Ranking the Best First Overall Picks of the 21st Century

[WhatTheDuck]

Crosby
Ovechkin, McDavid
Kane
Stamkos, Tavares, Matthews, Ekblad, Kovalchuk
MacKinnon, Nash, Hall
Fleury, RNH
Johnson




Yakupov






Dipietro

 

[nbwingsfan]

He deserves to be there. He is on pace for 40 goals while being excellent defensively as a rookie center. In his prime he could score 50+

And about 60 points, similar to players like Tavares and Mackinnon in their rookie year. You also say he "could" score 50 yet have him over players who DID score 50+.

He's not a McDavid level prospect so he really hasn't done anything to move above players like Tavares, Kane, Stamkos, etc.

 

[MR4]

And about 60 points, similar to players like Tavares and Mackinnon in their rookie year. You also say he "could" score 50 yet have him over players who DID score 50+.

He's not a McDavid level prospect so he really hasn't done anything to move above players like Tavares, Kane, Stamkos, etc.

I'd say a pace of 65 points (not 60) is significant enough compared to JT's 54 points for it not to be tossed into the same category.

Then Mackinnon's just lowered his expected career over the past couple years since the rookie year but has shown signs of brilliance.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Based on how I expect their careers to go:

Crosby
McDavid
Ovechkin
Kane
Stamkos
Tavares
Matthews
Ekblad
Kovalchuk
Nash
Hall
MacKinnon
Fleury
Johnson
DiPietro
Nugent-Hopkins
Yakupov

 

[LordNeverLose]

People are really mis-remembering DiPietro. Up until injuries he was a promising #1 with Vezina potential.

Way, way better than Yak.

 

[Seanaconda]

People are really mis-remembering DiPietro. Up until injuries he was a promising #1 with Vezina potential.

Way, way better than Yak.

When was that. First season he had was like 3 -20 and then a couple years later he finally had a winning season with a .902 save percentage.

Shultz had norris potential. Dipietro got top 10 for vezina votes once with 2 for 7th place.

 

[Firebot]

People are really mis-remembering DiPietro. Up until injuries he was a promising #1 with Vezina potential.

Way, way better than Yak.

Yeah, people remember the contract, but had he not have all his injuries (I mean he had multiple knee surgeries, as a goalie), he would had potentially lived up close to his crazy contract. The guy had 2 30+ win seasons on a bad Islanders team...

Yakupov is barely able to stay on an NHL roster right now (largely because of his pedigree), without any significant injuries.

Heck you could arguably put DiPietro ahead of Nugent Hopkins.

 

[chunkylover53]

I'd switch RNH and Johnson and Yak and DiPietro but this list is pretty close IMO. It's hard to say on Matthews right now but if he improves on this season I think that's a pretty fair spot for him. I think Matthews/Ekblad/Hall are all super close first overalls and they'll change spots a few times on any given year.

That's underrating EJ, who is actually a low end #1/high end #2 dman. DiPeitro definitely is above Yak as well...injuries just killed him when it looked like he was putting it together.

 

[Mrb1p]

Crosby

Ovechkin

Kane
Stamkos
Kovalchuk
Tavares
McDavid


Hall
Nash

Fleury
Mackinnon
Ekblad
Matthews
Nugent-Hopkins
Johnson

Yakupov
DiPietro


This is right now, assuming Mack, Matthews, McD, Ekb go up..

At least I hope so.

 

[Seanaconda]

That's underrating EJ, who is actually a low end #1/high end #2 dman. DiPeitro definitely is above Yak as well...injuries just killed him when it looked like he was putting it together.

So what injuries did kill him and he only had one decent season

Yak had one decent season and isn't out of the league yet. And also didn't sign a 15 year contract.

Or get a hall of fame caliber player traded.

 

[chunkylover53]

So what injuries did kill him and he only had one decent season

Yak had one decent season and isn't out of the league yet. And also didn't sign a 15 year contract.

Yak had like one decent shorten season and is on a fast track to being out of the league. Contract status has nothing to do with this so I don't know why anyone would bring it up.

 

[zombie kopitar]

When was he really good tho I only see one half decent season?

Good puck handler but If he was good it wasn't long

He had everything going against him

Bad injuries,
stigma of the first goalie going 1st since 1968,
playing for an organization in the pits, associated with bad moves by said organization
then a really, really bad contract because he played for an organization in the pits.

When he was able to be consistent he was not far away from a Luongo or Turco.

Yakupov just flat out busted


#87
#8
#88
#97
#91

 

[Christ]

Matthews at 4. Serious lists we got here.

