NHL Deadline Deal Draft Picks That Became Stars

Draft picks are a common part of NHL trade deadline deals, but it can take years before a team knows if they've paid off. Here are 13 acquired choices that were later used to draft players who became stars. BY ALLAN MUIR

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Feb 25, 2016

NHL Deadline Deal Draft Picks That Became Stars

Roberto Luongo

Bob Rosato for Sports Illustrated; Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

One of the most popular Maple Leafs ever, Wendel Clark scored 50 goals in 125 games after arriving in a six-player swap with the Islanders on March 13, 1996. But in giving up the fourth pick in the 1997 draft, Toronto passed on a chance to draft Luongo. The future Hall of Famer has won more than 400 NHL games and helped Canada claim gold at five international tournaments.

Brad Richards

Ryan Remiorz/AP; Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images

The fifth rounder they received from Calgary for Jason Wiemer on March 24, 1998 was a dud (Curtis Rich) but the Lightning struck gold with the third rounder, taking Rimouski center Richards at No. 64. The flashy playmaker became one of the best second-line centers in the game, scoring 26 points in 23 games to claim the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup championship.

Ryan Miller

Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images; David Duprey/AP

When the Sabres used the 138th pick in 1999 (which they received from Florida with Rhett Warrener for Mike Wilson on March 23) to take Miller from the NAHL's Soo Indians, they changed their franchise history. Overcoming an Olive Oyl-build with startling athleticism and a fierce competitive drive, he went on to win 30-or-more games in seven consecutive seasons and set a team record with 284 career victories.

Mike Cammalleri

Aki Berg was a bust, a big body who played a small man's game, when the Kings pawned him off on Toronto for Adam Mair and a second rounder on March 13, 2001. Mair alone would have been a fair return, but the choice of Cammalleri at No. 49 tilted this deal wildly in favor of L.A. He was the anti-Berg, a small man who played fearless, physical game and he’s accounted for nearly 800 NHL games and 600 points since first suiting up in 2002.

Mike Green

Lou Capozzola for Sports Illustrated; Chuck Stoody/AP

On Feb. 27, 2004, the Capitals sent Robert Lang to Detroit for Tomas Fleischmann, a first-rounder and a 2006 fourth-rounder. The ‘06 pick was a bust (Luke Lynes) but the Caps did all right with #29 in ‘04. Green went on to become one of the game's premier offensive blueliners, ranking top-five in franchise history in goals (113) and points (360) by a defenseman.

Niklas Hjalmarsson

It was one of those deadline day deals that draws little attention: a depth defenseman (Alex Karpovtsev) to the Islanders for a fourth rounder. There wasn't much said after the Hawks used that pick (108) on a little-known Swedish defender. But 10 years later, Hjalmarsson has turned out to be a pivotal decision, one that solidified Chicago’s blue line and contributed to three Stanley Cup wins.

Paul Stastny

Nearly 50 players drafted in 2005 went on to skate in at least 200 NHL games, but only two—top pick Sidney Crosby and No. 11 Anze Kopitar—have been more productive than Stastny. A steal at #44, the gritty center, acquired by Colorado in a March 8, 2004 trade that sent Derek Morris and Keith Ballard to Phoenix for Chris Gratton and Ossi Vaananen, has scored 182 goals and 533 points and become a staple of Team USA.

Semyon Varlamov

With goalie Olaf Kolzig nearing the end of his career, the Caps used the first rounder they got from Nashville for Brendan Witt on March 9, 2006 to go fishing for a future starter in that year’s draft. They found one in Varlamov at No. 23, although he didn't truly grab the position until being traded to Colorado in 2011. He led the NHL with 41 wins in 2014 and finished just shy of Tuukka Rask for the Vezina Trophy.

Milan Lucic

Damian Strohmeyer for Sports Illustrated; Harry How/Getty Images

If anyone was born to play for Boston, it was Lucic. Drafted after the Bruins sent Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny and a second rounder (No. 50) on March 9, 2006, he was an awkward skater and there were questions about his offensive potential. But Lucic had the heart of a lion and desire to make an impact every time he stepped on the ice. That drive made him an enduring fan favorite.

Max Pacioretty

Robert Beck for Sports Illustrated; Ryan Remiorz/AP

Canadiens scout Trevor Timmins has an eye for American talent, and the Habs found a gem in Max Pacioretty with the 22nd pick in 2007 (acquired from San Jose with Josh Gorges for Craig Rivet and an ‘08 fifth rounder on 2/25/07). His speedy north-south game has produced four 30-plus goal seasons while his leadership skills earned him the NHL’s most prestigious captaincy. The Sharks made something of that fifth: Jason Demers played 300 games for them before being sent to Dallas for Brenden Dillon.

Wayne Simmonds

The Kings snagged Simmonds with the 61st pick in 2007 after their Feb. 26 deadline deal that sent Brent Sopel to Vancouver. His physical presence and commitment to two-way hockey made him a fan favorite and he caught the eyes of rival GMs, including Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren, who demanded the rugged power forward in exchange for Mike Richards at the 2011 draft. A high price to pay, but it helped the Kings win their first-ever Stanley Cup.

Frederik Andersen

Andersen had gone in the draft once (187th in 2010), but didn't see a place for himself in Carolina's crowded system. He returned to the pool in 2012, and the Ducks grabbed him with the third rounder (No. 87) they got from Vancouver for Max Lapierre and MacGregor Sharp on Feb. 28, 2011. The Danish keeper made an impact, winning 49 of his first 66 games—the highest rate of success for a rookie since Montreal's Bill Durnan in 1943-45.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

With a “safe” 2012 pick in their pocket (Slater Koekkoek at 10), the Lightning reached to take Vasilevskiy, the top-ranked goalie in that year's class, with the No. 19 they got from Detroit for Kyle Quincey on Feb. 21 that year. The big Russian has lived up to his early hype, showcasing the size, composure and athleticism that could see him become the team's No. 1 in 2016-17.