he played for 729 games and won a Cup with the Oilers in 1990.

141. Jake Muzzin

Also Considered: Lyle Odelein

Odelein had more tenure in the league, but Muzzin probably reaches the 1,000 game mark if a hit from Pierre-Luc Dubois doesn’t give him long-term injury problems that cut his career short. Otherwise, he has a Cup and was one of the better shutdown defensemen in the league in an era where what makes a shutdown defenseman was changing. He also got votes for the Norris on four separate occasions.

142. Nathan Gerbe

Also Considered: Craig Norwich, Rudolfs Balcers

Norwich nearly got some consideration for getting 75 points in 104 games as a defenseman, but again, it’s slim pickings in these parts. Longevity matters, and Gerbe is the only player with more than 200 games played.

143. Rich Pilon

Also Considered: Stu Grimson

Not a single player at pick #143 has reached the 100-point mark, but two players have played more than 600 games. Pilon has the most points at 77, and did it as a defenseman, so he gets the pick here.

144. Matt Cooke

Also Considered: Garry Howatt, Brent Sopel

Howatt and Sopel had some tenure in the league, but Cooke beats them in games played at 1,046 and points at 398, so he’s a solid pick here. My only question is who gave him a fourth-place Lady Byng vote the year after he ended Marc Savard’s career, and the year before he sliced Erik Karlsson’s Achilles’ tendon.

145. Viacheslav Fetisov

Also Considered: Tom Kurvers, Mikael Samuelsson

Fetisov and Kurvers had similar production and also had similar results in terms of their award votes, although Fetisov did it in fewer games. The obvious separation here is that Fetisov has a Cup and is in the Hall of Fame, which is also due to his success in Russia over the years. He didn’t debut in the NHL until his 30s.

146. Brian Willsie

Also Considered: Anders Bjork, Tom Wandell

I almost went for Bjork solely because in a group this weak, having a player that’s still active at least means there’s potential for them to surpass the rest of them. But for now, Willsie is the only player with 100 points and 300 games played, so it’s his crown for now.

147. Brendan Gallagher

Also Considered: Ben Hutton, Alex Biega

The only other players who even had longevity in the league at pick #147 were two depth defensemen, so Brendan Gallagher is the obvious choice here. While he was rarely a high-end offensive threat, he was a pesky power forward and had an underrated defensive game, which is basically what most of the Habs’ best players in the 21st century have peaked as.

148. Troy Terry

Also Considered: Andrei Kovalenko, Lee Stempniak

All three players have produced at similar rates in their careers and even seen the same peaks. Stempniak made it interesting with a couple of Lady Byng votes over his career, but at only 26, I’m taking the upside of Troy Terry, especially on a Ducks team that is only getting better.

149. Jim Dowd

Also Considered: Marcus Kruger, Rick Zombo

Choosing between Dowd and Kruger is basically just taking your pick between career bottom-six centers. Kruger has two Cups to Dowd’s one, but Dowd has almost double the points and 200 more games to take this spot.

150. Mikhail Grabovski

Also Considered: Trent Hunter, Nick Jensen

Grabovski’s career was plagued with inconsistencies, both in his play and in his health, but at his best, he made for an excellent second-line center, especially in his years with the Maple Leafs. Hunter and Jensen have had their moments too, but peak Grabovski gets the win here.

151. Kevin Bieksa

Also Considered: Darcy Tucker

While both Bieksa and Tucker were never known for their offense, both players found their niche and had lengthy careers as a result. Tucker has a bit of cult hero status amongst Maple Leafs fans, but Bieksa got a bit more recognition for it on the ballots, with Norris votes in a couple of seasons in his career.

152. Gaetan Duchesne

Also Considered: Anders Lee, Tommy Albelin

While being the most productive player at this pick and the only player to hit the 1,000 game mark alone would have made Duchesne the pick here, he also got votes for the Selke in 10 of the 14 seasons he was in the league.

153. Craig MacTavish

Also Considered: No one

In a pool of players where no one else has played 250 games or gotten more than 100 points, MacTavish’s 1,093 games and 480 points stick out like a sore thumb. He was a solid contributor to the Oilers’ dynasty days, playing for four of their Cup-winning teams, and even got Selke votes somewhat consistently during his career.

154. John Marino

Also Considered: Brett Clark

Clark has the longevity here, which would normally help his case, but I had to go with John Marino due to the fact that he’s only 27. He’s been a solid defensive defenseman going as far back to his rookie season when he finished eighth in Calder voting, and he still has the potential to add to his resume with the path that the Devils seem to be on.

155. Travis Moen

Also Considered: Mark Fayne

Moen and Fayne were the only players picked at #155 to make a career for themselves in the NHL, and while Fayne was a solid defenseman during his career, Moen had the longer career, was voted for several Selkes, and also had the playoff run of his life during the Ducks 2006-07 Cup run with 12 points in 21 games.

156. Brian Campbell

Also Considered: Jared Spurgeon, Peter Bondra

After how a lot of the picks in Round 5 have looked, pick #156 feels like I’ve stumbled upon an oasis in the desert. Campbell, Spurgeon and Bondra have all given me a tough choice to pick from here, but ultimately I went with Campbell for his play at both ends of the ice, getting votes for the Norris on several occasions and one season for the Hart, and also winning a Cup with the Blackhawks. Bondra would be just as strong of a pick here; he topped 500 goals despite playing through the Dead Puck Era and led the NHL in goals twice.

157. Cam Atkinson

Also Considered: Randy Burridge, Petri Skriko

In a vacuum, Cam Atkinson, Randy Burridge and Petri Skriko had similar careers, especially with their production. However, Burridge and Skriko’s peak season came primarily in the 1980s when it was much easier to score, while Atkinson did so through the 2010s. Putting up production that wasn’t nearly as common in his era gave Atkinson more recognition too, especially with some Hart consideration in 2016-17.

158. Alexander Karpovtsev

Also Considered: Ian Laperriere

You’re mostly splitting hairs trying to pick between Karpovtsev and Laperriere, especially considering they played through the same eras, produced at similar paces, and also got a couple award votes over the years (the Norris for Karpovtsev and the Selke for Laperriere). So, the decision goes to Karpovtsev not only for the Cup win, but also for producing at the same rate as Laperriere while playing on the blueline.

159. Guy Hebert

Also Considered: John-Michael Liles, Brandon Hagel, Jiri Hrdina

While others had solid careers that got a bit of recognition with award votes (or in Hagel’s case, still has room to carve out a good career), Hebert’s peak was definitely the best of the bunch. His play during the early years of the Ducks franchise allowed them to be a bit more competitive out of the gate (at least, compared to their expansion team peers in the early 1990s), earning him votes for the Vezina three times in four seasons, and Hart votes in 1996-97.

160. Dmitri Mironov

Also Considered: Josh Manson

Dmitri Mironov and Josh Manson have had relatively comparable careers, considering that both have won Cups, received votes for the Norris once, and also have played for the Ducks (although Manson was for much longer). Ultimately I went with Mironov for having the more productive career, which was the only difference maker in this one.

More entries in the Best Player by Draft Pick series

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