Top 10 NHL Draft Picks - 10th Overall

The New Jersey Devils hold the 10th pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Although some may feel disappointed about their current position, some legendary names have been drafted 10th overall.

Today, we want to examine the best of the best in NHL history regarding this draft position.

Rick Chartraw - Montreal Canadiens - 1974

Rick Chartraw is just one of two NHL players born in Venezuela. After being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1974, he would win five Stanley Cups with the team in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979 before winning another with the Edmonton Oilers in 1984.

He played for 10 seasons, skating in 420 games, scoring 28 goals and 92 points while accumulating 399 penalty minutes.

Martin Lapointe - Detroit Red Wings - 1991

Martin Lapointe was a key player for the Detroit Red Wings when they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. He spent 10 seasons with the organization that drafted him, dressing with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Ottawa Senators.

Lapointe played 16 seasons in the NHL, scoring 181 goals with 381 points in 991 games, missing out on a chance to become only the fourth 10th overall pick to reach 1,000 games. He finished 1,417 penalty minutes.

Nik Antropov - Toronto Maple Leafs - 1998

Nik Antropov was a three-time 20-goal scorer and one of the more gifted offensive players for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 2000s. He played nine years with the team that drafted him in 1998 before joining the Atlanta Thrashers and relocating to Winnipeg with the franchise in 2011.

He finished his 13-year NHL career with the Rangers in 2013. Overall, Antropov skated in 788 games and scored 193 goals and 465 points, with 30 game-winners and two hat tricks.

Jim Fox - Los Angeles Kings - 1980

Jim Fox has been with the Los Angeles Kings since they drafted him 10th overall in 1980. He played with the club for nine seasons (1981-1990), scoring 186 goals and 479 points in 578 games. Upon retiring in 1990 due to knee injuries, Fox joined the broadcast booth and served the team in one capacity or another on TV for the past 30 years.

Mark Napier - Montreal Canadiens - 1977

Mark Napier played in the WHA and NHL, combining for a career that spanned 14 seasons from 1976 to 1989. He won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1979 and the Oilers in 1985 while winning WHA honors in 1976.

Napier played 767 games in the NHL, with stints in Buffalo and Minnesota. He collected 541 points, 235 goals, and 306 assists, scoring 40 goals in back-to-back campaigns in 1982 and 1983.

Steve Vickers - New York Rangers - 1971

Steve Vickers is the only 10th overall pick in NHL history to win the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. He played his entire career on Broadway with the New York Rangers.

Vickers was a four-time 30-goal scorer, reaching a career-high 41 in 1975. He played 698 games, netting 246 goals and 586 points.

Radek Dvorak - Florida Panthers - 1995

Radek Dvorak finds a spot in the top five best 10th overall picks thanks to a long career that lasted 18 seasons. He is only one of three skaters to play in over 1,000 games, finishing at 1,260. His best season came with the Rangers in 2001, when he scored a career-high 31 goals and 67 points.

Dvorak came close to winning the Stanley Cup on two occasions, in 1996 with the Florida Panthers and in 2006 with the Oilers. He played with eight teams and scored 227 goals and 590 points.

Mikko Rantanen - Colorado Avalanche - 2015

Mikko Rantanen is only 27 and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. The one-time All-Star scored 55 goals in 2023 and now has tallied at least 100 points in back-to-back seasons.

Rantanen has already produced at a 1.08 points-per-game pace in nine seasons, with 617 points in 570 games. He's tallied 262 goals and has five seasons with 30 or more. Moreover, Rantanen already has 101 playoff points in just 81 contests.

Bobby Holik - Hartford Whalers - 1989

Bobby Holik is a name that should be very familiar to Devils fans, as the big Czechia forward played 11 seasons with the team, winning the Stanley Cup in 1995 and 2000. He played 786 games and collected 472 in red and black, appearing in the 1998 and 1999 NHL All-Star Games.

Initially drafted by the Whalers in 1989, he remained with that organization for two seasons before relocating to New Jersey. Holik also played with the Rangers and Thrashers before finishing his 1,314-game career with the Devils in 2009. His final stat line reads 326 goals, 747 points, 1,423 penalty minutes, and 58 game-winners.

Teemu Selanne - Winnipeg Jets - 1988

October 13, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne (8) moves into position against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Teemu Selanne had arguably the greatest rookie campaign ever, scoring 76 goals and 132 points to start a Hall of Fame career. The "Finnish Flash" scored over 50 goals on three occasions and topped 40 seven times, leading to 684 career goals, ranking 12th all-time.

Selanne won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, the team that remains their second-best scorer with 988 points. Over 21 seasons, he produced a 1.00 points-per-game average, finishing with 1,457 points in 1,451 games.

In addition to entering the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, he was a Calder, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and Bill Masterton Trophy winner named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary Team.

Historical Perspective

There have been 61 picks at 10th overall in NHL Draft history. Those players averaged 466 games, 87 goals, 125 assists, and 213 points. Of course, there are exceptions for everyone who wants to succeed in the league, like Selanne, Holik, Fox, and Chartraw.

The Devils last picked 10th overall in 1996, when they selected Lance Ward. Ward never played a game for the franchise but suited up 209 with Florida and Anaheim. Ultimately, sometimes top picks work out, and sometimes they don't.