The NHL has produced some extraordinary players with the first overall pick, from Hall of Fame legends to modern superstars still adding to their careers. With 2026 No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna beginning his NHL career, NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen revisited the best players ever selected first.
Rosen ranked his top 10 No. 1 picks in NHL Draft history, considering achievements, production, championships, longevity and broader impact. His list features several Hockey Hall of Famers alongside active stars whose careers are still developing.
Mario Lemieux sits at the top of Rosen’s ranking, followed by Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Connor McDavid comes in fourth, while Macklin Celebrini makes the list at No. 10 after only two NHL seasons.
Rosen places Lemieux atop the list
Mario Lemieux ranks No. 1 on Rosen’s list after Pittsburgh selected him first overall in 1984. Rosen cites his career, franchise impact, and influence beyond his playing days as reasons for the top placement.
Lemieux finished with 1,723 points, including 690 goals and 1,033 assists, in 915 games. His 1.88 points-per-game average ranks second in NHL history, behind only Wayne Gretzky among qualified players.
Lemieux’s résumé includes 2 Stanley Cups, 2 Conn Smythe Trophies, 3 Hart Trophies, 4 Ted Lindsay Awards, and 6 Art Ross Trophies. He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.
Crosby follows closely behind Lemieux
Sidney Crosby ranks No. 2 on Rosen’s list, just behind Lemieux. He arrived when Pittsburgh needed a new franchise face and helped guide the Penguins into another long era of success after 2005.
Crosby owns 3 Stanley Cups from 2009, 2016 and 2017. He also has 2 Conn Smythe Trophies, 2 Harts, 2 Art Ross Trophies, 2 Rocket Richard Trophies and 3 Ted Lindsay Awards overall so far.
After starting his 22nd NHL season, Crosby had 1,762 points in 1,421 games. He remained Pittsburgh’s all-time scoring leader and had led all NHL players since 2005 with 206 postseason points at Rosen’s ranking.
Fun fact: Crosby became the youngest player to win the Art Ross Trophy when he captured it at age 19 following the 2006-07 season.
Ovechkin ranks third after historic scoring
Alex Ovechkin takes the third spot on Rosen’s list after a career that has transformed the NHL’s goal-scoring record. Rosen acknowledges that Crosby’s championships and overall points give him the edge, but Ovechkin’s scoring achievements are difficult to overlook.
Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leader with 929 regular-season goals. He has also scored 77 goals in 161 playoff games, giving him 1,006 combined regular-season and postseason goals, just 10 behind Gretzky’s total at the time of Rosen’s ranking.
The Washington Capitals star has collected three Hart Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, one Art Ross Trophy, and one Calder Trophy. He also helped Washington win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy that year.
Fun fact: Alex Ovechkin has won the Rocket Richard Trophy nine times, the most in NHL history.
McDavid remains fourth without a championship
Connor McDavid is fourth on Rosen’s list, despite already establishing himself among the NHL’s elite. Rosen writes that McDavid could eventually move much higher, but believes the lack of a Stanley Cup currently keeps him below the top three.
McDavid entered Rosen’s ranking with 1,222 points in 795 regular-season games and ranked third all time in points per game among players with at least 100 games. He also had nine 100-point seasons, a total surpassed only by Gretzky and Lemieux.
Since that ranking, McDavid opened the 2026-27 season with 7 points in Edmonton’s first 2 games. The Oilers captain has won 3 Hart Trophies, 5 Ted Lindsay Awards and 6 Art Ross Trophies, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024 despite Edmonton falling short of the Stanley Cup.
Potvin anchors defenseman history at fifth
Denis Potvin is the highest-ranked defenseman on Rosen’s list, coming in at No. 5. The New York Islanders selected him first overall in 1973, and Rosen identifies him as the best of the 16 defensemen ever chosen with the top pick.
Potvin immediately made an impact by winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie. He later captured three Norris Trophies and helped the Islanders win four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983 during the franchise’s dominant era.
Potvin spent his entire 15-season NHL career with the Islanders and retired in 1988. At the time, he was the NHL’s all-time leader among defensemen in regular-season goals, assists, and points, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
Kane and Lafleur round out the middle
Patrick Kane ranks sixth after becoming one of his generation’s top American-born players. Chicago selected him first overall in 2007, and he helped the Blackhawks win 3 Stanley Cups during his career.
Kane became the NHL’s all-time leading scorer among U.S.-born players in January 2026. Guy Lafleur follows at No. 7 after shaping one of the Montreal Canadiens’ most successful eras.
Lafleur won 5 Stanley Cups, including 4 straight from 1976 through 1979. He also earned 1 Conn Smythe Trophy, 2 Hart Trophies, and six consecutive 100-point seasons from 1974-75 through 1979-80.
MacKinnon, Modano and Celebrini complete Rosen’s ten
Nathan MacKinnon ranks eighth after helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022. Rosen notes he could rise higher if he keeps producing at an elite level through the next stage of his career.
Mike Modano ranks ninth after becoming a defining hockey figure in Dallas and a major American-born star. He finished with 1,374 points, won the 1999 Stanley Cup, and entered the Hall of Fame in 2014.
Macklin Celebrini completes the list at No. 10, making him Rosen’s clearest projection. The 2024 top pick had 178 points through 152 games, while several established stars still own stronger career résumés.
Rosen’s list highlights draft history
Rosen’s ranking covers more than six decades of NHL history, beginning with the first NHL Draft in 1963 and stretching to the modern era. Gavin McKenna became the 64th No. 1 selection in draft history in 2026, while 10 former No. 1 picks are currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The list also shows the challenge of comparing players from different generations. Lemieux has completed his playing career, while Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid, MacKinnon and Celebrini remain active and are still adding to their résumés. Celebrini’s placement is particularly open to change because he has played only two NHL seasons.
For now, Lemieux occupies the top spot, with Crosby and Ovechkin immediately behind him. Rosen’s remaining selections reflect accomplishments such as championships, individual awards, statistical production, longevity and impact on the sport.
TL;DR
- Dan Rosen ranked his top 10 No. 1 NHL Draft picks of all time, beginning with Mario Lemieux and ending with Macklin Celebrini.
- Lemieux leads the list after winning two Stanley Cups, three Hart Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, and six Art Ross Trophies during his remarkable career.
- Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin occupy the next two spots after combining championships, scoring records, and major individual awards.
- Connor McDavid ranks fourth, with Rosen noting that his lack of a Stanley Cup currently separates him from the top three.
- Macklin Celebrini makes the list at No. 10 after only two NHL seasons, making his inclusion a projection of his future career.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
