Who are the best undrafted NHL players of all time?

[Canuckle1970]

Former Canucks:

Chris Tanev and Alex Burrows. Undrafted jewels.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Kunitz had a pretty nice career as an undrafted player who won 4 cups !
First cup he ride shotgun to Selanne & McDonald, then the next 3 cups he ride shotgun to Crosby.
He was like a swiss army knife jack of all trades.

 

[Brodeur]

One day Jiri Dopita will be mentioned...

Dopita has the distinction of being drafted twice--6th round by Boston in 1992 and 5th round in 1998 by NYI. It's too bad he came to the NHL at age 33, tougher for an older guy with a wife and kids to change continents and be comfortable off the rink. Reading now that his wife was a lawyer so that might have been a tougher transition to find a similar gig in a different country.

 

[Samsquanch]

Adam Oates was undrafted eh, wild...

Especially funny because he and a self describe "chubby, cheeto-eating" teenager that was taken as an over-aged 6th round pick would go on to destroy the NHL for a few seasons together....

 

[Crossfire Hurricane]

A GOAT-level player being undrafted? Seriously? How the fk does that happen? Did every team pass up on Gretzky and not think he could've been the MJ of the NHL? Jesus christ. That's extremely absurd not gonna lie. Imagine if this happened in the NBA where every team passed Lebron and out of nowhere he dominated the league. Though it's sorta happening to Jokic but still. A GOAT level player being passed by EVERY DAMN team?

Not exactly unfrafted, but...

 

[Brodeur]

Not exactly unfrafted, but...

Is that Montreal Expos catching prospect Tom Brady?

The Chargers went into the 2000 Draft wanting to take a late round developmental QB. They had three picks in the sixth round (#184, #203, and #205). Head coach Mike Riley told the staff that he liked Tom Brady who he had unsuccessfully recruited for Oregon State. The GM told Riley that they wanted to draft a defender with the first sixth rounder but that they could draft Brady with pick #203; Brady went #199 to New England. Chargers settled for a different QB with #205 who they cut after that preseason.