A history of the third and fifth overall picks of the last decade
And it starts with the third and fifth overall picks. While the discussion will continue to rage as to who the Sens should take with their two top-five selections until Oct. 6, history tells us the Sens are poised to leave the draft with two game-changers.
They're the first team since the 2000 New York Islanders to hold two top-five draft picks (a year earlier, the Canucks selected the Sedin twins second and third overall) and it'll be just the second time in team history they've selected third overall (Radek Bonk was the selection in 1994) and will be the first time ever Ottawa has selected fifth overall.
Starting with the 2010 draft (anyone remember the Taylor vs. Tyler debate), we'll scour NHL history at the third and fifth overall picks from the last decade.
2010 NHL Draft
Third overall: Erik Gudbranson D (FLA) 518 GP / 73 points
Fifth overall: Nino Niederreiter RW (NYI) 601 GP / 290 points
Gudbranson, an Ottawa native, is currently plying his trade in Anaheim and has suited up for four different teams since his debut with Florida in 2011. The 28-year-old was never expected to contribute offensively and that's held up, with just 73 career points. Niederreiter's career got off to a slow start (he was North America's 14th ranked skater heading into the draft) and it wasn't until a move to Minnesota ahead of the 2013-14 season his career come to life. He had a 57-point season in 2016-17 and two years later had 53 points despite a trade to Carolina.
2011 NHL Draft
Third overall: Jonathan Huberdeau LW (FLA) 536 GP / 437 points
Fifth overall: Ryan Strome C (NYI) 491 GP / 254 points
Oddly enough, both the Panthers and Islanders held the same pick for the second straight year. Huberdeau has been fantastic since his debut as he's notched 437 career points, the sixth most in his draft class and had a 92-point campaign in 2018-19. His 289 assists rank third. He won the Calder at the end of his rookie season and made his first NHL All-Star team this season. Strome had a 50-point season as a 21-year-old and last year with the Rangers had a career high 59 points.
2012 NHL Draft
Third overall: Alex Galchenyuk C (MTL) 549 GP / 320 points
Fifth overall: Morgan Rielly D (NYI) 517 GP / 270 points
Like Strome, Galchenyuk had a 50-point season as a 21-year-old (although it was in his fourth full season in the NHL). Since spending six years with Montreal, Galchenyuk has bounced around between Arizona, Pittsburgh and Minnesota. His 320 points however, are the second most in his draft class (behind only Filip Forsberg). Rielly's 270 points are by far-and-away the most by a d-man in his draft class and in 2018-19, he led all NHL defencemen with 20 goals as part of a mammoth 72-point season. Of all blue liners drafted in the last decade, only Cam Fowler (301) and Dougie Hamilton (299) have tallied more points, both of whom who were taken in earlier drafts.
2013 NHL Draft
Third overall: Jonathan Drouin LW (TBL) 349 GP / 209 points
Fifth overall: Elias Lindholm C (CAR) 525 GP / 320 points
Add Drouin to the list of 21-year-olds with a 50-point season although it came during a season where he had a 17:42 time on ice average, the highest of his career. After being drafted by Carolina, Lindholm's career has taken the next step since being traded to Calgary two years ago, where he's tallied 132 points with the Flames. His 320 points are the fourth most from his draft class.
2014 NHL Draft
Third overall: Leon Draisaitl LW (EDM) 422 GP / 422 points
Fifth overall: Michael Dal Colle C (NYI) 85 GP / 17 points
His 215 points over the last two years are the most in the NHL. His 93 goals are the second most. Winner of the 2019-20 Art Ross Trophy. Draisaitl is elite to say the least. The same can't be said for Dal Colle, who has struggled mightily to make a foothold in the NHL. His 53 games this past season were the most he's played in an NHL campaign.
2015 NHL Draft
Third overall: Dylan Strome C (ARI) 164 GP / 105 points
Fifth overall: Noah Hanifin D (CAR) 389 GP / 138 points
Like Neiderreiter earlier, it took a trade for Strome to find his footing and that he did after a move to Chicago early into the 2018-19 season, notching a 57-point season at the age of 21. Hanifin was shipped to Calgary with Lindholm and his 138 points are the second most by a d-man in his class, behind only Zack Werenski who was drafted eighth overall.
2016 NHL Draft
Third overall: Pierre-Luc Dubois C (CBJ) 234 GP / 158 points
Fifth overall: Olli Juolevi D (VAN) 0 GP / 0 points
Dubois has been exceptional for the Blue Jackets since being drafted with his 158 points the second most for the team over the last three years (behind Artemi Panarin). He had 61 points as a 20-year-old in 2018-19. Juolevi has yet to play an NHL game and has spent the last two years in the AHL with Utica.
2017 NHL Draft
Third overall: Miro Heiskanen D (DAL) 150 GP / 68 points
Fifth overall: Elias Pettersson C (VAN) 139 GP / 132 points
Heiskanen has developed into one of the NHL's best young blueliners and still just 21 years old, the future is extremely bright in Dallas. Pettersson himself is already entrenched in the conversation of best young forwards, where he's notched back-to-back 66-point seasons. His 132 points trail Nico Hischier by three for the draft class lead, but the Swede has played 70 fewer games.
2018 NHL Draft
Third overall: Jesperi Kotkaniemi C (MTL) 115 GP / 42 points
Fifth overall: Barrett Hayton C (ARI) 20 GP / 4 points
Kotkaniemi jumped into the NHL as an 18-year-old where he had 34 points in his rookie campaign but had to have a stint in the AHL with Laval after a slow start to his sophomore season in Montreal but earned a recall and scored four goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hayton got his first taste of NHL action earlier this year and also captained Canada to gold at the 2020 World Juniors where he played alongside a number of this year's top draft prospects.
2019 NHL Draft
Third overall: Kirby Dach C (CHI) 64 GP / 23 points
Fifth overall: Alex Turcotte C (LA) 0 GP / 0 points
Dach jumped almost immediately into the Blackhawks' lineup this season, playing 64 games as a rookie. He also tallied six points in nine playoff games. Turcotte spent last season in the NCAA, notching 26 points in 29 games with Wisconsin, and is considered a big part of the Kings' future.
