The NHL Draft is a great opportunity for teams to load up on high-end talent but also take a chance on prospects in the later rounds that scouts believe have a chance to make the NHL. While not every selection works out, some go on to have successful careers, becoming steals of the draft. The ability to find these players is very valuable to an organization and is why so many resources are poured into scouting divisions.
Listed below are the top 15 draft day steals since the 2010 Draft. To qualify, a player must have been drafted in the third round or later in any draft from 2010-2022. Without further ado, here are the top NHL Draft steals since 2010.
15. Yegor Sharangovich: 2018 Fifth Round, 141st Overall
During the 2018 Draft, the New Jersey Devils took a swing on Yegor Sharangovich in the fifth round. The Belarus-born forward was ranked 51st among European players that season and had played for Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) the year prior. Listed at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, his solid World Junior tournament, as well as his play at the World Championship, were some of the reasons why New Jersey drafted him.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide
It took Sharangovich just two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) before joining the Devils full-time during the 2020-21 season. He is just one of eight players from his draft year to surpass the 100-point mark for his NHL career and has recorded 30 or more points in each of his three seasons. A player who had to wait until he was 20 to be drafted into the NHL, he has carved out a pretty good career up to this point.
14. Brendan Gallagher: 2010 Fifth Round, 147th Overall
Brendan Gallagher had a successful draft season with the Vancouver Giants ahead of the 2010 Draft but dropped due to his size. Listed at 5-foot-8, 163 pounds, he was ranked 174th among North American skaters despite recording 81 points in 72 games, followed by 21 points in 16 games in the playoffs. Luckily for the Montréal Canadiens, they saw his potential and selected him in the fifth round.
After finishing his junior career, Gallagher played less than half a season in the AHL before making the Canadiens’ full-time roster to start the 2013-14 season. A pesky player who loves to get under his opponent’s skin, he has gone on to play 675 games at the NHL level, surpassing the 200-goal mark for his career during the 2022-23 campaign. A heart and soul player for Montréal, he was part of a special 2010 class that produced a few more draft-day steals.
13. MacKenzie Weegar: 2013 Seventh Round, 206th Overall
Originally ranked 164th among North American skaters, MacKenzie Weegar had a decent career before being drafted in the seventh round by the Florida Panthers. He had helped the Halifax Mooseheads win the Memorial Cup while also being named to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) All-Rookie Team. Listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, he was overlooked due to the team he played for, which is one of the reasons he fell to 206th overall.
While it took some time for Weegar to develop, he made the Panthers in 2017-18 and hasn’t looked back since. In 387 games, he has 152 points and was named the World Championship’s Best Defenceman in 2023 after helping lead Canada to a gold medal. A top-pair defenceman at the NHL level, it is safe to say Florida hit a home run with this pick.
12. Jesper Bratt: 2016 Sixth Round, 162nd Overall
Despite being ranked 17th among EU skaters, Jesper Bratt dropped all the way to 162nd overall in the 2016 Draft. At 17 years old, he had spent the majority of the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, producing 17 points in 48 games. He also had a successful U18 tournament, helping Sweden capture a silver medal, adding more mystery into why he fell to the sixth round.
It didn’t take long for Bratt to make an impact at the NHL level, as his first full season with the Devils came during the 2017-18 campaign. Since then, he has played in 389 games, surpassing the 100-goal and 275-point mark. A player that recently signed a massive contract that ends after the 2030-31 season, it is safe to say that teams are kicking themselves that they didn’t jump on the opportunity to draft him earlier.
11. Ondřej Palát: 2011 Seventh Round, 208th Overall
During the 2011 Draft, only three players were selected after Ondřej Palát. The Czech forward was coming off a strong season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, where he recorded 96 points in 61 games while leading the team in goals with 39. Despite his success in the QMJHL, no team wanted to take a chance on him until the Tampa Bay Lightning decided to take a swing in the seventh round and draft the winger.
