Top 10 #1 Draft Picks in NHL History

[@skibbiddi_cohen]

Potvin over Ovechkin is a bold take

[@beyond_thebench]

Tough list to make !

[@Jamescraigjohnson]

@@beyond_thebench not that hard

[@ThaSpeedsterZ]

Potvin didn't have Russian roids

[@stevenbauer4799]

one captained a dynasty and was the building block of dynasty and was first d man to hit 1000 pts. and didn't half ass it out there. enough said.

[@petrj.freddiedrahovzal2154]

Any time around Potvin is better...

[@classic.cameras]

Honorable mention has to be Eric Lindros. He was so dominate in the 1990's and really could have done it all if he just kept his head up.

[@chrisd3588]

How Mike Modano is not on this list is insane.

[@beyond_thebench]

Not insane, but he’s definitely worthy!

[@pathfinder1273]

I would put Potvin over Crosby, no question. He was immense, and the fact that he is the only defenseman on this list pretty much says it all. In fact, of the very few defensemen taken #1 overall, he stands so far beyond the rest, notably being the only one in the Hall of Fame. And enough of this bullshit about Ovechkin being the greatest goal-scorer of all time. Regardless of how many goals he scores, he will never match the way Gretzky achieved his numbers. Gretzky's emergence as a playmaker, in order to help his team become more of a threat, is the only reason he didn't score 1200, and everyone who is honest realizes this.

[@petrj.freddiedrahovzal2154]

Ovechkin shouldn't have won the Conn Smythe... It was just an inertia-driven decision... Without Holtby in goal, Caps would never win the Cup...

[@beyond_thebench]

Totally!

[@ethanparker7900]

i always thought that stamkos should've had the ted lindsay award in 2012 over malkin. I agree 100% about malkin having the hart since i waas rooting for him to get it that yr especially since crosby was out for most of the 2011-2012 season but stamkos scored 60 goals on a mediocre lightning team that year and that alone to me should've given him the Lindsay. I also thought that while Hall was dope in 2017-2018, that mackinnon deserved the hart trophy a bit more for that season with the avs coming in dead last the year prior and breaking out so hard both individually and as a team. Could argue that mackinnon had a bit more support than hall did but the renaissance all kinda started with mackinnon's breakout performance.

[@hudsej]

0:43 Matthew’s really got 69 points💀

[@beyond_thebench]

Yep he really did

[@cantpleasonist]

No the Leafs had 69 points that year.

[@hudsej]

@ sorry didn’t notice

[@Elementsoftheory29]

Should do a video where you rank all 61 number 1 overall draft pics .

[@beyond_thebench]

Ooooo. That’s a great idea

[@MrDanyboy44]

I would also suggest a similar video for second overall picks

[@petrj.freddiedrahovzal2154]

Or teh busts... Like Daigle...

[@NhlHeroOfficial]

Ranking Potvin ahead of Ovechkin is quite controversial.

[@beyond_thebench]

You think??

[@classic.cameras]

Never forget the name Enterprise. (Star Trek TNG: Yesterdays Enterprise)

[@Pistonsandpucks]

Do top 10 worst draft picks

[@beyond_thebench]

Worst first overall picks?

[@Pistonsandpucks]

@@beyond_thebench ya

[@mr.devil9577]

Jack Hughes when its over will be thw best American of all time and be on this list just watch

[@beyond_thebench]

Love that take!

[@hudsej]

Saying first so a bot doesn’t.

[@beyond_thebench]

😂

[@berduss7149]

I would have putt Marcel Dionne in that list

[@beyond_thebench]

Was #2 overall

[@louisrousseau1006]

what list , best 2nd pick overall?

[@arabjude8314]

I cant listen to these AI voice over! But interesting video.

[@beyond_thebench]

That’s a real person! His name is Justin, great guy!

[@wildmansboat-ns9dj]

Yo what’s up?

[@beyond_thebench]

Hi !

