What If Every NHL Team Was Composed of Its Own Draft Picks?
The tentacles from every NHL team reach across the league through their draft picks. Although the franchises intend to have each player they pick star for them and lead them to a championship, they often get traded before or after the selections are actually made. Or they leave as free agents.
So what would a team look like if it could ice a roster made only of those it's chosen via the draft if none of the chosen ones got away? What if teams had their picked players for life, for as long as their playing careers last?
By looking year by year through their draft picks, we came up with a roster made entirely of each team's choices. We're not including any undrafted players or any of those currently without contracts or on tryouts in NHL camps. In some cases, we've had to include players who have left the league for greener pastures overseas just to round out a roster—a great indication of a team that has not drafted well over the years.
Some have had great success, and in some of those cases, you are able to see how that has translated in the real world.
Click ahead to see what your favorite squad would look like if every NHL team was comprised of its own draft picks.
Anaheim Ducks
1 of 30
Forwards
- Bobby Ryan—Ryan Getzlaf—Corey Perry
- Matt Beleskey—Rickard Rakell—Kyle Palmieri
- Joffrey Lupul—William Karlsson—Devante Smith-Pelly
- Emerson Etem—Matt Cullen—P-A Parenteau
- Spares: Drew Miller, Nick Ritchie
Defence
- Hampus Lindholm—Sami Vatanen
- Cam Fowler—Justin Schultz
- Jake Gardiner—Josh Manson
- Spare: Ladislav Smid
Goal
- John Gibson
- Frederik Andersen
Summary
Assuming the health of all parties, this is a pretty impressive lineup that illustrates why the Anaheim Ducks have been successful in recent years. Some of these players have moved on, but the team's top three defensemen and starting goalie are intact, and there is a lot of depth across the board, especially on the wings. These guys would have little trouble scoring.
Arizona Coyotes
2 of 30
Forwards
- Max Domi—Kyle Turris—Blake Wheeler
- Mikkel Boedker—Dylan Strome—Henrik Samuelsson
- Daniel Winnik—Martin Hanzal—Shane Doan
- Christian Dvorak—Oscar Lindberg—Viktor Tikhonov
- Spare: Brendan Perlini
Defence
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson—Michael Stone
- Keith Yandle—Connor Murphy
- Brandon Gormley—Jakob Chychrun
- Spare: Chris Summers
Goal
- Scott Darling
- Louis Domingue
Summary
Aside from a couple of elite defensemen and some good young talent filling out the lineup, things are pretty ugly in the desert. The Arizona Coyotes are building toward something better, but this team wouldn't be competing for much other than the first overall draft pick.
The depth in all areas is questionable with a lot of reliance on prospects, including this year's top choice in the entry draft, Jakob Chychrun.
Boston Bruins
3 of 30
Forwards
- Milan Lucic—Joe Thornton—Tyler Seguin
- Brad Marchand—David Krejci—Phil Kessel
- David Pastrnak—Patrice Bergeron—Joe Colborne
- Ryan Spooner—Vladimir Sobotka—Kris Versteeg
- Spare: Nate Thompson
Defence
- Matt Hunwick—Dougie Hamilton
- Mark Stuart—Zach Trotman
- Linus Arnesson—Charles McAvoy
- Spares: Shaone Morrisonn, Brandon Carlo
Goal
- Michael Hutchinson
- Malcolm Subban
Summary
Much like the current NHL version of the Boston Bruins, this squad is loaded with talent up front but lacking depth on defense. With a team boasting a top 12 like this one, though, the Bruins might not need much on the back end. Imagine Joe Thornton setting up Tyler Seguin or Phil Kessel and a world where Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand are still on the same team along with all these other stars.
Buffalo Sabres
4 of 30
Forwards
- Tyler Ennis—Jack Eichel—Sam Reinhart
- Thomas Vanek—Zemgus Girgensons—Jason Pominville
- Clarke MacArthur—Mikhail Grigorenko—Drew Stafford
- Marcus Foligno—Paul Byron—Zack Kassian
- Spare: Nathan Gerbe
Defence
- Andrej Sekera—Tyler Myers
- Brian Campbell—Rasmus Ristolainen
- Brayden McNabb—Dennis Wideman
- Spares: Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk
Goal
- Ryan Miller
- Jhonas Enroth
Summary
Now this is a Buffalo Sabres team that can be competitive. There is a nice mix of talent and toughness up front with the kind of depth that allows a team to roll four lines and suffer an injury or two without flinching. The defense is even more loaded with eight quality defenders and plenty of young talent.
