NHL Draft 2011: Power Ranking Every Team's Best Draft Choices in Recent History

With the exception of players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was drafted first overall by Edmonton on Friday, most NHL draft picks will take three to five years to develop.

However, a team's recent history with the draft can be a barometer for the organization's ability to recognize and develop talent.

Although scouts and minor league coaches will come and go, there are many teams that have it figured out and continue to replenish a healthy farm system.

And...well, there's quite a few teams that have a lot of work to do in that department.

The following are all 30 teams ranked on their ability to recognize and develop talent in the past 10 years.

All players listed are currently with their team.

30. Florida Panthers

Notable Picks

1. Stephen Weiss (No. 4, 2001)

2. David Booth (No. 53, 2004)

3. Dmitri Kulikov (No. 14, 2009)

Florida has had many great draft picks, most notably Nathan Horton and Michael Frolik, that have prospered outside of South Florida.

Stephen Weiss has remained on the team and is a good player, but has never scored 30 goals.

The Cats do have a hope for the future, however.

The 2007 draft yielded three promising players—Keaton Ellerby (No. 10, 2007), Michal Repik (No. 40, 2007) and Evgeny Dadonov (No. 71, 2007)—who could help Florida find its way out of the cellar.

29. Calgary Flames

Notable Picks

1. David Moss (No. 220, 2001)

2. Mikael Backlund (No. 24, 2007)

The Calgary Flames are an aging team in need of a youth movement.

However, a loyal but demanding fanbase insists upon a contender every year and the team cannot simply shed salary and rebuild with single-digit draft picks.

David Moss and Mikael Backlund have been solid, but will hardly replace veterans like Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay.

28. Toronto Maple Leafs

Notable Picks

1. Nikolai Kulemin (No. 44, 2006)

2. Luke Schenn (No. 5, 2008)

3. Carl Gunnarsson

4. James Reimer (No. 99, 2006)

5. Nazem Kadri (No. 7, 2009)

Toronto depends a lot on imported talent—Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf most notably—to turn the franchise into a winner.

However, they need to draft better in order to avoid having to give up big assets (see: Tyler Seguin's pick) to get what they need.

Nikolai Kulemin was a solid value pick in the second round. His 30 goals nearly doubled the total he had last year.

Luke Schenn looks like he's going to be a superstar and James Reimer may be the goaltender of the future, but Nazem Kadri often finds himself in coach Ron Wilson's doghouse..

The Leafs did acquire an overlooked player, Tyler Bozak, an undrafted free agent, that has made a positive impact with the team.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets

Notable Picks

1. Rick Nash (No. 1, 2002)

2. Steve Mason (No. 69, 2006)

3. Matt Calvert (No. 127, 2008)

4. Derek Brassard (No. 6, 2006)

5. Jared Boll (No. 101, 2005)

Things may change in Columbus with the acquisition of Jeff Carter.

However, the Blue Jackets have the worst points percentage of all active teams in the NHL over their first nine seasons mainly as a result of poor drafting and player development.

Rick Nash is a superstar, but he doesn't have much around him.

Steve Mason is a Calder Trophy winner and Matt Culvert is a great value pick, but they need more contributions from their farm system.

26. Ottawa Senators

Notable Picks

1. Jason Spezza (No. 2, 2001)

2. Nick Foligno (No. 28, 2006)

3. Erik Karlsson (No. 15, 2008)

Ottawa needs some youth to snap out of their Stanley Cup hangover.

Since losing to the Ducks in five games in 2007, the team has not gotten out of the first round.

The CASH line is no longer. Dany Heatley is in San Jose, Daniel Alfredsson is aging and Jason Spezza is disgruntled.

Nick Foligno and Erik Karlsson are solid players, but Ottawa is going to need more than them to be competitive again.

