Scouts log countless miles and hours scouring the world in search of hockey talent. So, the NHL Entry Draft is their time in the spotlight, affording the opportunity for them to put their highly specialized knowledge on display.

The first-round selections are the ones that grab all the media and fan attention on Draft Weekend. Often by the end of the second day few are in attendance to watch the proceedings.

But don't be misled into thinking the last selection of the draft isn't as important as the first. Granted, it may be far harder to find an impact player at pick No. 227 than it is at No. 1, but it's not impossible, as our top 10 list of players taken late in the Entry Draft attests.

No. 10, Steve Larmer, 120th overall by Chicago in 1980

From Oct. 6, 1982 until April 15, 1993, Larmer didn't miss a single regular-season game, a span of 884 contests. That's pretty fair production from a player selected 120th overall in 1980.

Larmer was the strong, silent type during his career. He was content to allow his play to do the talking and it screamed "All-Star!" In 15 NHL seasons, split between the Blackhawks and New York Rangers, Larmer appeared in 1,006 regular-season games, scoring 441 goals and 571 assists for 1,012 points. Not too shabby.

Peter Bondra, who was selected 156th overall by Washington in 1990, came into the 2003-04 season with 451 goals and 339 assists in 907 regular-season games.

Larmer, regarded as a fine defensive player too, appeared in 140 Stanley Cup Playoff games during his career, scoring 56 goals and 75 assists. He was a member of the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup championship team.

No. 9, Peter Bondra, 156th overall by Washington in 1990

The Capitals hit the bulls eye with this selection. By the end of the 1989-90 season, Bondra was a pretty fair goal scorer for VSZ Kosice in the Czechoslovakian league. No one else seemed to take notice, so the Capitals gobbled him up at No. 156 in 1990.

What has Bondra done since then? Well, aside from becoming one of the team's most recognizable players, he has a pair of 50-goal seasons and came into the 2003-04 season with 451 goals and 339 assists in 907 regular-season games.

He also has added 30 goals and 26 assists in 73 postseason games.

There are plenty of former first-round picks who wish they could say the same.

No. 8, Daniel Alfredsson, 133rd overall by Ottawa in 1994

Daniel Alfredsson, who was taken with 133rd overall by pick by the Ottawa Senators in 1994, has blossomed into one of the most productive NHLers in the game today.

Perhaps you had to see him to believe him, because not many scouts showed Alfredsson any love in 1994. Despite a couple of good seasons with Sweden’s Vastra Frolunda, Alfredsson slipped all the way to 133 in 1994. Even the Senators selected four other players -- Radek Bonk, 3rd, Stanislav Neckar, 29th, Bryan Masotta, 81st, and Mike Gaffney , 131st -- before getting around to him.

Today, the Senators are thanking their lucky stars no one else noticed the 5-foot-11, 195-pound right wing. No only is he the Senators' captain, but he is also one of their most productive players.

He has scored 187 regular-season goals and 301 assists in 552 games heading into the 2003-04 season. In an additional 62 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Alfredsson has scored 26 goals and 19 assists.