Calgary Flames
5 of 30
Forwards
- Johnny Gaudreau—Sean Monahan—Sven Baertschi
- Matthew Tkachuk—Mikael Backlund—Lance Bouma
- Micheal Ferland—Sam Bennett—Adam Cracknell
- Morgan Klimchuk—Dustin Boyd—David Moss
- Spares: Markus Granlund, Brandon Prust
Defence
- T.J. Brodie—Rasmus Andersson
- Dion Phaneuf—Tim Erixon
- Tyler Wotherspoon—Oliver Kylington
- Spare: Brandon Hickey
Goal
- Craig Anderson
- Curtis McElhinney
Summary
The goaltending is just OK, with no succession plan in place when Anderson moves on—and that's if you allow Anderson here after the Calgary Flames failed to sign him before he re-entered the draft and was picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks the second time around.
The forwards, though, are eye-catching. For the most part, it's a team on the rise with promising young players in Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett and rookie hopeful Tkachuk leading the way. The blue line is a little thin on proven players, unlike the real version.
Carolina Hurricanes
6 of 30
Forwards
- Andrew Ladd—Eric Staal—Julien Gauthier
- Jeff Skinner—Brandon Sutter—Elias Lindholm
- Sebastian Aho—Victor Rask—Brock McGinn
- Chris Terry—Zac Dalpe—Brody Sutter
- Spare: Nicolas Roy
Defence
- Jack Johnson—Justin Faulk
- Noah Hanifin—Ryan Murphy
- Jaccob Slavin—Brian Dumoulin
- Spares: Jamie McBain, Brett Pesce
Goal
- Frederik Andersen
- Cam Ward
Summary
There is no doubt these Carolina Hurricanes are built from the back end out, if you include Andersen, who was a Canes draft pick before going back in and starting his career with the Anaheim Ducks. The goaltending is strong and the defensive group is proving to be a formidable collection with lots of depth behind the top six.
Up front, the top six forwards are strong and the top nine is serviceable, although the depth isn't very good there.
Chicago Blackhawks
7 of 30
Forwards
- Brandon Saad—Jonathan Toews—Patrick Kane
- Kevin Hayes—Teuvo Teravainen—Troy Brouwer
- Brandon Pirri—Dave Bolland—Andrew Shaw
- Joakim Nordstrom—Marcus Kruger—Ben Smith
- Spares: Bryan Bickell, Nick Schmaltz
Defence
- Duncan Keith—Brent Seabrook
- Niklas Hjalmarsson—Dustin Byfuglien
- Stephen Johns—James Wisniewski
- Spare: Adam Clendening
Goal
- Corey Crawford
- Craig Anderson
Summary
Wow, it's no wonder the Chicago Blackhawks have been a threat to win it all for so many seasons now. The drafting has been solid, with an All-Star defensive group that features one of the best top six on this list and certainly the most significant first two pairings.
The goaltending features two capable starters, and the forward ranks are intimidating even beyond Kane and Toews. It's like looking at the three championship teams of the past half-dozen years all blended into one again.
Colorado Avalanche
8 of 30
Forwards
- Gabriel Landeskog—Matt Duchene—Nathan MacKinnon
- Radim Vrbata—Paul Stastny—Chris Stewart
- Brad Richardson—Ryan O'Reilly—David Jones
- Bradley Malone—Joey Hishon—Mikko Rantanen
- Spare: Tyson Jost
Defence
- Johnny Boychuk—Kevin Shattenkirk
- John-Michael Liles—Tyson Barrie
- Tom Gilbert—Chris Bigras
- Spares: Stefan Elliott, Duncan Siemens
Goal
- Calvin Pickard
- Peter Budaj
Summary
The defense is aging at the top end, but the forward group makes up for the lack of good youth on the back end. The forwards are a promising bunch featuring a trio of the best younger players in the game with MacKinnon, Landeskog and Duchene forming a formidable top trio. The depth does drop off significantly after the top two lines, and even more so after the third. Neither of the goalies are worthy of starting.