[@h3llspawn2024]

ovechkin over McDavid = ahahahahaahaha

[@VictorGaikezheyongai-nh4xl]

Gretzky

[@beyond_thebench]

Technically wasn’t drafted to the NHL!

[@edenisburning]

Some serious recency bias here.

[@kurtwpg]

Some, yes. But Lafleur actually shouldn't be ahead of Crosby.

[@intron1353]

Yeah. I think it's hard to rank players like McDavid, Matthews and Mackinnon. I am for sure picking Modano, Sundin, and Thorton over someone like Matthews (at this stage).

[@themarast]

eh what people smoking if they think Crosby is better than McDavid

[@Beezer1742]

That’s the tale of the tape so far. Sid has been way more consequential, and way more effective throughout his career.

[@themarast]

@Beezer1742 i totally disagree, McDavid is unicorn which belong between Lemieux and Gretzky.

[@Beezer1742]

@ I’m guessing you’re a youngster. Crosby dominated the league the moment he entered it as an 18 year old. He’s won everything multiple times. His 3rd season he captained a team to the finals, his 4 season he captained his team to a cup, that same year he wore an A for the Canadian gold winning Olympic team and got the game winning golden goal. We lost out big due to his concussions that made him miss substantial prime time, but when he returned he was still the best player on the ice for another 10 years. McDavid is an incredibly talented player, but his resume doesn’t stack up to Crosby’s. Not yet at least,

[@Beezer1742]

@ I can grant you that McDavid is the better player now, particularly offensively, but Crosby is 37.

[@themarast]

@@Beezer1742 Crosby never was on McDavid level

[@still-standingrunner810]

Kane at No. 7? Ovechkin at No. 5? Crosby ahead of Ovechkin AND Kane? No Turgeon? No Modano? No Ilya Kovalchuk? No Vincent Lecavalier? No Marc-Andre Fleury?

[@beyond_thebench]

Yep haha

[@travzimmerman1340]

You're clearly very new to the game.

[@beyond_thebench]

Not at all, who we missing from this list?

[@Antildo]

@@beyond_thebench Mike Modano?

[@beyond_thebench]

@@Antildoya you could make an argument for him to be on this list!

[@charlesmclearn4642]

@@Antildo Maybe you could put him in 10th spot because he had one hell of a career, but he was under a PPG and had no personal trophies. I think he is a better fit in the 11-20 range with those like Gilbert Perreault, Dale Hawerchuk, Pierre Turgeon, Mats Sundin, Owen Nolan, Eric Lindros, Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk and John Tavares. I would argue that Marc-Andre Fleury probably deserves a spot on this list though, as he is 3rd all time in games played, 2nd in Wins, 3rd in saves, 12 in shutouts, with 3 cups, an olympic Gold medal, a Vezina and a Jennings trophy

[@SonuvaBeach34]

@@beyond_thebenchDale Hawerchuk!! Also, Gilbert Perreault. I’d argue Turgeon, Sundin, and Jumbo over Matthews, MacKinnon, Stammer, and Kane.

[@popojonne6216]

first

[@beyond_thebench]

Boom!

[@ludacris-speed5510]

CROSBY OVER OVECHKIN WHAT KINDA CRACK YOU ON??? Hes done so much more the crosby ovechkin should be 3. And where the hell is bobby orr?

[@beyond_thebench]

Bobby Orr was never “drafted”

[@jtruong416]

Ovechkin sucks! No kid admires that guy!

[@IcarusX72]

@@jtruong416 suck so much that he will surpass Gretzky for most goals in the NHL, which will take decades to break. Your statement alone disqualifies you for legitimacy to walk upright and not swing from the trees.

[@jtruong416]

Good Gretzky not on list! He sucks, no kid admires gretzky growing up, all the other Canadian players suck as welll, shouldnt be on list if u cant touch a Stanley cup!! Madavid and Matthews will never win a cup, no kids admire them Neither!!

[@beyond_thebench]

Gretzky was technically never drafted, thats the only reason he isnt on this list

[@ModessyGuy]

Guy Lafleur no 2 reveals little bias