The NHL Draft is often viewed as a crystal ball for the future of the league, but even the most seasoned scouts frequently miss out on generational talent hidden in the later rounds.
While first-round picks like Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby are expected to carry their franchises, the real drama lies in the players who waited hours to hear their names called. These athletes defied the odds, transitioning from overlooked prospects to Hall of Fame legends and multi-time champions.
For every “sure thing” taken at the podium, there is a diamond in the rough who proved that where you start is far less important than how you finish.
Let’s take a closer look at the greatest draft steals in hockey history.
How did Henrik Lundqvist become the King of New York?
The New York Rangers found their franchise cornerstone in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft when they selected Henrik Lundqvist at 205th overall.
It is almost impossible to imagine the landscape of hockey in Manhattan without the man affectionately known as “The King,” yet he was passed over by every team multiple times. Scouts were initially concerned about his deep-in-the-crease style, which broke the traditional mold of goaltending at the time.
Lundqvist did not make the jump to North America immediately; instead honing his craft in Sweden for five years before arriving on Broadway. Once he landed in the NHL, he became the only goaltender in league history to record 30 or more wins in each of his first seven seasons. His 459 career wins and 2012 Vezina Trophy win cemented his status as one of the greatest to ever play the position.
His career is a masterclass in consistency and mental toughness under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Despite never capturing an elusive Stanley Cup, his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023 was a foregone conclusion. The 204 players selected before him serve as a permanent reminder that elite scouting can still miss the most obvious star in the room.
Why did teams pass on the legendary Brett Hull?
Despite being the son of the legendary Bobby Hull, Brett Hull was not drafted until the sixth round in 1984, going 117th overall to the Calgary Flames.
Most scouts in the mid-80s were turned off by his perceived lack of skating speed and a physical conditioning level that earned him the nickname “Pickle.” Teams viewed him as a one-dimensional player with a great shot but not enough overall utility to justify an early selection.
Hull quickly silenced those critics by becoming one of the most lethal pure goal scorers the sport has ever seen. After a trade to the St. Louis Blues, he exploded for 86 goals in a single season in 1990-91, a mark surpassed only by Wayne Gretzky. His ability to find open space and unleash a lightning-quick one-timer made him a nightmare for goaltenders across the league.
He finished his career with 741 goals, placing him among the top five goal scorers in the history of the NHL. He won two Stanley Cups, one with the Dallas Stars and another with the Detroit Red Wings, providing clutch scoring in both runs. The 116 picks made before him in 1984 represent one of the biggest collective scouting blunders in professional sports.
Is Luc Robitaille the ultimate late-round success story?
Luc Robitaille was selected in the ninth round, 171st overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in 1984, the same draft where they took a baseball player 100 spots earlier.
The Kings actually drafted future Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Glavine in the fourth round, showing just how little they expected from Robitaille at the time. Concerns about his “clunky” skating were so pervasive that many believed he would never even play a single game in the pros.
Robitaille didn’t just play; he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 1987 and never looked back. He holds the record for the most goals and points by a left winger in NHL history, a testament to his incredible longevity and scoring touch. His career total of 1,394 points remains a staggering figure for a player that nearly every team deemed “undraftable” through eight rounds.
He became a beloved figure in Los Angeles, eventually helping the team reach the Finals in 1993 before finally winning a Cup with Detroit in 2002. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena today as a symbol of perseverance. Robitaille’s career proves that you don’t need to be the fastest skater if you are the smartest player on the ice.
What makes Joe Pavelski’s rise so impressive?
Joe Pavelski was a seventh-round afterthought in 2003, taken 205th overall by the San Jose Sharks after a standout but unheralded junior career.
At only 5’11”, Pavelski was considered too small and too slow to be a top-six forward in the physical Western Conference of the early 2000s. He spent several years proving the doubters wrong, starting from the bottom of the lineup and working his way into a leadership role.
Known as “Captain America,” Pavelski became the gold standard for net-front presence and puck tipping, a skill he refined through thousands of hours of practice. He surpassed the 1,000-point milestone late in his career, an achievement that seemed impossible on his draft day. His leadership served as the heartbeat for both the Sharks and, later, the Dallas Stars during deep playoff runs.
Pavelski’s career is defined by his ability to adapt his game as he aged, remaining an elite scoring threat well into his late 30s. He is currently one of the highest-scoring American-born players in history, a feat made more impressive by his humble beginnings. His story continues to inspire undersized prospects who are told they don’t have the “measurables” to succeed.
TL;DR
- Henrik Lundqvist went from a 205th overall pick to the winningest European goaltender in NHL history.
- Brett Hull was drafted 117th overall due to skating concerns, but finished with 741 career goals.
- Luc Robitaille holds the record for most points by a left winger despite being a 9th-round selection.
- Joe Pavelski turned a 7th-round selection into over 1,000 career points and a legendary leadership career.
Read More:
Craziest Overtime Moments in NHL History
Ranking the greatest goalies in NHL history
Biggest Playoff Upsets In Stanley Cup History
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