Columbus Blue Jackets
9 of 30
Forwards
- Rick Nash—Ryan Johansen—Jakub Voracek
- Boone Jenner—Derick Brassard—Cam Atkinson
- Marko Dano—Alexander Wennberg—Oliver Bjorkstrand
- Matt Calvert—Pierre-Luc Dubois—Derek Dorsett
- Spares: Kerby Rychel
Defence
- Marc Methot—David Savard
- Kris Russell—Adam McQuaid
- Ryan Murray—Mike Reilly
- Spares: John Moore, Zach Werenski
Goal
- Steve Mason
- Anton Forsberg
Summary
There is a reason people are disappointed with the recent performances from the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have shown so much promise on paper but tanked the past couple of years.
The forward group from a draft standpoint features some great talent, including a few of the league's most dangerous snipers in Nash, Johansen and Voracek. There are some very talented youngsters remaining on the roster. The defense is decent but not spectacular, with some younger players capable of improving its look more quickly.
Dallas Stars
10 of 30
Forwards
- James Neal—Jamie Benn—Valeri Nichushkin
- Loui Eriksson—Radek Faksa—Reilly Smith
- Jussi Jokinen—Colton Sceviour—Jarome Iginla
- Brett Ritchie—Steve Ott—Alex Chiasson
- Spares: Luke Gazdic, Curtis McKenzie
Defence
- Trevor Daley—Matt Niskanen
- Jamie Oleksiak—John Klingberg
- Philip Larsen—Julius Honka
- Spare: Jyrki Jokipakka
Goal
- Mike Smith
- Richard Bachman
Summary
This isn't as flashy a roster as the real-life Dallas Stars, but the forwards are still pretty stellar, especially on the wings. The centers aren't as deep but playing the captain, Benn, there offers a balanced attack and four-line potential. The defense has a nice top three but falls apart after that with nothing but unproven prospects to lean on.
Detroit Red Wings
11 of 30
Forwards
- Henrik Zetterberg—Dylan Larkin—Jiri Hudler
- Tomas Tatar—Andreas Athanasiou—Gustav Nyquist
- Justin Abdelkader—Valtteri Filppula—Johan Franzen
- Riley Sheahan—Shawn Matthias—Calle Jarnkrok
- Spares: Darren Helm, Teemu Pulkkinen
Defence
- Niklas Kronwall—Jonathan Ericsson
- Kyle Quincey—Brendan Smith
- Xavier Ouellet—Alexey Marchenko
- Spare: Jakub Kindl
Goal
- Petr Mrazek
- Jimmy Howard
Summary
Even excluding Pavel Datsyuk from this list, as much to prove how deep and talented the pool is for the Detroit Red Wings as anything else, the roster is steller up front and serviceable on the back end.
The goaltending duo that the team is relying on to help them to a 26th straight stop in the playoffs is the same as this tandem. The blue line is definitely a weak spot, but the forwards could have had another half dozen players added.
Edmonton Oilers
12 of 30
Forwards
- Taylor Hall—Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—Jordan Eberle
- Nail Yakupov—Connor McDavid—Jesse Puljujarvi
- Andrew Cogliano—Leon Draisaitl—Ales Hemsky
- Tobias Rieder—Anton Lander—Riley Nash
- Spares: Kyle Brodziak, Sam Gagner
Defence
- Oscar Klefbom—Jeff Petry
- Darnell Nurse—Matt Greene
- Martin Marincin—Taylor Chorney
- Spare: Erik Gustafsson
Goal
- Devan Dubnyk
- Jussi Markkanen
Summary
There is something to be said for finishing so close to the bottom of the standings every year. But there is also no guarantee the team will be good as a result. The Edmonton Oilers of this list have a spectacularly talented top nine forwards, a respectable fourth line and spares as well.
The defense is still the team's problem with youngsters Klefbom and Nurse having to absorb big minutes and responsibility given the shortage of talent behind them.
Florida Panthers
13 of 30
Forwards
- Jonathan Huberdeau—Aleksander Barkov—Joonas Donskoi
- Lawson Crouse—Nick Bjugstad—Michael Frolik
- Tanner Glass—Vincent Trocheck—Iiro Pakarinen
- Quinton Howden—Gregory Campbell—Drew Shore
- Spares: David Booth, Rocco Grimaldi
Defence
- Jay Bouwmeester—Aaron Ekblad
- Dmitri Kulikov—Erik Gudbranson
- Matt Bartkowski—Alex Petrovic
- Spare: Ian McCoshen
Goal
- Jacob Markstrom
- Sam Brittain
Summary
The top line is pretty good, but overall, the Florida Panthers' lineup is shallow and dependent on youth up front. The defense is decent with Bouwmeester and Ekblad forming a nice shutdown duo on any team. The talent from there is going to get the team in trouble more often than not, and there is no room for injury with that depth.
