Best Draft Pick by Every Canadian NHL Team, Ranked

It’s every team’s dream to draft a player who changes the franchise’s trajectory and, sooner or later, propels it to glory. 

The type of player who improves a team’s Stanley Cup odds represents a rare commodity, worth its weight in gold. Most of the players in the list below provided that for their team, and they comprise the best draft picks by every Canadian team.  

NHL Draft: Ranking Each Canadian Team’s Best Pick

Four of the seven featured players were selected with the first overall pick, the most recent of which was Auston Matthews in 2016. 

Only two, Mike Vernon and Guy Lafleur, won the Stanley Cup with the organization that drafted them. 

Connor McDavid and Matthews still have a window of opportunity with their respective teams, but it’s closing quickly.  

7. Ottawa Senators (Erik Karlsson, 2008)

Drafted 15th in 2008, Erik Karlsson played nine seasons for the Ottawa Senators before moving on to the San Jose Sharks. 

While the Senators didn’t have much success during Karlsson’s tenure, making the conference final once, he was consistently among the league’s best defencemen. 

Karlsson scored 518 points (126 goals, 392 assists) in 627 games in the nation’s capital, and he won the Norris Trophy twice during his time in Ottawa. 

Honourable mention: Chris Phillips (1996, first overall)

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (Auston Matthews, 2016)

Matthews’ lack of playoff success prevents him from earning a higher spot on this list. He’s only made it past the first round twice in nine postseason appearances. 

Individually, Matthews is an offensive dynamo. He won the Calder Trophy in 2016-17, the Hart Trophy in 2021-22, and won the Rocket Richard Trophy three times. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs will hope their No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, presumably Gavin McKenna, will have an equally impactful presence and help them restore their place among the favourites at the BetMGM online sportsbook while achieving better playoff results. 

Honourable mention: Darryl Sittler (1970, eighth overall)

5. Vancouver Canucks (Henrik Sedin, 1999)

I’m doing the unconscionable thing and picking between the Sedin twins, giving the nod to Henrik. That’s due to him being the captain of the Vancouver Canucks from 2010 to 2018. 

Henrik has the most points by a Canuck, notching 1,070 in 1,330 games, 29 more points than his brother Daniel. 

Henrik and Daniel brought the Canucks to within one win of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Honourable mention: Daniel Sedin (1999, second overall)

4. Calgary Flames (Mike Vernon, 1981)

The Calgary Flames got lucky with Mike Vernon, drafting him with the 56th pick in the 1981 draft. While Vernon wasn’t a franchise player, he helped alter the course of the franchise, stepping up when the team needed him the most.

Vernon spent 12 years in Calgary, leading the team to its only Stanley Cup triumph in 1989, when he out-duelled the legendary Patrick Roy in the Stanley Cup Final.

Honourable mention: Theoren Fleury (1987, 166th overall)  

3. Winnipeg Jets (Dale Hawerchuk, 1981)

It might be controversial, but I’m picking Dale Hawerchuk over Teemu Selanne. Hawerchuk played nine seasons with the Winnipeg Jets as opposed to Selanne’s four. 

Hawerchuk led the Jets to eight postseasons, in which he amassed 38 games. Compare that to Selanne’s one playoff with the Jets, which spanned just six games. Selanne never won a playoff series in Winnipeg, while Hawerchuk won two. 

Hawerchuk scored at least a point per game in all nine seasons in Winnipeg. While Selanne is inarguably the more skilled player, Hawerchuk was the lifeblood of the team and led by example year in and year out.

Honourable mention: Teemu Selanne (1988, 10th overall)

2. Edmonton Oilers (Connor McDavid, 2015)

McDavid will take the No. 1 spot if and when he wins a Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers, a window closing faster than a zip-up tent door in the middle of mosquito season. 

Individually, McDavid has pretty much accomplished everything, including becoming the second non-goalie to win a Conn Smythe Trophy on a losing team. 

Oilers fans hope their franchise player will get over the hump in the next season or two, or the end of his tenure in Edmonton could resemble a Greek tragedy.

Honourable mention: Leon Draisaitl (2014, 3rd overall)

1. Montreal Canadiens (Guy Lafleur, 1971)

The Montreal Canadiens got their money’s worth with Guy Lafleur and then some. 

Lafleur played 14 of his 17 seasons with the Habs, winning five Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, three Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. 

Lafleur is among the Canadiens with the most game-winning goals in the playoffs and the best Canadiens players of all time. 

Honourable mention: Carey Price (2005, 5th overall)