Biggest Draft Steals in Hockey History 8

Hockey players just love to prove the scouts wrong. Teams require a huge amount of heat from fans and media alike if they bet the farm at a player who may seem like a lock in becoming a star with the NHL, but ultimately happens to be a bust. Nevertheless the scouts hardly ever given their due credit whenever the result's reversed. Every so often a player will defy it can be, selected late during the draft in accordance with bleak prospects associated with an NHL career, these players will surprise everyone by their respective teams, and in many cases, becoming NHL stars. Everyday activity this indicates the scouts still take heat, since everyone wonders how 29 other teams given this next coming of Wayne Gretzky for many rounds. In any event ., it's difficult to win like a scout, require diligent hockey gurus who travel countless miles to scour everyone for hidden talent normally takes satisfaction around the fact they've made their team better by seeing NHL potential within the player when everyone else saw a never-will-be. Let me suggest my directory of those great finds. The top part 10 NHL draft steals because the current entry draft rules were implemented in 1980. 10 - Dominik Hasek Dominik Hasek would rank a lot higher in such a list had the Chicago Blackhawks actually believed although some day play on their behalf the moment they selected him 207th overall in the 1983 draft. The moment, Hasek's native country of Czechoslovakia was under communist rule, its keep seemed absolutely no way possible that Hasek would ever make it to Europe to spend time playing hockey. Chicago's gamble cleared though, and Hasek arrived in the NHL when communist rule led to his country. Unfortunately in the Blackhawks they did not wait sufficient time for Hasek to set, and also the unorthodox goalie made to 6 Vezinas, and a couple of Hart trophies in Buffalo, along with Stanley Cup in Detroit. 9 - Pavol Demitra Drafted by your Ottawa Senators in 1993, this Slovakian superstar has truly proven himself being one of the better NHL draft steals ever. Drafted 227th overall, Demitra never did much for that lowly Senators team, but his talent really started to show itself once he joined the St. Louis Blues in 1997-98. He spent 7 productive seasons there, netting 490 points in 486 games for that team. Bigger since improved to Are generally and Minnesota, where he forms one of the many league's deadliest duos with fellow Slovak star, Marian Gaborik. 8 - Steve Sullivan The inclusion for this diminutive speedster might surprise lots of people, but as evidenced by his 233rd overall selection, it appears folks are continually underestimating him. Though merely a 5' 8" tall and 165 lbs, Sullivan has proven that he or she can engage in face to face up against the biggest, strongest players in the game, using his speed, agility, and exceptional hands to accrue points with the opposition, and lots of of his goals are of one's highlight reel variety. 7 - Evgeni Nabokov There might arguably be 10 goalies within this set of the top part 10 NHL draft steals for now. Goalies develop so late throughout their hockey careers in comparison to other players that it really is exceptionally challenging to determine how great one might be in the chronilogical age of 18. The San Jose Sharks probably were just crossing their fingers and hoping should they took Nabokov 219th overall around the 1994 NHL entry draft. It took Nabokov nearly 7 years before he became an everyday starter around the NHL, but since he then has rewarded the Sharks' faith with 208 wins, 40 shutouts, along with stingy 2.37 career GAA. 6 - Daniel Alfredsson Back when the Ottawa Senators rejoined the league in early 90s their woeful record gave them an enviable position around the draft table. Yet it never was those high first round picks that panned out for the kids, rather those hidden gems mined within the later rounds within the NHL entry draft. Their current captain, and all-around best player, Daniel Alfredsson is a wonderful type of this. He is been a uniform point producer year in and year out, amassing 847 points in 853 career games, and leading the Sens on the Stanley Cup final in the 2006-07 season. 5 - Henrik Zetterberg Even Hakan Anderson, Detroit's director of European scouting, admits he got lucky with Zetterberg, snagging him 210th overall on the 1999 NHL entry draft. The superstar Swede didn't crack Detroit's lineup until the 2002-2003 season along with up average numbers his first 2 seasons. However, following on from the lockout in 2004-05, Zetterberg returned into the NHL a changed man. He matured physically and mentally amazing expertise was far as good as precisely what ended up being. Ever since then they have averaged well over an area a personal game, while establishing himself to be a premier defensive forward within the league. The moment his career is done he will probably without a doubt be remembered as the biggest draft steals in NHL history. 4 - Theoren Fleury The NHL, just like the NBA, posesses a issue with discrimination against small players, of which this variety of the superior 10 NHL draft steals for all time possesses a liberal sprinkling worth mentioning "little" men. Fleury, of them costing only 5' 6" tall played as big as anyone during his career, and was never afraid to visit to the tough areas to get his points. He created on a 1,000 points in her NHL career after being passed over before the 166th pick on the 1987 entry draft. 3 - Pavel Datsyuk Boy, Detroit sure provides a bright future just before them. Don't just did they land the biggest draft steal in 1999 with Zetterberg, but the year previous they perpetrated a good bigger heist, landing slick Russian forward, Pavel Datsyuk while using 171st pick. What we are paying Hakan Anderson, collectively double it, since this guy is lights out when considering recognizing potential talent. Datsyuk could well be some of the most skilled stickhandler in the technology race, and the superb offensive game and stellar defensive play (2007-08 Selke nominee) are enhancing the Detroit Red Wings systemically mow on the competition on their way into a probable Stanley Cup. 2 - Doug Gilmour Not only was Gilmour one of the largest NHL draft steals ever, but he could earn an area using a range of in history trade steals as well. He only weighed 175 lbs, but 150 of the was heart. Gilmour was drafted 134th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1982. He create great numbers in St. Louis but was traded to Calgary after allegations of sexual misconduct. He continued his torrid scoring pace, and helped Calgary with their only Stanley Cup championship in team history. He was traded to Toronto within the most lopsided deals in NHL history. "Killer" was as determined as any player in hockey history and his 1,414 career points prove he was obviously a great draft steal. 1 - Luc Robitaille Despite submitting astronomical numbers in junior, "Lucky" wasn't drafted up until 9th round, 171st overall by the L.A. Kings. Scouts worried that his poor skating ability will make him a liability, but Robitaille used his hockey sense, plus an exceptional shot to prove that skating isn't the be-all-end-all amongst gamers of hockey. He won the Calder trophy as rookie of the year, appeared in 8 All star games, won a Stanley Cup and handle his career given that the NHL's in history leading scorer along the left wing position with 668 goals and 1,394 points. Lucky Luc proved these wrong, as well as being fully worth the best right the list of this top ten NHL draft steals of all time.