Markstrom still hasn't proved to be capable of carrying a starter's load in goal, and he's the only one with NHL experience on the roster.
Los Angeles Kings
14 of 30
Forwards
- Mike Cammalleri—Anze Kopitar—Wayne Simmonds
- Tanner Pearson—Brayden Schenn—Tyler Toffoli
- Dwight King—Trevor Lewis—Dustin Brown
- Nicolas Deslauriers—Brian Boyle—Kyle Clifford
- Spares: Andy Andreoff, Linden Vey
Defence
- Alec Martinez—Drew Doughty
- Roland McKeown—Slava Voynov
- Andrew Campbell—Thomas Hickey
- Spare: Derek Forbort
Goal
- Jonathan Quick
- Jonathan Bernier
Summary
These Los Angeles Kings would probably fare well against their real-life counterpart and look to have the same holes challenging them. The bottom two forward lines are a mishmash of size, grit and sporadic secondary scoring ability.
The defense has just three reliable guys and very little depth. The goaltending is stellar, and Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick are great foundation pieces any team would love to have.
Minnesota Wild
15 of 30
Forwards
- Benoit Pouliot—Mikko Koivu—Marian Gaborik
- Jason Zucker—Mikael Granlund—Cal Clutterbuck
- Erik Haula—Tyler Graovac—Alex Tuch
- Patrick Bordeleau—Luke Kunin—Johan Larsson
- Spare: Colton Gillies
Defence
- Jonas Brodin—Brent Burns
- Nick Leddy—Marco Scandella
- Clayton Stoner—Mathew Dumba
- Spares: Nick Schultz, Justin Falk
Goal
- Anton Khudobin
- Darcy Kuemper
Summary
This team is so bad up front that we had to make an exception to the rules and add an unsigned college prospect in Luke Kunin just to fill out the roster. The depth at center is a serious concern, and that's why the real version brought in Eric Staal as a free agent this summer.
The defense is the strength of this squad with a deep and balanced back end. One of the two goalies should be able to thrive in a more regular role, but it looks decent as a platoon, too.
Montreal Canadiens
16 of 30
Forwards
- Max Pacioretty—Tomas Plekanec—Brendan Gallagher
- Alex Galchenyuk—Mike Ribeiro—Andrei Kostitsyn
- Kyle Chipchura—Mikhail Grabovski—Nikita Scherbak
- Jacob de la Rose—Maxim Lapierre—Sven Andrighetto
- Spare: Daniel Pribyl
Defence
- Andrei Markov—P.K. Subban
- Mark Streit—Ryan McDonagh
- Ron Hainsey—Francois Beauchemin
- Spares: Alexei Emelin, Nathan Beaulieu
Goal
- Carey Price
- Jaroslav Halak
Summary
The defense is dependable, and the goaltending is spectacular with Price and Halak once again teaming up to protect the crease.
Although there are a few blueliners facing retirement in the not-too-distant future, the top six is as stable as it gets. There are holes up front with some young prospects filling in on the wings, and the group of centers is lacking while leaving Galchenyuk on the flank because of the lack of talent there.
Nashville Predators
17 of 30
Forwards
- Colin Wilson—Craig Smith—Alexander Radulov
- Jimmy Vesey—Kevin Fiala—Patric Hornqvist
- Scottie Upshall—Nick Spaling—Scott Hartnell
- Matt Hendricks—Mike Santorelli—Jordin Tootoo
- Spares: Michael Latta
Defence
- Ryan Suter—Shea Weber
- Roman Josi—Cody Franson
- Dan Hamhuis—Seth Jones
- Spares: Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm
Goal
- Pekka Rinne
- Anders Lindback
Summary
The forward group isn't terrible by any means, especially considering the growth some of these younger players made this season and in the playoffs. It's dependent on a few really young players for scoring.
Let's sit back and admire that defense, though. It doesn't get much better than an eight- or nine-deep unit that features no fewer than three legitimate Norris Trophy candidates. The goaltending is top-notch, too, when healthy.