25. Minnesota Wild

Notable Picks

1. Mikko Koivu (No. 6, 2001)

2. Cal Clutterbuck (No. 72, 2006)

3. Pierre-Marc Bouchard (No. 8, 2002)

4. Clayton Stoner (No. 79, 2004)

5. Josh Harding (No. 38, 2002)

With the departure of Brent Burns to San Jose, the Wild are looking to capitalize on their additional first-round draft pick and the players in their farm system to bring the Stanley Cup Playoffs back to Minnesota.

Recent draft picks have been disappointing.

Benoit Pouliot (No. 4, 2005) never lived up to his bidding and was traded for Guillaume Latendresse.

Although he never played a minor league game, James Sheppard (No. 9, 2006) didn't make the NHL impact he was expected to.

Fortunately, Colton Gilles (No. 16, 2007) and Justin Falk (No. 110, 2007) have shown promise and could be impact players in the near future for the Wild.

24. New Jersey Devils

Notable Picks

1. Zach Parise (No. 17, 2003)

2. Mattias Tedenby (No. 24, 2008)

3. Nick Palmieri (No. 79, 2007)

The Devils have relied on mainstays Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias and Colin White and imported talent in Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Volchenkov to become a contender.

Drafting, however, has not been their strong suit and it caught up to them last year when all hell broke loose in New Jersey.

Mattias Tedenby and Nick Palmieri have shown promise, but Zach Parise is the lone proven superstar from their drafting classes.

It should be noted that the Devils signed Andy Greene and David Clarkson as undrafted free agents.

23. Phoenix Coyotes

Notable Picks

1. Keith Yandle (No. 105, 2005)

2. Martin Hanzal (No. 17, 2005)

3. Kyle Turris (No. 3, 2007)

If the Phoenix Coyotes are going to make the playoffs consistently and stay in Arizona, they must do better with drafting and player development.

Keith Yandle has emerged as a star that went overlooked on draft day.

Martin Hanzal and Kyle Turris need to be more consistent, but may pay dividends in the near future.

Mikkel Bodker (No. 8, 2008) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (No. 6, 2009) are younger and further behind in their development, but should see more ice time next year.

22. Dallas Stars

Notable Picks

1. Trevor Daley (No. 43, 2002)

2. Loui Eriksson (No. 33, 2003)

3. Jamie Benn (No. 129, 2007)

4. Mark Fistric (No. 28, 2004)

Brenden Morrow is the last remnant of the Mike Modano-Derian Hatcher era.

It is now time for Trevor Daley, Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn to take control of the franchise and generate interest in the Stars once again.

Mark Fistric has yet to play a full season with the Stars, but could become a solid lockdown defenseman in the future.

21. Winnipeg Jets

Notable Picks

1. Evander Kane (No. 4, 2009)

2. Zach Bogosian (No. 3, 2008)

3. Tobias Enstrom (No. 239, 2003)

4. Ondrej Pavelec (No. 41, 2005)

5. Bryan Little (No. 12, 2006)

There are many things that went wrong in Atlanta, but retaining drafted talent was not the team's strong suit.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley had good years in Atlanta, but left the team under difficult circumstances.

Winnipeg will look to build a winner around Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian and mainstay Tobias Enstrom.

The jury is still out on Ondrej Pavelec and Bryan Little, but both players could also be part of a solid core in Manitoba.

20. New York Islanders

Notable Picks

1. John Tavares (No. 1, 2009)

2. Kyle Okposo (No. 7, 2006)

3. Andrew MacDonald (No. 160, 2006)

4. Josh Bailey (No. 9, 2008)

5. Rick DiPietro (No. 1, 2000)

If the Islanders are going to bring hockey glory back to Long Island it is going to be through the draft.

The future looks bright.

John Tavares and Kyle Okposo look like they are going to be NHL superstars and Andrew MacDonald is a great leader.

Josh Bailey will have to prove himself, but should be part of the long-term picture.

God knows what's going to happen to Rick DiPietro, but he's supposed to be good...

