Underdog Squad: The ultimate roster of current NHLers drafted 5th round or later, or not at all!

When the NHL Draft rolls around, fans are all locked and loaded with information on the year’s class of prospects. As picks are announced, it’s easy to tell exactly how a fan base feels about it. With the exception of occasionally having a few top picks essentially predetermined, the unpredictability of the Draft makes it one of the most exciting times of year for hockey fans.

Saying that, it’s pretty clear that the first round garners the most attention. Each round, interest peters off exponentially as the prospects become more and more unknown.

That’s not to say they never work out, though!

With nothing better to do during this sports-less period of time, we’ve compiled a list of current NHLers that have proved to be quite the value picks. Some are young guys that have quickly solidified their place on team rosters for what seems like the long haul, and others are legends who have proven their insane value over lengthy careers, even if they aren’t playing quite as well recently (see the goalies section).

Here is your Ultimate “Value Picks” Team!

Left Wing

Artemi Panarin (Undrafted)

Panarin is currently enjoying one of the best seasons the New York Rangers could have asked for from an incoming player. A former member of the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Russian winger has become one of the best players in the league without costing anyone a draft pick.

Jamie Benn (Round 5)

When the Dallas Stars drafted Jamie Benn in the 5^th round with the 129^th overall pick, they likely didn’t think they’d drafted their future captain. While Benn isn’t having the season many would have hoped for, it’s clear he’s exceeded his 5^th round value by way of a five-year stretch with the following point totals: 79, 87, 89, 69, 79.

Mike Hoffman (Round 5)

Kind of a tricky case here, because Mike Hoffman’s skill is definitely worth more than the #130 overall pick he was selected at. Saying that, the team the drafted him – the Ottawa Senators – may not agree following the drama that ensued a couple seasons ago…

Jonathan Marchessault (Undrafted)

Marchy was a coveted piece when Vegas joined the league, and when Florida left him unprotected during the expansion draft, the skilled winger joined a young squad that charged their way to the Stanley Cup Final.

On a loaded left wing, Mats Zuccarello could also slip into one of these roles.

Centre 

Joe Pavelski (Round 7)

Pavelski spend the majority of his career with the San Jose Sharks, and it’s fair to say they got more than they could have hoped for. A versatile player that possesses the coveted mixture of scoring, grit, and leadership was selected with the 205^th overall pick way back in 2003.

Brad Richardson (Round 5)

Richardson has been around the league for a long, long time. To prove he was worth more than his 5^th round draft pick, Richardson was traded to the L.A. Kings in return for a 2^nd round draft pick, and then went on to win the Cup with the team.

Tyler Johnson (Undrafted)

Proven to be a solid piece of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tyler Johnson slips in to the 3rd line centre roll.

Tyler Bozak (Undrafted)

Known for his skill in the faceoff circle, Bozak became a fan favourite when he played on the Leafs top line with James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. After heading off to St. Louis, Bozie promptly won the Stanley Cup.  

Right Wing
Mark Stone (Round 6)

Stone was a very nice surprise for the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him with the 178^th overall pick. In a trade where Stone was the main piece, he garnered a healthy return of promising prospect Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg, and a 2^nd round pick from Vegas.

Cam Atkinson (Round 6)

Atkinson was likely drafted so late due to his size. The skilled right winger stands at 5’8, but he’s proven to have a much larger role in the NHL proportionally speaking.

Brendan Gallagher (Round 5)

A very Brad Marchand-esque player (although not quite as offensively gifted, and also not quite as annoying to deal with on the ice), Gallagher has been a staple on the Canadiens right side since 2012. Not bad for a 147^th overall pick.

Patric Hornqvist (Round 7)

Similar to Joe Pavelski, Hornqvist combined skill and grit as a player that often makes a difference when it matters. He has had the benefit of playing alongside some of the games biggest stars, but we’re becoming more and more convinced that he helps to make them better as well.

Left Defence
Mark Giordano (Undrafted)

Another captain! Gio proved that he is one of the league’s top defencemen when he messed around and one a Norris Trophy last season. It doesn’t get much more proven than that.

Torey Krug (Undrafted)

While undersized, Krug has the skating and puck moving ability to be dangerous in five-on-five play, and also on special teams. Bet there’s a lot of teams out there that wish they had drafted him.

Jake Muzzin (Round 5)

A Stanley Cup Champion, Muzzin has proven to be a serviceable defenceman in the league for a long time. He was rewarded for that when he signed a four-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs at an AAV of $5.5 million.

Right Defenceman

John Klingberg (Round 5)

Klingberg has emerged as one of the top defencemen in the league, despite being drafted in the 5^th round. The Dallas Stars seem to have a knack for value picks.

Jared Spurgeon (Round 6)

Spurgeon is reliable while mixing in some scoring, what more could the Wild ask for? It may be easy to forget that he wasn’t taken until the 6^th round…

Colin Miller (Round 5)

Still young, Colin Miller has proved that he’s ready to take on a long career. He’s now manning the blueline in Buffalo after bouncing from the Boston Bruins to the Vegas Golden Knights, whom he recorded a 41-point season back in 2017-18.

Goalies

Henrik Lundqvist (Round 7)

Likely the value pick that has proven to be most “legendary”, Hank has enjoyed stretches of his career that rank up there with the greatest all-time. On top of that, he’s one of the league’s most fashionable players, and just extremely loyal and likable in general. Just needs a Stanley Cup ring to round it all out before retiring.

Pekka Rinne (Round 8)

Also Cup-less, Rinne has been money in the Nashville Predators crease for what seems like ever. He’s not having the greatest season so far by any means, but it could be twice as bad and he’d still be a bigtime value pick for the Preds way back in 2004.

Honourable mentions

Dustin Byfuglien… not included because we aren’t quite sure if he’s coming back.

One guy we really want to mention is Jonathan Ericsson. He’s never registered a season with 20 points, but considering he was selected with the VERY LAST pick in the 2002 draft (back when the draft was nine rounds, he was the 291st overall pick), the fact he’s still playing in 2020 is pretty awesome.

The goalie carousel is pretty remarkable in terms of this article. Beyond the two mentioned, there’s also Sergei Bobrovsky, Connor Hellebuyck, Jaroslav Halak, Mike Smith, Curtis McElhinney, Brian Elliott, Darcy Kuemper, Antti Raanta, and sort of Freddy Andersen… He was drafted twice, once in the 3^rd and once in the 5^th.