New Jersey Devils
18 of 30
Forwards
- Zach Parise—Adam Henrique—Brian Gionta
- Patrik Elias—Travis Zajac—Niclas Bergfors
- Pavel Zacha—John Quenneville—Mattias Tedenby
- Reid Boucher—Jacob Josefson—Stefan Matteau
- Spare: Patrice Cormier
Defence
- Paul Martin—Damon Severson
- Eric Gelinas—Adam Larsson
- Jon Merrill—Deryk Engelland
- Spares: Mark Fraser, Steven Santini
Goal
- Scott Wedgewood
- Evan Cormier
Summary
While the New Jersey Devils have real-life playoff potential thanks in part to some savvy trades and free-agent signings, the draft-pick version is ugly. Like, capital letter UGLY.
The depth behind legitimate top-liners Zach Parise and Adam Henrique is so bad that we've resorted to a batch of prospects and outcasts to fill out the forward ranks. Niclas Bergfors of the KHL and Mattias Tedenby of the Swedish Elite league are likely to earn top-nine minutes and could potentially even be top-six players on this roster.
The goalies are abysmal, and the defense, while easily the shining stars of this squad, is mediocre at best.
New York Islanders
19 of 30
Forwards
- Josh Bailey—John Tavares—Kyle Okposo
- Brock Nelson—Ryan Strome—Nino Niederreiter
- Anders Lee—Frans Nielsen—Blake Comeau
- Michael Dal Colle—Casey Cizikas—Matt Martin
- Spare: Mathew Barzal
Defence
- Zdeno Chara—Travis Hamonic
- Calvin de Haan—Jared Spurgeon
- Griffin Reinhart—Ryan Pulock
- Spares: Ville Pokka, Andrew MacDonald
Goal
- Roberto Luongo
- Kevin Poulin
Summary
The New York Islanders have been pretty good at picking up talent in the draft over the years, but not always so great at keeping it. The current-day roster would look mighty fine with defenseman Zdeno Chara and goaltender Roberto Luongo.
Even without them, though, it's a fine group of players—especially up front where most of the critical pieces of the playoff squad from this past spring are in place. There are some talented young players here.
New York Rangers
20 of 30
Forwards
- Chris Kreider—Derek Stepan—Ryan Callahan
- Carl Hagelin—Brandon Dubinsky—Anthony Duclair
- J.T. Miller—Artem Anisimov—Dale Weise
- Nigel Dawes—Adam Tambellini—Jesper Fast
- Spare: Dominic Moore
Defence
- Marc Staal—Corey Potter
- Michael Del Zotto—Nate Guenin
- Fedor Tyutin—Dylan McIlrath
- Spares: Brady Skjei, Calle Andersson
Goal
- Henrik Lundqvist
- Al Montoya
Summary
What is a strength for the real team is the weak spot on this drafted version.
The defense is in rough shape with Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto anchoring the blue line. Fedor Tyutin is on his way out of the league sooner than later, and Corey Potter in a top pairing is a recipe for disaster. The forwards are pretty good, though, with plenty of speed, size and skill. Nigel Dawes is a heck of a KHL player who joins this team on the fantasy front to help form a more robust roster.
Ottawa Senators
21 of 30
Forwards
- Nick Foligno—Jason Spezza—Marian Hossa
- Mike Hoffman—Mika Zibanejad—Mark Stone
- Patrick Eaves—Mike Fisher—Jakob Silfverberg
- Curtis Lazar—Chris Kelly—Jean-Gabriel Pageau
- Spares: Brooks Laich, Erik Condra
Defence
- Patrick Wiercioch—Erik Karlsson
- Jared Cowen—Cody Ceci
- Mark Borowiecki—Eric Gryba
- Spare: Chris Wideman
Goal
- Brian Elliott
- Robin Lehner
Summary
It's hard to believe the Ottawa Senators haven't been more prosperous in reality. They've been a strong drafting team when it comes to the forward ranks, with many of these past players moving on to become key pieces for other teams' successes.
The rest of the forward group consists of some of the Sens' best young players today. There is solid depth there. The goaltenders are good as well. The defense is another story. There are a couple of nice pieces, but the majority are bottom-pairing players forced into bigger roles on this drafted team.
