1. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver: 3rd, 1999
2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh: 1st, 2005
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington: 1st, 2004
4. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington: 4th, 2006
Overall draft positions of this season’s 40-goal club:
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh: 1st, 2005
1. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay: 1st, 2008
3. Alex Ovechkin, Washington: 1st, 2004
4. Patrick Marleau, San Jose: 2nd, 1997
5. Marian Gaborik, N.Y. Rangers: 3rd, 2000 (by Minnesota)
6. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey: 1st, 2001 (by Atlanta)
7. Alexander Semin, Washington: 13th, 2002
In the NHL these days, if you want a big-time scorer you pretty much either have to have a really high draft choice or pay a lot of money to get him (like the Rangers did for Gaborik and the Devils will have to do to keep the newly acquired Kovalchuk).
In fact, other than Detroit it seems like all the top teams have high-scoring forwards that were drafted toward the top of their draft (how about Chicago with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews; the Capitals big three; San Jose's Marleau, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton; and the Penguins with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal as four examples). What does that tell you? It tells me that in the new NHL, where there is more room to skate and show off your skill, the most complete skill-sets are going to be the most effective players and those with the most complete skill-sets usually go really high in the draft.
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