# The 20 Greatest NHL First Overall Draft Picks of All Time

> The first overall pick carries the weight of a franchise's hopes. From Gilbert Perreault in 1970 to Connor McDavid in 2015, these are the players taken first — some delivered dynasties, some fell short. Which No. 1 pick is the greatest ever?

*By YPB Team · Published June 28, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-20-greatest-nhl-first-overall-draft-picks-of-all-time*

---

## Current results (50 votes)

1. **Connor McDavid (2015)** — 40% (20 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Selected by Edmonton, McDavid won five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, and a Conn Smythe by his mid-twenties — widely considered the most complete player of his generation.
2. **Dale Hawerchuk (1981)** — 6% (3 votes · score 537/1000)
   Winnipeg's 1981 pick won the Calder Trophy as a teenager and accumulated over 1,400 career points as one of the most complete two-way centers of the 1980s.
3. **Denis Potvin (1973)** — 4% (2 votes · score 536/1000)
   New York's 1973 pick captained the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983 and redefined what an offensive defenseman could accomplish.
4. **Auston Matthews (2016)** — 6% (3 votes · score 472/1000)
   Toronto's 2016 pick won the Hart Trophy, three Rocket Richard Trophies, and set the franchise record for goals, giving the Maple Leafs their most dangerous scorer in decades.
5. **Aaron Ekblad (2014)** — 4% (2 votes · score 472/1000)
   Florida's 2014 pick won the Calder Trophy at 18 as the youngest defenseman ever to be selected first overall, becoming the Panthers' cornerstone blue-liner and Stanley Cup champion.
6. **Guy Lafleur (1971)** — 6% (3 votes · score 464/1000)
   The Canadiens' 1971 pick won five Stanley Cups, three Art Ross Trophies, and two Hart Trophies as the defining player of the Montreal dynasty's most glorious decade.
7. **Pierre Turgeon (1987)** — 2% (1 votes · score 455/1000)
   Buffalo's soft-skilled 1987 selection accumulated 1,327 career points across six teams, including a 58-goal season in 1992-93 with the Islanders.
8. **Alexander Ovechkin (2004)** — 2% (1 votes · score 437/1000)
   Washington's 2004 selection broke Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, winning nine Rocket Richard Trophies and a Stanley Cup in a career defined by pure goal-scoring brilliance.
9. **Mario Lemieux (1984)** — 4% (2 votes · score 427/1000)
   Pittsburgh's first overall pick overcame a career-threatening back condition and Hodgkin's lymphoma to win three Stanley Cups and 1,723 career points, second only to Gretzky.
10. **Gilbert Perreault (1970)** — 4% (2 votes · score 417/1000)
   Buffalo's first-ever NHL Draft pick spent his entire 17-season career with the Sabres, becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.
11. **Mats Sundin (1989)** — 4% (2 votes · score 417/1000)
   The first European player selected first overall, Sundin spent most of his career captaining the Toronto Maple Leafs and accumulated over 1,300 career points in the NHL.
12. **Joe Thornton (1997)** — 2% (1 votes · score 379/1000)
   Boston's 1997 pick became a 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee with over 1,500 career points, known for his elite playmaking that dominated the NHL for two decades.
13. **Patrick Kane (2007)** — 2% (1 votes · score 379/1000)
   Chicago's 2007 selection anchored the Blackhawks dynasty alongside Jonathan Toews, winning three Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy during a decade of sustained excellence.
14. **Steven Stamkos (2008)** — 2% (1 votes · score 358/1000)
   Tampa's 2008 selection captained the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020-21 and surpassed 500 career goals as one of the purest goal-scorers of his generation.
15. **Sidney Crosby (2005)** — 4% (2 votes · score 356/1000)
   The Penguins' 2005 pick became a three-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time Hart Trophy winner, and 1,600-point scorer who is considered the best of his era.
16. **Gavin McKenna (2026)** — 2% (1 votes · score 325/1000)
   Taken first overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna was hailed as a generational playmaking center whose skill drew comparisons to Wayne Gretzky.
17. **Mike Modano (1988)** — 4% (2 votes · score 310/1000)
   The Minnesota/Dallas franchise cornerstone set the all-time record for goals by an American-born NHL player and won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999.
18. **Eric Lindros (1991)** — 0% (0 votes · score 305/1000)
   The 'Big E' refused Quebec's selection and was traded to Philadelphia, where he won the Hart Trophy in 1995 and became one of hockey's most physically dominant forces.
19. **Nathan MacKinnon (2013)** — 2% (1 votes · score 301/1000)
   Colorado's 2013 pick won back-to-back Hart Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2022 as the Avalanche captured their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.
20. **Connor Bedard (2023)** — 0% (0 votes · score 269/1000)
   Chicago's 2023 selection won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and quickly established himself as one of the NHL's most exciting offensive talents.

Tags: sports, hockey, players, nhl, legends, all-time