With the draft on the horizon, we thought it would be a good time to remind you which teams never picked first in the NHL Entry Draft.
Written by former contributor James Tanner and published on September 7, 2015.
It's no secret that the first draft pick represents a huge opportunity for teams to become perennial Stanley Cup contenders.
Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning were all picked first overall during the five-year period between 2004 and 2008, and it's no coincidence that all five teams have been among the NHL's most competitive nations throughout. 2010s. Sure, there are exceptions to it – the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings come to mind – but for the most part, the first overall pick is a key factor in icing a great team.
With that said, let's take a look at nine franchises that never had the first pick in the draft.
Anaheim Ducks
Although the Ducks have a Stanley Cup and the joy of dressing Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Paul Kariya, they never got a top pick.
The highest number of ducks ever taken was second, and they did it twice: in 2005 (Bobby Ryan), and in 1994 (Oleg Tverdovsky). Their 2021 first-round pick — Mason McTavish — was No. 3-all selection.
Calgary Flames
The Flames joined the NHL out of Atlanta in 1972 and have never had the first overall pick. Incredibly, before picking Sam Bennett fourth in 2014, the highest they had ever picked while in Calgary was sixth in 1992 when they picked Cory Stillman.
Like the Atlanta Flames, they picked second in the first two years of their existence, selecting Jacques Richard in 1972 and Tom Lysiak in 1973. Their best pick was Brett Hull in the 1984 draft after he was passed over with no one taking him. of the previous two documents. Unfortunately, that was also the year Mario Lemieux was drafted, so we can't even say the Flames got the de facto No. 1 that year!
Carolina Hurricanes
Long live the Whale. Who knows what would have happened if the owners of the NHL's all-time best jerseys had gotten a little lucky in this draft? Would they have won the Stanley Cup in Hartford and subsequently saved the Whale? It's possible, but if the Whalers had failed to succeed with Ron Francis (fourth overall pick in 1981) as the face of their franchise, there's a good chance no one would have brought a championship to Hartford.
The franchise has picked second four times since joining the NHL:
One final note: The Whalers/Hurricanes franchise has been around since 1979 and is the third oldest team to never have the first pick in the draft.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild have been around since 2000-01, so the fact that they never had the first pick isn't a statistical surprise in a league that now has 32 teams. The highest they ever picked was when they took Marian Gaborik third in 2000.
Nashville Predators
The Predators joined the NHL two years before the Wild, and like the Wild, never had a top pick. They had the number 2 pick once and they selected David Legwand. The best draft they've had, the 2003 Draft when they used their first pick on Ryan Suter at No. 7 and Shea Weber at No.
Seattle Kraken
Although the 2021 NHL Draft was the only draft the Seattle Kraken participated in, they came close to the first overall pick. Instead, the Kraken came up with the second pick and selected center Matty Beniers out of the University of Michigan.
The Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks joined the NHL in 1970 and are the longest-serving NHL team to never have a top pick in the draft. In their first draft, they selected Dale Tallon at No. 2 and did not select that again until 1988, when they took Trevor Linden.
In 1999, they made up for never getting the first pick by selecting both Daniel and Henrik Sedin with the No. 2 and 3 selected. That's the year Patrik Stefan became the first pick, so the Canucks got two No. 1 overall picks.
Vegas Golden Knights
When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league in 2017, the franchise was awarded the number six seed after the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and Dallas Stars rounded out the top three. There, the Golden Knights selected center Cody Glass.
Fortunately or unfortunately, that's the closest Vegas got to the No. 1 overall pick. They have been a playoff team since joining the NHL and have never had the luxury of a lottery pick.
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