The 2024 Draft was the first time in over a decade that the NHL Draft Lottery failed to change the draft order. The New Jersey Devils selected 10th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Devils only picked 10th once before, in 1996, when they selected defenseman Lance Ward out of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels.
Related: 5 Lessons the Devils Can Learn From 2024 Playoff Teams
Suppose the name Lance Ward is not familiar to Devils fans. In that case, that is likely because Ward did not sign with New Jersey and ultimately went back into the 1998 NHL Draft, where he was taken 63rd overall by the Florida Panthers, beginning a 298-game NHL career. If the Devils do make the pick at ten, they will certainly be hoping for better fortune than in 1996. If history is a guide, impact players can be found with the 10th pick. Here is a look at five of the best NHLers picked 10th in the last 40 years.
Teemu Selanne – 1988
The Finnish Flash, Teemu Selanne, is undoubtedly the best player to be drafted 10th overall. He was selected by the original version of the Winnipeg Jets from Jokerit in 1988. A few years later, he would take the NHL by storm, winning the 1993 Calder Trophy after setting the NHL rookie record with an insane 76 goals and 132 points—a record that still stands today, with no player coming within 26 points since.
Selanne was not a one-year wonder. He put together a 21-year NHL career, totaling 1,457 points in 1,451 games. He has the most goals by a Finnish-born NHL player (684), besting Jari Kurri by 83. The 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee played in four All-Star Games and received the Masterton Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy. Known for his speed and fun cellys, Selanne could also be counted on in the playoffs, where he finished with 44 goals in 130 career games and topped off his career by winning a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He was also included on the NHL’s 100th Anniversary team.
Mikko Rantanen – 2015
If history is a guide, perhaps Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald should consider drafting the best Finn available at 10. The only player other than Selanne, chosen 10th who averaged more than a point per game for his career, is fellow Finn Mikko Rantanen. The Colorado Avalanche selected the player known as the Moose 10th in 2015 out of TPS (Liiga). The 2015 Draft was loaded with talent, as Rantanen was sandwiched between current Devil Timo Meier and Lawson Crouse of the Utah Hockey Club. Devils fans do not have fond memories of that draft, as the team passed on all of the above and instead chose Pavel Zacha at six.
Rantanen, a prototypical modern power forward, was a major part of Colorado’s success, culminating in capturing the 2022 Stanley Cup. A complete player, he has 690 points in 635 games and is a plus-87 for his career. He saves his best play for the postseason, where he has tallied 96 points in just 75 games. He has a long way to go should he remain healthy, but at 28, he could eventually challenge Selanne’s records and be mentioned as one of the best Finnish players ever.
Radek Dvorak – 1995
The Florida Panthers passed on Jarome Iginla in 1995 to select Radek Dvorak with the 10th pick out of HC Ceske Budejovice (Czechia). He would go on to play 18 seasons in the NHL. In his 1,260 games, he was credited with 590 points. He was Fitzgerald’s teammate on the legendary 1996 Panthers team, which made a run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they ultimately succumbed to the Avalanche. He was never a great player but a solid contributor in the league for a long time.
Martin Lapointe – 1991
The Detroit Red Wings drafted an integral part of their great late ’90s teams with the 10th pick of the 1991 Draft out of Laval (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League – QMJHL). The scrappy Martin Lapointe, known as the bulldog, would play 552 of his 991 career games over a decade with Detroit. During that time, he helped the team by contributing 27 points in 41 playoff games during the team’s back-to-back Cup runs. Lapointe would spend much of his career battling against two Devils drafted in the first round of the same draft, Scott Neidermayer was picked at three and Brian Ralston at 11. Lapointe’s son Philippe has just finished his fourth season with the University of Michigan playing alongside Luke Hughes and Seamus Casey.
Bobby Holik – 1989
The only player besides Selanne to be picked 10th and play more than 1,000 NHL games is a name familiar to Devils fans. Bobby Holik was taken 10th by the Hartford Whalers in 1989. He totaled 747 points in 1,324 NHL games over 18 seasons. He received votes for the Selke Trophy in seven of those seasons. Holik was the quintessential two-way center during the Devils’ Cup era. He was a part of two Cups in New Jersey and remains a fan favorite.
The Czech native was best known for being a member of the “Crash Line” with Mike Peluso and Randy McKay. He played in two All-Star Games (1998 and 1999) and received Hart Trophy votes in 1998. Holik has played the sixth most playoff games in Devils history. In those 124 games, he had 57 points which is good for seventh all-time in Devils history. Amongst players drafted 10th overall in NHL history, Holik is second in games played, points, and penalty minutes.
Throughout history, the 10th pick has been feast or famine. There are a few current NHLers still writing the history of the pick. Valeri Nichushkin of the Avalanche has turned himself into an integral part of the team’s success. After starting slowly in Dallas, he has taken advantage of his opportunity in Colorado by scoring 218 points in just 312 games. Another 10th-overall pick to keep an eye on is Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti. The 23-year-old center already has 112 career points in just over two full seasons with the Jets. He figures to be an important player for them moving forward. In 2022, the Ducks took defenseman Pavel Mintyukov with the 10th pick. Like Perfetti, he appears to be paying immediate dividends on a team in need of a talent infusion. In his rookie season, he ended the year with 28 points in 63 games.
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