As this month's issue of Impact! Magazine clearly shows, the 1980s provided the NHL with some of the greatest players of the current generation.

So, as you can imagine, it was with a great deal of trepidation that I received the latest Top 10 list assignment, mainly to identify the best draft picks of the decade.

What an unenviable task! NHL teams drafted more than 2,400 players from 1980 to 1989 and a good portion of those went on to have decent NHL careers. Fortunately, only a select handful went on to achieve true superstardom. Unfortunately, that select handful still numbers far greater than the 10 names my editor sought.

Time to get to work, I guess. After an exhaustive look through the draft archives from that period, I was able to glean a list that is truly representative of the decade's greatness. Granted, a good number of deserving players did not make the cut. Of that, there is no debate.

In the end, my criteria for judging draft picks for this list revolved around his on-ice contributions (specifically with the team that drafted him), postseason excellence and draft position in relation to his accomplishments. In other words, a lower-drafted player received more consideration on this list than a player of similar accomplishments taken at an earlier stage of the draft process.

Patrick Roy retired as the game's all-time winningest goalie, recording 551 wins in a record 1,029 appearances. He is also hailed as the game's best big-game goalie, winning four Stanley Cups in his career.

1. Mario Lemieux (No. 1, 1984) -- The list only gets harder from here. Like he was in 1984, Lemieux was the clear-cut No. 1 pick for this list. Already in the Hall of Fame, Lemieux has become hockey in Pittsburgh. That process started in 1984 when the last-place Penguins made Lemieux the first-overall selection. Presently, sidelined with an injury, Lemieux has 1,701 points in 889 NHL games. He helped Pittsburgh win its only two Stanley Cups, earning the Conn Smythe each time, and has led the League in scoring six times. For his accomplishments, Lemieux was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. He bought the team in 1999 and serves as the franchise's chairman and CEO.

2. Patrick Roy (No.51, 1984) -- Roy retired last season after an award-heavy career that have many believing he is the greatest goalie to ever play the game. What is of no argument is that he is the game's all-time winningest goalie, recording 551 wins in a record 1,029 appearances. He is also hailed as the game's best big-game goalie, winning four Stanley Cups in his career. He won the first two Stanley Cups for Montreal, the team that drafted him 51st overall, behind goalies Craig Billington and Daryl Reaugh. Then, he was traded to Colorado during the 1995-96, winning his third Cup that spring. Cup No. 4 came in 2001 and netted Roy his third Conn Smythe accolade.

Paul Coffey is the second highest-scoring defenseman in League history behind only Ray Bourque. He also has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup four times.

3. Jari Kurri (No. 69, 1980) -- Kurri was selected with the sixth pick of the fourth round in 1980, after more than 30 other forwards had been selected. Yet, none of those forwards can claim the success Kurri fashioned in Edmonton. He was much more than just Wayne Gretzky's sidekick, as some critics have suggested. Kurri, and his two-way game, advanced thanks to his European training, helped the Oilers claim five Cups during their dynastic run in the 1980s. He became just the sixth player in NHL history to score 600 goals, finishing with 601 goals and 1,398 points in 1,251 regular-season games. He was named to the NHL's All-Star First Team on two occasions. His trade in 1991 netted the Oilers Craig Fisher, Scott Mellanby and Craig Berube from the Flyers. Kurri was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

4. Paul Coffey (No. 6, 1980) -- Another member of the Oilers' dynasty, Coffey is the second highest-scoring defenseman in League history behind Ray Bourque. His 1,531 points rank near the top of the NHL's all-time points list and his 1,135 assists rank fifth in League history. Not too shabby a return for the fourth defenseman taken in 1980, selected after Dave Babych, Larry Murphy and Darren Veitch had already been claimed. During his illustrious career, he won three James Norris Trophies and played in 14 NHL All-Star Games. He can also claim four Stanley Cup championships, winning three with Edmonton and a fourth with Pittsburgh. He was traded, along with Dave Hunter and Wayne Van Dorp, to the Penguins for Craig Simpson, Dave Hannan, Moe Mantha and Chris Joseph on Nov. 24, 1987. He also played for seven other teams during his illustrious career.

A draft day steal, Sergei Fedorov helped Detroit claim three Stanley Cups by scoring 954 points in 908 games.

5. Sergei Fedorov (No. 74, 1989) -- Taken midway through the fourth round, Fedorov proved to be the steal of the 1989 Entry Draft. In fact, 14 players selected before Fedorov never played an NHL game. Fedorov, who defected from Russia to sign with the Red Wings, has done more than just play in the NHL, becoming a star almost from the get-go. He was named to the all-rookie team in the 1990-91 season, scoring 79 points in 77 games. Three years later, he became a true superstar by stepping up with Steve Yzerman injured, scoring 120 points in 82 games, winning both the Selke Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award. Fedorov finished his Red Wing career after the 2002-03 season, signing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Before leaving Motown, however, Fedorov helped the franchise claim three Stanley Cups by scoring 954 points in 908 games.