19. Edmonton Oilers

Notable Picks

1. Taylor Hall (No. 1, 2010)

2. Ales Hemsky (No. 13, 2001)

3. Sam Gagner (No. 6, 2007)

4. Jordan Eberle (No. 22, 2008)

5. Theo Peckham (No. 75, 2006)

The Oilers are in a similar situation to the Islanders, except their fans still show up to games.

In order to appease the masses and get back into the playoffs, Edmonton needs youngsters like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle playing at a high level.

Linus Omark (No. 97, 2007) is a talented guy who has shown potential and Sam Gagner and Theo Peckham should not go overlooked.

The Oil should be good in a few years.

18. Montreal Canadiens

Notable Picks

1. Carey Price (No. 5, 2005)

2. P.K. Subban (No. 43, 2007)

3. Andrei Kostitsyn (No. 10, 2003)

Montreal had picked up impact players through the draft, including overlooked P.K. Subban, but they are contenders because of their imported talent.

The Canadiens would benefit from having more depth supplementing imported stars Michael Cammalleri, Hal Gill and Brian Gionta.

17. Boston Bruins

Notable Picks

1. Patrice Bergeron (No. 45, 2003)

2. Tyler Seguin (No. 2, 2010)

3. David Krejci (No. 63, 2004)

Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and David Krejci all played important roles in the team's Stanley Cup run.

However, a lot of the team's talent—Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, Rich Peverley—was acquired from other teams.

16. Carolina Hurricanes

Notable Picks

1. Jeff Skinner (No. 7, 2010)

2. Eric Staal (No. 2, 2003)

3. Cam Ward (No. 25, 2002)

4. Jamie McBain (No. 63, 2006)

5. Brandon Sutter (No. 11, 2007)

The Hurricanes have a great young core and were inches away from the playoffs this season.

Eric Staal and Cam Ward are well-known players in Raleigh, but Jeff Skinner and Jamie McBain made great strides this year and Brandon Sutter is a great leader.

Zach Boychuk (No. 14, 2008) should make an impact in the near future as well.

Things are looking good in Carolina.

15. Colorado Avalanche

Notable Picks

1. Matt Duchene (No. 3, 2009)

2. Paul Stastny (No. 44, 2005)

3. Ryan O'Reilly (No. 33, 2009)

4. T.J. Galiardi (No. 55, 2007)

5. Kyle Cumiskey (No. 222, 2005)

After the Joe Sakic-Peter Forsberg era, the Avalanche have had difficulty appeasing a fanbase that has grown accustomed to winning (Stanley Cup was won in 1996, the year after the franchise moved from Quebec).

Recent draft picks Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and T.J. Galiardi already have a taste of playoff hockey and have the ability to fill the Pepsi Center once again.

14. St. Louis Blues

Notable Picks

1. David Backes (No. 62, 2003)

2. T.J. Oshie (No. 24, 2005)

3. Alex Pietrangelo (No. 4, 2008)

4. Patrik Berglund (No. 25, 2006)

5. Roman Polak (No. 180, 2004)

The St. Louis Blues have done a good job with the draft.

The real test for the team is if David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo can lead this team back to the glory days the Blues had pre-lockout.

13. Anaheim Ducks

Notable Picks

1. Ryan Getzlaf (No. 19, 2003)

2. Corey Perry (No. 28, 2003)

3. Bobby Ryan (No. 2, 2005)

4. Cam Fowler (No. 12, 2010)

The Ducks capitalized on a strong 2003 draft and a top pick in 2005 to turn themselves into a playoff team.

If Anaheim has aspirations of nabbing another Cup in the near future, it'll go through those four guys and undrafted free-agent goaltender Jonas Hiller.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

Notable Picks

1. James van Riemsdyk (No. 2, 2007)

2. Claude Giroux (No. 22, 2006)

3. Andreas Nodl (No. 39, 2006)

After the trade of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards (and Simon Gagne last year), the Flyers became JVR and Claude Giroux's team.

If the trend continues, Philadelphia will continue to look outside the organization in order to build a contender around them.

