Hockey players really love to prove the scouts wrong. Teams have a huge amount of warmth from fans and media alike whenever they bet the farm over a player who seems like a lock to be a star with the NHL, but ultimately turns out to be a bust. However scouts are not given their due credit if the outcome is reversed. Every now and then a person will defy the percentages, selected late during the draft and having bleak prospects of any NHL career, these players will surprise everyone by designing their respective teams, and even, becoming NHL stars. When this occurs it seems the scouts still take heat, since everyone wonders how 29 other teams passed away this next coming of Wayne Gretzky for so many rounds. You decide, it's hard to win like a scout, but the diligent hockey gurus who travel countless miles to scour the entire world for hidden talent usually takes satisfaction with the fact they've made their team better by seeing NHL potential in a player when everybody else saw a never-will-be. The following is my range of those hidden gems. The most notable 10 NHL draft steals because the current entry draft rules were implemented in 1980.
10 - Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hasek would rank a lot higher for this list had the Chicago Blackhawks actually believed he would in the future play for them every time they selected him 207th overall within the 1983 draft. When, Hasek's native country of Czechoslovakia was under communist rule, where seemed oh dear possible that Hasek would ever get to Europe to perform hockey. Chicago's gamble paid in full though, and Hasek came to the NHL when communist rule ended in his country. Unfortunately for your Blackhawks they did not wait for a specified duration for Hasek to formulate, as well as the unorthodox goalie continued to six Vezinas, and two Hart trophies in Buffalo, in addition to a Stanley Cup in Detroit.
9 - Pavol Demitra
Drafted by the Ottawa Senators funding 1993, this Slovakian superstar has truly proven himself to be probably the most NHL draft steals ever. Drafted 227th overall, Demitra never did much for this lowly Senators team, but his talent really started
to show itself once he joined the St. Louis Blues in 1997-98. He spent 7 productive seasons there, netting 490 points in 486 games with the team. He has since improved to Texas and Minnesota, where he forms one of the several league's deadliest duos with fellow Slovak star, Marian Gaborik.
8 - Steve Sullivan
The inclusion with this diminutive speedster might surprise some people, but as evidenced by his 233rd overall selection, evidently men and women are continually underestimating him. Though merely 5' 8" tall and 165 lbs, Sullivan has proven which he can enjoy head to head on the biggest, strongest players in the game, using his speed, agility, and exceptional hands to accrue points contrary to the opposition, and lots of of his goals are for the highlight reel variety.
7 - Evgeni Nabokov
There might arguably be 10 goalies in such a range of the very best 10 NHL draft steals of all time. Goalies develop so late inside their hockey careers versus other players it's exceptionally challenging figure out how doozy might be in the chronilogical age of 18. The San Jose Sharks probably were just crossing their fingers and hoping should they took Nabokov 219th overall in the 1994 NHL entry draft. It took Nabokov nearly 7 years before he became an ordinary starter within the NHL, but since then he has rewarded the Sharks' faith with 208 wins, 40 shutouts, and then a stingy 2.37 career GAA.
6 - Daniel Alfredsson
Back when the Ottawa Senators rejoined the league noisy . 90s their woeful record gave them an enviable position from the draft table. Yet it never got those high first round picks that panned out in their mind, rather those hidden gems mined from the later rounds of your NHL entry draft. Their current captain, and all-around best player, Daniel Alfredsson is a popular type of this. Brand-new areas such as been an identical point producer year in and year out, amassing 847 points in 853 career games, and leading the Sens in the Stanley Cup final from the 2006-07 season.
5 - Henrik Zetterberg
Even Hakan Anderson, Detroit's director of European scouting, admits he got lucky with Zetterberg, snagging him 210th overall during the 1999 NHL entry draft. The superstar Swede didn't crack Detroit's lineup up until 2002-2003 season and up average numbers his first 2 seasons. However, following on from the lockout in 2004-05, Zetterberg returned on the NHL a changed man. He matured physically and mentally remarkable expertise was far superior to exactly what it have been. Consequently brand-new areas such as averaged around a place a casino game, while establishing himself like a premier defensive forward within the league. The moment his career is established he will little doubt be remembered as one of the biggest draft steals in NHL history.
4 - Theoren Fleury
The NHL, similar to the NBA, carries a disadvantage in discrimination against small players, this kind of menu of the top end 10 NHL draft steals at this moment features a liberal sprinkling these "little" men. Fleury, at only 5' 6" tall played as large as anyone throughout his career, and was not ever afraid to visit to the hard areas to generate his points. He compounded over a 1,000 points within his NHL career after being passed over up until the 166th pick within the 1987 entry draft.
3 - Pavel Datsyuk
Boy, Detroit sure possesses a good chance well before them. Not just did they land the main draft steal in 1999 with Zetterberg, even so the year previous they perpetrated an excellent bigger heist, landing slick Russian forward, Pavel Datsyuk aided by the 171st pick. Whatever they are paying Hakan Anderson, they have to double it, because guy is lights out relating to recognizing potential talent. Datsyuk might just be essentially the most skilled stickhandler at basketball, remarkable superb offensive game and stellar defensive play (2007-08 Selke nominee) are enhancing the Detroit Red Wings systemically mow down the competition enroute into a probable Stanley Cup.
2 - Doug Gilmour
Not only was Gilmour one of the best NHL draft steals ever, but he could earn a spot using a directory historical trade steals to boot. He only weighed 175 lbs, but 150 of their was heart. Gilmour was drafted 134th overall from the St. Louis Blues in 1982. He deal great numbers in St. Louis but was traded to Calgary after allegations of sexual misconduct. He continued his torrid scoring pace, and helped Calgary within their only Stanley Cup championship in team history. He was traded to Toronto at a most lopsided deals in NHL history. "Killer" was as determined just like any player in hockey background and his 1,414 career points prove he was really a great draft steal.
1 - Luc Robitaille
Despite developing astronomical numbers in junior, "Lucky" wasn't drafted prior to the 9th round, 171st overall through L.A. Kings. Scouts worried that his poor skating ability would make him a liability, but Robitaille used his hockey sense, with an exceptional shot to prove that skating isn't the be-all-end-all amongst people of hockey. He won the Calder trophy as rookie of the year, appeared in 8 All star games, won a Stanley Cup and handle his career since NHL's all time leading scorer with the left wing position with 668 goals and 1,394 points. Lucky Luc proved them all wrong, and its fully worth the top right their email list from the top NHL draft steals of all time.
