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.
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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…
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