I like Sidney the kidneys list

Honestly how do we even rank Matthews at this point, or McDavid for that matter...both have so much potential but have not really had a chance to show what they can do. Many of these other players we have seen through their prime seasons, something that neither McDavid nor Matthews will be seeing for a number of years. Right now we are ranking some players on potential and others on their career achievements...

 

[TBC]

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin
3. McDavid (Could become #2)
4. Kane
5. Stamkos
6. Tavares
7. Kovalchuk
8. Hall
9. Nash
10. Fleury
11. Matthews (Could be around 4-6)
12. Ekblad (Could be around 6-8)
13. Mackinnon (Could be around 8-9)
14. Nugent-Hopkins
15. Johnson
16. Yakupov
17. DiPietro

 

[Seanaconda]

Honestly how do we even rank Matthews at this point, or McDavid for that matter...both have so much potential but have not really had a chance to show what they can do. Many of these other players we have seen through their prime seasons, something that neither McDavid nor Matthews will be seeing for a number of years. Right now we are ranking some players on potential and others on their career achievements...

Mcdavid has already passed guys I would say with his 2 years. So yes rank him.

 

[Seanaconda]

He had everything going against him

Bad injuries,
stigma of the first goalie going 1st since 1968,
playing for an organization in the pits, associated with bad moves by said organization
then a really, really bad contract because he played for an organization in the pits.

When he was able to be consistent he was not far away from a Luongo or Turco.

Yakupov just flat out busted


#87
#8
#88
#97
#91

Yeah too bad they traded Luongo because of him lowering his value (to the team that drafted him)looking back at his career even more. Add in his contract. 1 good year and then injuries he has to be last.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Not sure how Kane is above Stamkos. Kane one outstanding season, Stamkos 3-4 with two being shortened by injury when lighting the league on fire.

Not to mention Fleury, who will be one of the all time winningest goalies and a two time cup winner and an Olympic medal I believe.

 

[Seanaconda]

Not sure how Kane is above Stamkos. Kane one outstanding season, Stamkos 3-4 with two being shortened by injury when lighting the league on fire.

Not to mention Fleury, who will be one of the all time winningest goalies and a two time cup winner and an Olympic medal I believe.

Fleury is lowered by choking in the junior's which everyone remembers for life. And his couple bad seasons for the Pens in the playoffs when he also had some good ones when the rest of the team sucked.

But he will never be remembered as great.

Kane has 3 cups and is better currently.

 

[Twinsmagic]

Crosby
Ovechkin
McDavid

Kane
Tavares
Stamkos

Matthews
Ekblad
MacKinnon
Kovalchuk
Nash
Hall

Nugent-Hopkins
Fleury
Johnson

DiPietro
Yakupov

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Fleury is lowered by choking in the junior's which everyone remembers for life. And his couple bad seasons for the Pens in the playoffs when he also had some good ones when the rest of the team sucked.

But he will never be remembered as great.

Kane has 3 cups and is better currently.

Still not great logic for one of the most decorated goalies in history by the end of his career.

Kane has 3 cups, but so do many blackhawks, and Justin Williams. No denying he was good in the playoffs but it's still a team win each time.

Stamkos has had the far better individual career to date and this year absolutely looked better than Kane. He was back to pre injury Stammer, and you can't possibly say that outside of early last season god mode Kane has ever been as dominant as that.

 

[King Mapes]

A little unfair to Matthews as he will either be "ranked too low" (due to a great start to his career) or "way too high" (because he hasn't accomplished anything). It's too early to tell. But Yak has to be one of the worst of all time:

 

[King Mapes]

Fleury is lowered by choking in the junior's which everyone remembers for life. And his couple bad seasons for the Pens in the playoffs when he also had some good ones when the rest of the team sucked.

But he will never be remembered as great.

Kane has 3 cups and is better currently.

How does "choking" when he was a kid means he hasn't had a great career. I still remember that horrendous play but he was young.

 

[weems]

The lists with Ekblad and Hall over Matthews are quite funny.

 

[Brock Radunske]

Crosby
Ovechkin, McDavid
Kane
Stamkos, Tavares, Matthews, Ekblad, Kovalchuk
MacKinnon, Nash, Hall
Fleury, RNH
Johnson




Yakupov






Dipietro

That's a good list but I'd switch Kane and Stamkos or at the very least, put them on the same tier

 

[Seanaconda]

How does "choking" when he was a kid means he hasn't had a great career. I still remember that horrendous play but he was young.

Makes alot of people not like him. I like fleury as a goalie but he is probably one of players that people hate for no justifiable reason