The NHL Draft offers the dregs of the league hope. Make the right choice, and you can change the course of your franchise. If you get it wrong, you will be stuck waiting for the next draft instead. No matter where you pick, there is a chance that you land a significant player or the next dud.
Related: 10 Best First-Round Drafted Goalies in NHL History
Though we tend to think of the best players as being at the top of the draft, some gems have fallen outside of the top 10. Though Macklin Celebrini will get all the attention this June, some names have emerged as major players after being picked 11th overall.
Sabres Pick 11th Overall
After missing the playoffs for the umpteenth time, the Sabres will pick 11th overall. Picking outside of the top 10 is typically disappointing when you are a non-playoff team. And while it isn’t an ideal place for the Sabres to be in, they have a unique opportunity.
For starters, the Sabres have a decision to make about the pick itself. With the need to make the playoffs after almost 15 years since their last appearance, the Sabres may trade the pick. Getting an NHL-ready player who can improve the roster will take priority over the pick itself.
They could also stay where they are and take the best player available. Plenty of intriguing prospects could make it to the 11th pick. Adding another quality prospect to the pile provides options and potential trade fodder down the line as well.
The Best 11th Overall Draft Picks Ever
A quick note before getting into the list. There technically wasn’t an 11th overall pick in 2021, as the Arizona Coyotes had to forfeit their selection for breaking NHL scouting and testing rules. It underscores the franchise and its lack of success overall. Now, let’s get into the list:
Jarome Iginla (1995, Dallas Stars)
The 1995 NHL Draft was light on impact talent in the first round. Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, and Shane Doan are the best in the top 10. However, the 11th overall pick in that draft is the best player in the entire class – Jarome Iginla.
Though he never suited up for the Dallas Stars – he was traded with Corey Millen for the rights to Joe Nieuwendyk – he made an impact like no one else in the class. By the early 2000s, Iginla had emerged as one of the premier power forwards in the NHL, notching 50 goals twice.
Iginla would win a pair of Rocket Richard awards, an Art Ross Trophy, and a Lester B. Pearson Trophy in his career. In 1,554 career games, Iginla lit the lamp 625 times and racked up 1,300 points. A fan favorite everywhere he went, Iginla is the easy pick as the best 11th overall pick there has ever been.
Anze Kopitar (2005, Los Angeles Kings)
Though Sidney Crosby and Carey Price were the big names in the 2005 NHL Draft, there is little doubt that Kopitar would go a lot higher than 11th overall if teams had a chance to do things over again. The Slovenian has become a staple of the Kings’ franchise, leading them to a pair of Stanley Cup championships.
He has been as consistent a player as there has been in the NHL, one of the premier two-way forwards for much of his tenure. He has won the Lady Byng Trophy and Frank J. Selke Trophy twice in his career and is considered one of the game’s best leaders.
Over his 18-year (and counting) career, Kopitar has racked up nearly 1,400 games (1,373). He has over 400 goals, almost 800 assists, and over 1,200 points. There is little doubt that he will be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done and one of the greatest ever to wear a Kings sweater.
Filip Forsberg (2012, Washington Capitals)
The Washington Capitals show that sometimes you can get the pick right and still mess things up. Filip Forsberg never played a game with the Capitals, instead being part of one of the more lopsided trades in NHL history.
In April 2013, Forsberg was dealt to the Nashville Predators for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Erat was a decent player at the time, but Forsberg has become a staple in Nashville and will go down as one of the best players to ever suit up for the Predators.
Forsberg has been a very consistent offensive threat for the Predators in his nearly 700-game NHL career. He has 287 goals and 605 points in that span and is coming off a career-best 94 points in 2023-24. At 29 years old, he will only add to his resume. Where he stops and how many Predators records he finishes with remains to be seen.
Jeff Carter (2003, Philadelphia Flyers)
The 2003 NHL Draft was a major success for the Flyers, at least for a few years. Not only did they get Jeff Carter with the 11th overall pick, but they also got Mike Richards later in the first round. The duo would be a critical part of the hard-nosed Flyers teams of the late 2000s, including the one that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Carter has bounced around a bit, in part due to personal issues. The aforementioned Flyers team was a bit too into partying. Eventually, they disbanded, with Carter spending a year in Columbus before becoming a fixture in Los Angeles during their Stanley Cup years.
Carter has done it all at this level. A pair of Cups with the Kings, 442 goals, and more than 850 points put him above nearly everyone else taken at 11th overall. Though he is in the twilight of his career, he set a high benchmark for those to follow.
The Sabres’ Path with the Pick
There is still a lot of time between now and the NHL Draft in late June. The Sabres have an interesting decision to make with the pick, especially at a time when the team needs to win now. The 11th pick could play an important role in what they do this offseason.
Like any other pick in the draft, 11th overall is hit-and-miss. If the Sabres stay put, several players could potentially make this list down the line. The best teams build their foundation in the draft, even when picking outside of the top 10.