kmad said:
I don't think you can call it a great draft if they just got the highest picks. To qualify something draft-related as best, there has to be a drafting skill or some tremendous foresight involved.
Quite easily, the Red Wings' 1989 draft is the best one-year single-team drafting job of all time:
Lidstrom
Fedorov
Boughner
Konstantinov
Sillinger
Drake
So basically, I think whichever draft adjacent to 1989 was better will combine with 1989 to make the best consecutive draft years of all time. I'll go with 1990:
K. Primeau
S. Kozlov
Jason York
Quite easily the best draft ever? I beg to differ.
Nice draft by Detroit, but i think perhaps you're overrating Fedorov and Lidstrom a little bit.
Chicago in 1980 was a better draft than Detoroit 1989 - especially if you're looking for both top-end quality and depth
Savard
Larmer
Troy Murray
Carey Wilson
Steve Ludzik
Dan Frawley
Jerome Dupont
Ken Solheim
Don Dietrich
Nine player that made the grade, including three players that would all have 47+ goal seasons. Savard ended up with 1300+ points, Larmer with 1,000+ points, Murray with 568 points, wilson with 400+ points, Ludzik with 400 NHL games, Frawley captained the Pens when Mario was there, Dupont played close to 300 NHL games.
Here's a pretty decent back to back:
Montreal's 1971 draft:
Lafleur
Robinson
Wilson
Arnason
Hubick
Busniuk
Sorry, but I'll take Lafleur and Robinson over Fedorov and Lidstrom any day. Murray Wilson was on his way to a solid NHL career before back injuries forced him to retire at 27. More overall depth with Detroit's, but Lafleur and Robinson alone give the Habs the nod.
1972 draft:
Shutt
Nyrop
Larocque
Van Boxmeer
Shutt, Lafleur and Robinson in back to back years. That beats Primeau, Fedorov, Lidstrom "hands down".
In 1979 Edmonton drafted:
Lowe
Messier
Anderson
Keep in mind that there were only 126 players drafted, and Edmonton, without a second round pick, only made six selections. Two of the others, Toal and Barnes, even played briefly in the league. Anyway, I'll take those three over any three Detroit players you wanna throw at me from"the best draft ever".
the next year the Oilers drafted
Coffey
Kurri
Poddubny
Moog
5 eventual hall of famers, a 400-point scorer, and a long-time solid NHL goalie versus Fedorov, Primeau, Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Kozlov, the Mighty Dallas Drake and all world Bob Boughner. It's hands down all right - you would have to be missing a few marbles not to pick that Oilers crew over a two-year period. I won't bother with statistics, it would only make it that much more obvious.
There are other examples of solid back to backs, like the Islanders in 73-74:
1973:
Potvin
Lewis (more than 1000 games on defence)
St. Laurent
Lorimer
1974:
Trottier
Gillies
Langevin
Three hall of famers, three solid long-time defenceman, and a speedy skilled center who player more than 600 games.
Boston in 1979
Bourque
McCrimmon
Krushelnyski
Crowder
Melnyk
Baron
Best ever draft year: Chicago in 1980, but it's close.
Best back to back - Edmonton in 79 and 80. Once Anderson and Lowe make the Hall, five HOF's in two draft years will never be matched.