Philadelphia Flyers
22 of 30
Forwards
- James van Riemsdyk—Claude Giroux—Justin Williams
- Patrick Maroon—Jeff Carter—Patrick Sharp
- Scott Laughton—Sean Couturier—Tye McGinn
- Oskar Lindblom—Nick Cousins—Zac Rinaldo
- Spare: Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defence
- Shayne Gostisbehere—Ivan Provorov
- Luca Sbisa—Travis Sanheim
- Samuel Morin—Robert Hagg
- Spare: Oliver Lauridsen
Goal
- Jakub Kovar
- Joacim Eriksson
- Anthony Stolarz
Summary
Even the rise of 2015-16 Calder Trophy candidate Shayne Gostisbehere can't save this defense. In another handful of years, it could very well be one of the better groups, but as of now, it's reliant entirely on very recent picks to form a roster of any substance.
The forwards are the clear strength, with superstars from the last decade still producing for their current squads in the real world. Let's not talk about the goaltending...it's not even worth a mention. Ouch.
Pittsburgh Penguins
23 of 30
Forwards
- Matt Moulson—Sidney Crosby—Jaromir Jagr
- Kasperi Kapanen—Evgeni Malkin—Bryan Rust
- Dustin Jeffrey—Jordan Staal—Beau Bennett
- Kenneth Agostino—Max Talbot—Daniel Sprong
- Spare: Joe Vitale
Defence
- Jake Muzzin—Kris Letang
- Brooks Orpik—Alex Goligoski
- Olli Maatta—Simon Despres
- Spares: Derick Pouliot, Michal Rozsival
Goal
- Matt Murray
- Marc-Andre Fleury
Summary
After spring's Stanley Cup run, it's clear the goaltending is a strength for the Pittsburgh Penguins on the draft front. The forwards outside of the top four of Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal are decent but unspectacular, flipping the skaters' strong point from the front end to the back in this draft-only world.
The defense is potent, with veterans Michal Rozsival relegated to a reserve role and Rob Scuderi and Andrew Ference left off altogether.
St. Louis Blues
24 of 30
Forwards
- Jaden Schwartz—Jori Lehtera—Vladimir Tarasenko
- David Perron—David Backes—T.J. Oshie
- Dmitrij Jaskin—Robby Fabbri—Lee Stempniak
- Lars Eller—Carl Soderberg—Patrik Berglund
- Spares: Ty Rattie, Jay McClement
Defence
- Erik Johnson—Alex Pietrangelo
- Ian Cole—Colton Parayko
- Roman Polak—David Rundblad
- Spare: Petteri Lindbohm
Goal
- Ben Bishop
- Jake Allen
Summary
The goaltending doesn't get much better than this, and the defense is quite strong as well, especially a top-four grouping thanks in part to the quick rise of Colton Parayko. Where things really take an upward turn is the collection of forwards. This might be the strongest top-to-bottom set in this series with incredible center depth supported by some electric wingers.
San Jose Sharks
25 of 30
Forwards
- Patrick Marleau—Joe Pavelski—Milan Michalek
- Tomas Hertl—Logan Couture—Charlie Coyle
- Matthew Nieto—Nick Bonino—Jamie McGinn
- Chris Tierney—Torrey Mitchell—Tommy Wingels
- Spares: Nikolay Goldobin, Lukas Kaspar
Defence
- Marc-Edouard Vlasic—Justin Braun
- Matt Carle—Jason Demers
- Mirco Mueller—Julius Bergman
- Spare: Jeremy Roy
Goal
- Thomas Greiss
- Alex Stalock
Summary
The San Jose Sharks have a nice team here. There's not a lot of flash here, but there are some very well-rounded players and depth that would make them contenders in this realm as they are in the NHL.
A four-line squad up front, the team takes a bit of a hit on the back end behind the top three of Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Jason Demers, but the net is solid with Greiss showing what he's capable of late last season and Stalock a nice backup.
Tampa Bay Lightning
26 of 30
Forwards
- Ondrej Palat—Steven Stamkos—Nikita Kucherov
- Jonathan Drouin—Alexander Killorn—Brett Connolly
- Cedric Paquette—Vladislav Namestnikov—Richard Panik
- James Wright—Blair Jones—Carter Ashton
- Spares: Nick Tarnasky, Dana Tyrell
Defence
- Victor Hedman—Nikita Nesterov
- Mark Barberio—Radko Gudas
- Slater Koekkoek—Anthony DeAngelo
- Spare: Luke Witkowski
Goal
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Kristers Gudlevskis
Summary
The forwards don't look a whole lot different for this version of the Tampa Bay Lightning than the one that annually competes for the Eastern Conference title. The forwards are deep and extremely skilled throughout the top nine.
