Throughout the history of the NHL Entry Draft, there have been many first overall picks.  Some have been great picks that have turned into superstars.  Some have been busts that barely played a few seasons in the league.  Others were just okay picks that proved to be career second or third liners for more than a decade.

Information for this chart was taken from Wikipedia

Year

Player

Pos

Team

Drafted From

Age (Yrs.Mos)

2007

Patrick Kane

RW

CHI

London (OHL)

18.7

2006

Erik Johnson

D

STL

US NAT'L U-18

18.3

2005

Sidney Crosby

C

PIT

Rimouski (QMJHL)

17.11

2004

Alexander Ovechkin

LW

WAS

Dynamo Moscow (Russia)

18.9

2003

Marc-Andre Fleury

G

PIT

Cape Breton (QMJHL)

18.5

2002

Rick Nash

LW

CBJ

London Knights (OHL)

18.0

2001

Ilya Kovalchuk

LW

ATL

Spartak (Rus.)

18.2

2000

Rick DiPietro

G

NYI

Boston University

18.9

1999

Patrick Stefan

C

ATL

Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL)

18.9

1998

Vincent Lecavalier

C

TB

Rimouski Oceanic

18.2

1997

Joe Thornton

C

BOS

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

17.11

1996

Chris Phillips

D

OTT

Prince Albert Raiders

18.3

1995

Bryan Berard

D

OTT

Detroit Jr. Red Wings

18.4

1994

Ed Jovanovski

D

FLA

Windsor Spitfires

18

1993

Alexandre Daigle

C

OTT

Victoriaville Tigers

18.5

1992

Roman Hamrlik

D

TB

ZPS Zlin (Czechoslovakia)

18.2

1991

Eric Lindros

C

QUE

Oshawa Generals

18.3

1990

Owen Nolan

RW

QUE

Cornwall Royals

18.4

1989

Mats Sundin

RW

QUE

Nacka (Sweden)

18.4

1988

Mike Modano

C

MIN

Prince Albert Raiders

18

1987

Pierre Turgeon

C

BUF

Granby Bisons

17.10

1986

Joe Murphy

C

DET

Michigan State

18.8

1985

Wendel Clark

LW/D

TOR

Saskatoon Blades

18.7

1984

Mario Lemieux

C

PIT

Laval Voisins

18.8

1983

Brian Lawton

C

MIN

Mount St. Charles HS

18.11

1982

Gord Kluzak

D

BOS

Nanaimo Islanders

18.3

1981

Dale Hawerchuk

C

WPG

Cornwall Royals

18.2

1980

Doug Wickenheiser

C

MTL

Regina Pats

19.2

1979

Rob Ramage

D

COL

London Knights

20.5

1978

Bobby Smith

C

MIN