Three seasons later, not only was Palát in the NHL, he was dominating, finishing second in Calder voting at the end of the 2013-14 season. He would help the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups before cashing in big time as a free agent before the 2022-23 campaign. The 11th highest-scoring player from the 2011 Draft, there is little doubt he is one of the best seventh-round picks in recent memory.
10. John Klingberg: 2010 Fifth Round, 131st Overall
Prior to the 2010 Draft, hardly anyone had heard of John Klingberg. He spent his season split between the U20 and U18 levels in Sweden and was not included in Central Scouting’s European skaters ranking during the year. Despite that, the Dallas Stars decided to take a chance on him, which in hindsight, was a great decision.
Related: Wild: 3 Potential Free-Agent Destinations for John Klingberg
Klingberg continued to develop and eventually became a strong top-four defenceman that could contribute to the power play. His 407 career points rank second behind only Cam Fowler among defencemen from his draft, while he sits sixth in his class in assists with 326. He is a great example of why teams should go with their gut when selecting late in the draft.
9. Jaccob Slavin: 2012 Fourth Round, 120th Overall
After not being included on Central Scouting’s Final Rankings, the Carolina Hurricanes decided to take a chance on Jaccob Slavin, who was playing for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL). So little was known about him at the time that he did not receive a blurb in the Hurricanes’ Day 2 roundup article, which featured scouting reports from then-director of amateur scouting, Tony MacDonald. The decision to select him 120th overall has worked out pretty well for Carolina and has turned into one of the best draft-day steals in franchise history.
Since his draft day, Slavin has become one of the best shutdown defencemen in the NHL. He won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2021 and was nominated again in 2022 after posting a combined 12 penalty minutes in 131 games over the two seasons. A player that often flies under the radar, he has helped Carolina become one of the best defensive teams in the NHL.
8. Juuse Saros: 2013 Fourth Round, 99th Overall
Heading into the 2013 Draft, there was some buzz surrounding Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros. He was named the U20 SM-liiga’s Best Goalie and followed it up with a stellar performance at the U18s, where he led Finland to a bronze medal while also capturing the tournament’s best goaltender award. Despite this success, he was the ninth goaltender chosen that season, as many in the scouting world believed he was too short to have success at the NHL level.
A decade later, not only is Saros the best goaltender from the draft, he is one of the best goaltenders in the entire NHL. He was a Vezina finalist in 2022 and recently captured his 147th win this season which ranks 20th among active goaltenders. A goalie that is helping to change the narrative around size, the Nashville Predators hit a home run when they drafted him in the fourth round.
7. Johnny Gaudreau: 2011 Fourth Round, 104th Overall
Few players Johnny Gaudreua’s size ever get drafted into the NHL. Listed at 5-foot-6, 137 pounds, he was considered way too small despite putting up decent numbers in the USHL. While it was a risk to draft the 193rd-ranked North American skater in the fourth round, the Calgary Flames saw potential and swung for the fences.
In the end, Gaudreau proved the scouts wrong, as he has become one of the best offensive wingers in the NHL. He has surpassed the 70-point mark on five separate occasions, with his best season coming in 2021-22, when he posted 40 goals and 115 points in 82 games. Still one of the smallest players in the league, he has proven time and time again that if a player works hard and is skilled enough, they can have success at the NHL level.
6. Connor Hellebuyck: 2012 Fifth Round, 130th Overall
Despite an impressive year leading up to the 2012 Draft, Connor Hellebuyck was not included on Central Scouting’s North American Goaltender list. Playing in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), he was named Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, appearing in over 55 games during the regular season and playoffs. Despite the omission from the final rankings, the Winnipeg Jets saw potential and selected him in the fifth round.
A three-time nominee and one-time winner of the Veznia Trophy, Hellebyuck is part of a fantastic goaltender class that includes Frederik Andersen, Andrei Vasilevsky, Matt Murray, Joonas Korpisalo and Linus Ullmark. His 238 wins rank ninth all-time among American goaltenders, and he also holds the record for most wins in a season by a US goalie with 44, which came during the 2017-18 campaign. One of the best goaltenders currently in the NHL; he should surpass the 300-win mark in the next two seasons.