The defense isn't as talented but is anchored by Victor Hedman, one of the best in the game. Although they don't have Ben Bishop in goal, they've got a promising one-two punch in Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis.
Toronto Maple Leafs
27 of 30
Forwards
- Alex Steen—Nazem Kadri—Mitch Marner
- Nikolai Kulemin—William Nylander—Jimmy Hayes
- Viktor Stalberg—Auston Matthews—Connor Brown
- Josh Leivo—Matt Stajan—Leo Komarov
- Spares: Shawn Thornton, John Mitchell
Defence
- Morgan Rielly—Anton Stralman
- Carl Gunnarsson—Luke Schenn
- Stuart Percy—Korbinian Holzer
- Spare: Rinat Valiev
Goal
- Tuukka Rask
- James Reimer
Summary
The addition of first overall pick Auston Matthews is one of the only things to be excited about on this roster.
If Morgan Rielly can break out, it might make the defense more attractive, but right now, only Anton Stralman has much in the way of appeal there. Up front there are some young players with promise but not much in the way of proven commodities.
The strength of this team lies in the crease with Tuukka Rask and James Reimer providing proven stopping power.
Vancouver Canucks
28 of 30
Forwards
- Daniel Sedin—Henrik Sedin—Jake Virtanen
- Mason Raymond—Ryan Kesler—Jannik Hansen
- Michael Grabner—Bo Horvat—Cody Hodgson
- Hunter Shinkaruk—Jared McCann—Jordan Schroeder
- Spare: Brendan Gaunce
Defence
- Kevin Bieksa—Alexander Edler
- Ben Hutton—Frankie Corrado
- Kevin Connauton—Nikita Tryamkin
- Spares: Kirill Koltsov, Jordan Subban
Goal
- Cory Schneider
- Thatcher Demko
Summary
These Vancouver Canucks better hope they stay healthy. Cory Schneider is one of the best in the business in goal, but behind him there is little available, and Thatcher Demko is a bright prospect who is only about to enter his first year as a pro.
The forwards are a respectable group but highly dependent on the production of the Sedin twins. On defense, there are a few fringe NHLers with the depth provided by players outside the league.
Washington Capitals
29 of 30
Forwards
- Marcus Johansson—Nicklas Backstrom—Alex Ovechkin
- Andre Burakovsky—Evgeny Kuznetsov—Filip Forsberg
- Alexander Semin—Jakub Vrana—Eric Fehr
- Cody Eakin—Mathieu Perreault—Tom Wilson
- Spares: Boyd Gordon, Stanislav Galiev
Defence
- Karl Alzner—John Carlson
- Johnny Oduya—Mike Green
- Dmitri Orlov—Connor Carrick
Goal
- Braden Holtby
- Semyon Varlamov
- Michal Neuvirth
Summary
Stellar goaltending. Check. A talented group of rearguards balanced by skill in both the offensive and defensive ends. Check. One of the most potent and deep groups of forwards in the league. Check.
How have these Washington Capitals not won the Stanley Cup? Based on the way the team has drafted, finding gems in all positions, the lack of postseason success is stunning. Perhaps if they had all these players on the roster together—although that top group of forwards and defenders isn't far off from the group that competes in real life.
Winnipeg Jets
30 of 30
Forwards
- Evander Kane—Bryan Little—Ilya Kovalchuk
- Nikolaj Ehlers—Mark Scheifele—Patrik Laine
- Kyle Connor—Alexander Burmistrov—Jeremy Morin
- Adam Lowry—Derek MacKenzie—Jim Slater
- Spares: Nicolas Petan
Defence
- Tobias Enstrom—Zach Bogosian
- Braydon Coburn—Jacob Trouba
- Ben Chiarot—Zach Redmond
- Spare: Paul Postma
Goal
- Connor Hellebuyck
- Kari Lehtonen
- Ondrej Pavelec
Summary
You can't blame the Winnipeg Jets for the drafting here. In fact, many of the talented prospects used to comprise this roster are courtesy of the Canadian incarnation.
But because the former Atlanta Thrashers didn't fare so well in gathering building blocks for the future, we're stuck using NHL defects such as Ilya Kovalchuk—who is faring very well in the KHL—to help complete the top-six forward group. The defense is decent but lacking the star power of a real-life Dustin Byfuglien.
.jpg?w=480 "Bleacher Report")
.jpeg?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Could Sharks Trade for Jason Robertson? 🤔")
