The NHL Draft is June 28-29, and perhaps there’s no better location for the event than this year’s site, Las Vegas. Teams’ fortunes can rise or sink – as can futures wagers at Ohio sportsbook apps – depending on which players are chosen, especially when it comes to top picks. No. 1 overall picks such as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon have become stars in the league, but not everyone who gets their name called early becomes memorable.
With that in mind, we looked at who are the most forgotten top five picks since 2010. We used the website Sporcle.com and its quiz, “Can you name the Top 5 NHL Draft picks from every year since 2010?” As of May 31, 1,570 people had taken the quiz. BetOhio.com, which covers Ohio sports betting issues, determined the most forgotten top-five picks in the first round of the NHL Draft since 2010.
Rank, Player | Draft Year, Pick | Team | % Correct By Quiz Takers |
| 2010, fifth | Islanders | 34.4% |
2. Ryan Johansen | 2010, fourth | Blue Jackets | 46.5% |
3. Adam Larsson | 2011, fourth | Devils | 47.1% |
4. Erik Gudbranson | 2010, third | Panthers | 51.6% |
5. Michael Dal Colle | 2014, fifth | Islanders | 53.5% |
6. Barrett Hayton | 2018, fifth | Coyotes | 60.5% |
7. Elias Lindholm | 2013, fifth | Hurricanes | 61.1% |
8. Sam Bennett | 2014, fourth | Flames | 61.8% |
9. Ryan Murray | 2012, second | Blue Jackets | 66.2% |
T10. Noah Hanifin | 2015, fifth | Hurricanes | 67.5% |
T10. David Reinbacher | 2023, fifth | Canadiens | 67.5% |
Check out our Blue Jackets draft picks 2024 analysis for a preview of which direction Ohio’s NHL team might take in this summer’s draft.
Our list counts five picks from 2010 to 2023, with respondents knowing which team drafted where and being given 15 minutes to fill in the games. It’s probably not shocking that three of the top four misses come from the 2010 draft, the one that’s in the most distant past. (By the way, the top two picks in that draft were Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin.)
The player atop our list, Nino Niederreiter (recalled by 34.4% of respondents on the Sporcle quiz) had a forgettable start to his NHL career with the Islanders. In 55 games in the 2011-12 season, he registered just one goal on 74 shots and finished with a plus/minus rating of minus-29. The Isles traded him to Minnesota, and Niederreiter became a regular 20-goal scorer for the Wild. New York fared well in the trade, too. They received Cal Clutterbuck, who has anchored their “identity” line and been a mainstay for more than a decade.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have a couple players on our list. At No. 2 is Ryan Johansen (recalled by 46.5% of those who took the quiz), who was taken with the pick before Niederreiter in 2010. He scored 33 goals for Columbus in 2013-14, but he was dealt two seasons later to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Seth Jones. Before the deal, Jones produced two top 10 Norris Trophy seasons during his five full seasons in Columbus.
Ryan Murray (No. 9, 66.2%) played seven seasons on the Blue Jackets’ blue line after being drafted No. 2 overall in 2012, yet he only played in 60 or more games in three seasons during that stretch. The 30-year-old has since played with New Jersey, Colorado and Edmonton. He signed with the Oilers this fall. However, he was lost for the season in November with a back injury so he’ll miss the Stanley Cup final, which begins Saturday. Caesars Ohio Sportsbook has the Oilers as +115 underdogs in the best-of-seven series against the Florida Panthers (-135).
Could another Columbus player make this list in the near future? The Blue Jackets pick fourth in this month’s draft. With scouts divided on who the best players are, it’s uncertain who might be available to the team when it’s time to submit the pick.
The 2023-24 season is not quite done, but some Ohio sports betting operators already have posted odds for the 2025 Stanley Cup. The Blue Jackets, who have only reached the conference semifinals once in their 23-season existence, are longshots again. At bet365 Ohio Sportsbook, Columbus is priced at +12500, the fourth-longest odds of the 32 NHL teams.
USA Today photo by Aaron Doster
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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