13 picks is a crazy amount of picks to have in one draft!! Since the 08 draft (12 drafts years and a total of 363 team drafts)... These are the stats of how many teams had 10+ picks
- 10 picks (19 times out of 363): Ducks (08), Bruins (15), Sabres (16), Blackhawks (10), Wings (18), Oilers (13), Panthers (11), Kings (09), Kings (14), Habs (19), Preds (13), Rangers (18), Sens (11), Flyers (16), Blues (08), Blues (14), Lightning (16), Caps (12), Jets (13),
- 11 picks (9 times out of 363): Sabres (13), Blackhawks (11), Wings (17), Wings (19), Oilers (10), Habs (18), Devils (17), Devils (19), Leafs (16)
- 12 picks (2 times out of 363): Canes (19), Knights (17),
- 13 picks (2 times out of 363): Panthers (10), Islanders (08)
I looked into this a bit, working backwards here's notable NHLers the stockpiling picks strategy yielded. I listed them in order drafted.
13 Picks
Panthers 2010: Gudbranson, Bjugstad, Donskoi, Hyman
Islanders 2008: Bailey, Hamonic, Martin, Spurgeon
12 Picks
Canes 2019 - too early
Vegas 2017 - too early
11 Picks
Sabers 2013: Ristolainen, Zadorov, Compher
Blackhawks 2011: Danault, Saad, Shaw
Wings 2017 - too early
Wings 2019 - too early
Oilers 2010: Hall, Pitlick
Habs 2018 -Too early
Devils 2017 - too early
Devils 2019 - too early
Leafs 2016 - Matthews
10 picks
Ducks 2008: Gardiner, J. Schultz
Bruins 2015: DeBrusk, Carlo
Sabres 2016: A. Nylander
Blackhawks 2010: K. Hayes, Nordstrom
Wings 2018 - too early
Oilers 2013: Nurse
Panthers 2011: Huberdeau, Trochek
Kings 2009: Schenn, Clifford, Deslauriers, Nolan
Kings 2014: Kempe, Amadio
Habs 2019 - too early
Preds 2013: Jones, Saros
Rangers 2018 - too early
Sens 2011: Zibanejad, Pageau, Dzingel
Flyers 2016: Hart
Blues 2008: Pietrangelo, Allen, Lehtera
Blues 2014: Fabbri, Barbashev, Blais
Lightning 2016: Howden
Caps 2012: Forsberg, Wilson
Jets 2013: Morrissey, Copp
The general observations I made were that the more picks strategy in most years should yield a few serviceable NHLers. All the players I defined as franchise players came from the top-5. There were some great finds in later rounds (2nd onwards), including Saad, Carlo, Trochek to name a few, but not really any franchise cornerstone assets.
The Habs have had the "4 second lines" team build as long as I can remember. In my professional career if I presented luck as a strategy I'd be canned. I think the quickest way to strategically building an NHL team is to do the many picks strategy, but also trim down the NHL roster so it's finishing near the bottom of the standings. Bring in the talent and bring in a bunch of NHLers. Don't just rely on luck.
This likely isn't a revelation for most.