Black Friday is finally upon us and shoppers alike will go to battle to acquire the best deals of the day. If you think about it, shoppers in a way must have a similar mentality to that of a general manager heading into a draft. Both are required to conduct heavy research in order to find the best ‘steal’ of the day. With that in mind, we take a look at some of the biggest steals that NHL GMs have managed to snatch throughout the years.
Jamie Benn
The Dallas Stars captain was drafted 129th in the the 2007 NHL drafted and has only ascended throughout his career. 229 goals, 309 assits and two playoff appearances, all in just 607 games. The Stars’ scouting staff deserves major props for finding one of the league’s all-around best players.
Braden Holtby
Goalies are generally taken a little later in the draft, but Holtby’s name still deserves a spot on the list. Taken with the 93rd overall pick in the 2008 draft, the 28-year-old has been lights out since becoming the team’s starter. He has totaled 203 wins with a 2.33 GAA in his career.
Johnny Gaudreau
‘Johnny Hockey’ has turned heads since entering the league the 2014-15 season. Gaudreau was taken with the 104th pick in the 2011 draft and the Flames have been laughing ever since. The American is averaging close to a point per game with 235 in 253 so far.
Pavel Datsyuk
The former Red Wings legend was magical throughout his 953 game career, compiling 918 points, two Stanley Cups, and a few Lady Byng awards along the way. Datsyuk is one of the greatest Russians to ever put on skates and is surely headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was taken with the 171st pick in the 1998 draft.
Henrik Zetterberg
The following year, Detroit would find its future captain. Zetterbeg was snagged with the 210th pick in the 1999 draft and has been a stud for the organization since. Good on general manager Ken Holland and his scouting staff for finding franchise players in back-to-back years.
Dominik Hasek
When it’s all said and done, ‘The Dominator” could be remembered as the greatest steal in NHL history, after he was taken with the 199th pick in the 1983 draft. Hasek is the only goalie in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy twice and captured two Stanley Cups throughout his career. He will forever be remembered for his unorthodox style in the crease.
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Doug Gilmour
Gilmour enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with a plethora of different teams, but kicked things off with the St. Louis Blues, who selected him with the 134th pick in the 1982 draft. Gilmore finished his career with 1,414 points in 1,474 games.
Joe Pavelski
The Sharks captain has slowly but surely evolved into an elite NHL player. Selected with the 205th pick in the 2003 draft, the Plover, Wisconisin native is one of the biggest draft steals to come from the US of all time. In 2016, he came within a game of capturing his first Stanley Cup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Brett Hull
Contrary to Pavelski, Hull managed to capture a few Stanley Cups throughout his career. His most notable moment came in the 1999 Cup Final where he scored a controversial goal in which his foot was in the crease. The marker ultimately won the series for the Dallas Stars and awarded the franchise its first championship. Hull currently ranks fourth all-time in goals with 741. He was selected by the Calgary Flames with the 117th pick in the 1984 draft.
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Luc Robitaille
Robitaille and Wayne Gretzky were a force to be reckoned with in the early 1990’s during their time together with the Los Angeles Kings. After being selected with the 171st pick in the 1984 draft, he managed to score 668 goals throughout his carrer including 63 in the 1992-32 season. He ranks 12th behind Teemu Selanne on the all-time list.
Theo Fleury
One of the more electrifying players the game has seen, Fleury brought a unique personality to the city of Calgary. The Flames selected Fleury with the 166th pick in the 1987 draft, and he ultimately played a key role in the team’s 1989 Stanley Cup run.
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Henrik Lundqvist
The Swede seemingly came out of nowhere after being selected with the 205th pick in the 2000 draft, and has been lights out ever since. Some of his most notable accolades in the league includes a Vezina win in 2012 and a Stanley Cup appearance in 2014.
So, which on of these players do you believe is the biggest steal?