5. Igor Shesterkin: 2014 Fourth Round, 118th Overall
The seventh-ranked European goalie in 2014, according to Central Scouting, Igor Shesterkin, had to wait until the fourth round to hear his name called by the New York Rangers. The 14th goaltender taken in the draft was coming off a strong season in Russia, where he helped his team win the MHL Championship. Listed at 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, little did the Rangers know they would be getting their goaltender of the future at 118th overall.
Related: Rangers’ Shesterkin Returning to Vezina Form
Shesterkin has only been in the NHL for four seasons, but what a career he has put together already. During the 2020-21 season, he was awarded the Vezina Trophy and also found himself as a Hart Trophy finalist. He has won 99 of his first 158 games and looks to only be getting better as he enters the prime of his career.
4. Adam Fox: 2016 Third Round, 66th Overall
The 50th-ranked North American skater in 2016, the Flames decided to use the 66th pick to select defenceman, Adam Fox. A key member of the U.S. National U18 Team, he was named the U18’s Best Defenseman after helping the United States to a bronze medal at the tournament. He would go on to dominate at Harvard Univeristy before reportedly refusing to sign in Calgary and Carolina before eventually being traded to the Rangers.
In the four years since Fox joined the NHL, he has become one of the best defensemen in the league. He won the Norris Trophy in 2021 and was a finalist after the 2022-23 season. One of the league’s brightest young stars, he should continue starring on Broadway for a long time.
3. Brayden Point: 2014 Third Round, 79th Overall
Just like Gaudreau, the concern around Brayden Point heading into the draft was his size. Listed at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, he was the 30th-ranked North American skater despite a 91-point season with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Luckily for Tampa Bay, they were able to jump on the opportunity to select him 79th overall, as he has become one of the best players from the 2014 Draft.
Whether it is the regular season or the postseason, Point is consistently one of the best players on the ice every night. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and has the distinct honour of scoring the clinching goal in 2020. A dominant two-way center, he would be a top-three selection if the 2014 Draft was held today.
2. Mark Stone: 2010 Sixth Round, 178th Overall
After being ranked 53rd at the midterm point ahead of the 2010 Draft, Mark Stone was one of the biggest fallers, ending the year ranked 119th among North American skaters. He only played in 39 regular season games that season due to multiple injuries and finished the postseason with just four points in 15 games as well as zero points in five Memorial Cup games. While his season did not end the way he wanted it to, the Ottawa Senators saw his potential and drafted him 178th overall.
Fast forward to today, and Stone is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. He was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2015 and was nominated for the Selke in both 2019 and 2021. A key reason the Vegas Golden Knights are Stanley Cup champions, he has carved out a pretty good career for a sixth-round pick.
1. Kirill Kaprizov: 2015, Fifth Round, 135th Overall
Krill Kaprizov is the perfect example of a team jumping on an opportunity late in the draft. After being ranked 29th among European skaters, he fell as questions surrounding whether or not he would make his way to North America. The Wild, however, were willing to take that risk as they drafted him in the fifth round, 135th overall.
Related: Kaprizov’s Illustrious Career Snags Another Milestone with Goal 100
Minnesota’s time and patience paid off as Kaprizov left Russia and joined the Wild prior to the 2020-21 season. That season, he put up 51 points in 55 games, winning the Calder Trophy. He didn’t stop there, as he recorded 108 points in 2021-22, followed by 75 in 67 games during the 2022-23 season. One of the league’s most dangerous wingers, he tops our list of draft-day steals since 2010.
Plenty Of Other Late Round Talent Since 2010
Whether it is Ulmark, Viktor Arvidsson, Mikey Anderson or Andrew Copp, these lists show the potential value of picks outside the first two rounds. It also shows just how important it is for teams to invest in scouting departments, as they could be missing out on future NHL Award recipients. There is plenty of talent available later in the draft; organizations just need to search a little harder to find it.