6. Steve Yzerman (No. 4, 1983) -- The Detroit Red Wings were pretty giddy when Yzerman fell to fourth in the 1983 Entry Draft, behind Brian Lawton, Sylvain Turgeon and Pat LaFontaine. Although the team had targeted local boy LaFontaine, Yzerman proved to be quite the consolation prize. Yzerman, the longest-serving captain in the League, has become the face of hockey in Detroit, bridging the gap between the team's lean years in the '80s and it's recent ascension to model franchise. Yzerman, who has played in nine NHL All-Star Games, recently scored the 1,700th point of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Yzerman has led the team to three Stanley Cups, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1998. He returned at full-strength this season after missing most of the 2002-03 campaign with a serious knee injury.

Entering this year, Joe Sakic had managed 1,315 points in 1,074 games for the Quebec/Colorado franchise, capturing two Stanley Cups and numerous individual awards.

7. Joe Sakic (No. 15, 1987) -- If Steve Yzerman is the face of Detroit hockey, the same can be said of Sakic in Colorado. The center was selected 15th overall, behind three other forwards, when the franchise was still in Quebec. He immediately had an impact on that franchise's fortunes, scoring 62 points in his first season. By the time the franchise moved to Colorado in 1995, Sakic had revived the team's fortunes. That first year in Colorado, the Avs won the 1996 Stanley Cup and Sakic was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. The Avs again won the Cup in 2001, scoring 26 points in 21 playoff games. Sakic also won both the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award that year, scoring 118 points in 82 games. The slick-skating center played in his 11th All-Star game this month. Entering this year, Sakic had managed 1,315 points in 1,074 games for the franchise.

8. Brett Hull, (No. 117, 1984) -- Although Hull did not have much of an impact with Calgary, which drafted him in the sixth round of the 1983 Entry Draft, he deserves inclusion on the list just for his accomplishments. Hull lasted parts of two NHL seasons with the Flames before being traded to St. Louis for Rick Wamsley and Rob Ramage in 1988. With the Blues, Hull found his stride, scoring more than 70 goals for three-straight seasons from 1990-92. His 86-goal, 131-point season in 1990-91 stands as one of the best-ever seasons by a forward, a campaign that earned him both the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award. Hull left the Blues in 1998, moving on to win Stanley Cups with Dallas and Detroit. Along the way, he has equaled the accomplishments of his legendary dad, Bobby Hull. In fact, Brett and Bobby are the first father and son combination to each top 1,000 points in their career. Hull entered the season with 1,322 points in 1,183 games and shows no signs of slowing down.

A late round pick, Dominik Hasek developed into the elite goaltender of his generation, winning six Vezina Trophies and twice winning the hart Trophy as the League's MVP.

9. Dominik Hasek (No. 199, 1983) -- The lowest drafted player on this list, Hasek proved quickly to be one of the steals of the 1983 Entry Draft, a draft that saw more than 15 other goalies selected before him. He did not make his mark with Chicago, which drafted him, however. After 25 games during two seasons with the Blackhawks after a spectacular career in the Czech Republic, the 'Hawks traded him in 1992 to Buffalo for Stephane Beauregard and Buffalo's 4th round choice in the 1993 Entry Draft. There, Hasek developed into the elite goaltender of his generation, winning six Vezina Trophies and twice winning the hart Trophy as the League's MVP. In 1999, he led the Buffalo Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to Dallas. He finally earned a coveted Stanley Cup ring in 2002, with Detroit after a preseason trade sent him to the Red Wings. After a one-year retirement, Hasek returned to the Detroit franchise this year.

10. Scott Stevens (No. 5, 1982) -- Everyone knew that Stevens was a special player when he was selected fifth overall in the 1982 Entry Draft. Few, however, knew just how special he would become. Stevens played nine seasons for the Capitals, embodying the physical dynamo upon which he has developed his reputation. He signed with St. Louis in 1990 and, after one year, landed in New Jersey as part of a compensation package for the Blues' signing of Brendan Shanahan. In New Jersey, he has become a legend, setting the record for career games played by a defenseman. He also led the once downtrodden franchise to three Stanley Cup championships, serving as the team's captain and inspiring with his trademark open-ice hits. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2000. The 2004 NHL All-Star Game marked his 14th selection to the midseason classic.