The jury is still out on Okars Bartulis (No. 91, 2005), who has had trouble since the vicious hit, and undrafted free-agent Sergei Bobrovsky looked solid in the beginning of the season, but is likely to be replaced by Ilya Bryzgalov.

11. New York Rangers

Notable Picks

1. Michael Del Zotto (No. 20, 2008)

2. Marc Staal (No. 12, 2005)

3. Derek Stepan (No. 51, 2008)

4. Brandon Dubinsky (No. 60, 2004)

5. Ryan Callahan (No. 127, 2004)

Teams in New York typically look to free agency to put together talent. However, the Rangers have done a great job with the draft and look like they are ready to take the next step in the near future.

Michael Del Zotto and Derek Stepan stand out as younger guys and Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan, if they all stay in New York, are big-time impact players.

The Rangers have also done well in free agency, however. Undrafted Matt Gilroy was a solid pickup out of Boston University last year.

10. Buffalo Sabres

Notable Picks

1. Thomas Vanek (No. 5, 2003)

2. Derek Roy (No. 32, 2001)

3. Tyler Myers (No. 12, 2008)

4. Drew Stafford (No. 13, 2004)

5. Tyler Ennis (No. 26, 2008)

By nature of playing in Buffalo, the Sabres often look within their organization for superstars.

Thomas Vanek has had his fair share of controversy, but he can play when he's on.

Derek Roy and Drew Stafford continue to contribute ever year.

Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy (and had a bit of a sophomore slump) and Tyler Ennis is a great young talent.

9. Vancouver Canucks

Notable Picks

1. Ryan Kesler (No. 23, 2003)

2. Kevin Bieksa (No. 151, 2001)

3. Alexander Edler (No. 91, 2004)

4. Mason Raymond (No. 51, 2005)

5. Cory Schneider (No. 26, 2004)

A mix of long-timers (the Sedin twins) and imported talents (Christian Erhoff, Sami Salo, Raffi Torres) were difference-makers for the Canucks on their playoff run.

However, Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa are a big part of the Canucks' recent success and Cory Schneider, while he may have been a backup, got playing time during Roberto Luongo's tough stretches.

Cody Hodgson (No. 10, 2008) got some ice time with the big-league club last year and should eventually be integrated as a full-time member.

Alexandre Burrows is a notable undrafted free agent on the team.

8. Detroit Red Wings

Notable Picks

1. Jimmy Howard (No. 64, 2003)

2. Johan Franzen (No. 97, 2004)

3. Darren Helm (No. 132, 2005)

4. Jiri Hudler (No. 58, 2002)

5. Jonathan Ericsson (No. 291, 2002)

6. Justin Abdelkader (No. 42, 2005)

With the exception of Mr. Helm, if you're drafted by the Red Wings and your name starts with J, you're bound to make an impact in Motown.

By nature of making the playoffs 20 straight times, Detroit has not had top draft picks, but has done well with what they have and supplemented their superstars with a solid supporting cast.

Outside of the context of this slideshow, which examines each team's drafting and developmental prowess over the past 10 years, the Red Wings are the league's best draft and development organization in terms of high-end talent and number of individuals.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

Notable Picks

1. Steven Stamkos (No. 1, 2008)

2. Victor Hedman (No. 2, 2009)

3. Mike Lundin (No. 102, 2004)

4. Matt Smaby (No. 41, 2003)

5. Dana Tyrell (No. 47, 2007)

The Lighting enter a new era with old-timers Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis leading the way, but Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman will have to be impact players in order for the new-look Lightning to continue their success.

Mike Lundin, Matt Smaby and Dana Tyrell's efforts may go overlooked, but the team missed Lundin when he was out and the other two players do the little things that make a big difference.

If the Bolts continue to draft well (albeit without top picks), they should be contending with the Caps for the Southwest Division for years to come.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins

Notable Picks

1. Sidney Crosby (No. 1, 2005)

2. Evgeni Malkin (No. 2, 2004)

3. Kristopher Letang (No. 62, 2005)

4. Marc-Andre Fleury (No. 1, 2003)

5. Jordan Staal (No. 2, 2006)

The Penguins benefited from having multiple top picks, but many teams on the brink of departure panic and do not make the most of their lottery picks.

Pittsburgh resurrected their franchise through the draft and has found some gems later in the draft, including Kristopher Letang, Maxime Talbot (No. 234, 2002) and Tyler Kennedy (No. 99, 2004).

5. Washington Capitals

Notable Picks

1. Alex Ovechkin (No. 1, 2004)

2. Mike Green (No. 29, 2004)

3. Nicklas Backstrom (No. 4, 2006)

4. Alexander Semin (No. 13, 2002)

5. Marcus Johansson (No. 24, 2009)

The Washington Capitals went from league doormat to perennial contenders (and disappointments) by drafting and developing talented players.

Although they have had some top picks as a result of playing poorly for many years, Washington has also done a great job later in the draft, finding two goaltenders, Semyon Varlamov (No. 23, 2006) and Michal Neuvirth (No. 34, 2006), Mike Green and Marcus Johansson.

4. Los Angeles Kings

Notable Picks

1. Anze Kopitar (No. 11, 2005)

2. Drew Doughty (No. 2, 2008)

3. Dustin Brown (No. 13, 2003)

4. Jack Johnson (No. 3, 2005)

5. Jonathan Quick (No. 72, 2005)

Like the Rangers, the Los Angeles Kings operate in a city that attracts free agents, but have become a contender by drafting well.

In addition to superstars like Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown, who were found at the top of the draft, the team also has overlooked players like Jonathan Quick, Oscar Moller (No. 52, 2007) and Alec Martinez (No. 95, 2007) donning their uniforms.

3. Chicago Blackhawks

Notable Picks

1. Jonathan Toews (No. 3, 2006)

2. Duncan Keith (No. 54, 2002)

3. Patrick Kane (No. 1, 2007)

4. Brent Seabrook (No. 14, 2003)

5. Corey Crawford (No. 52, 2003)

The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and generated interest in hockey again after years of futility due to great drafting.

Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane are among the best players in the league.

Bryan Bickell (No. 41, 2004) was a great older rookie this season and Corey Crawford is a solid goaltender.

The Hawks will recover from the cap casualties and should be contenders for years to come.

2. San Jose Sharks

Notable Picks

1. Logan Couture (No. 9, 2007)

2. Joe Pavelski (No. 205, 2003)

3. Ryane Clowe (No. 175, 2001)

4. Marc-Edouard Vlasic (No. 35, 2005)

5. Jason Demers (No. 186, 2008)

The Sharks have become a perennial contender because of great drafting.

Unlike many teams in non-traditional markets, they have not had top draft picks, but still find productive players in the late rounds.

Logan Couture was runner-up for the Rookie of the Year.

Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe are always tough come playoff time.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the smartest defensemen in the league.

Jason Demers, Jamie McGinn (No. 36, 2006) and Justin Braun (No. 201, 2007) all appear to be on their way to becoming impact players in the league for years to come.

1. Nashville Predators

Notable Picks

1. Shea Weber (No. 49, 2003)

2. Ryan Suter (No. 7, 2003)

3. Pekka Rinne (No. 258, 2004)

4. Patrick Hornqvist (No. 230, 2005)

5. Cal O'Reilly (No. 150, 2005)

The Nashville Predators are always in the playoffs (six of the past seven years), play in a division with traditional powerhouses in Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit and still continue to win.

They capitalized on the stacked 2003 draft, picking up three defensemen in Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Kevin Klein (No. 37, 2003) and hit the jackpot again in 2005 with Patrick Hornqvist and Cal O'Reilly.

Blake Geoffrion (No. 56, 2006), Jonathan Blum (No. 23, 2007) and Colin Wilson (No. 7, 2008) got ample playing time this year and will be great players for years to come.

The Predators are hands down the best team at drafting and developing talent in the league and must be in order to become a main attraction in music-crazed Nashville.

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