NHL Draft: Top three first overall picks from the 1970s
The 1970s saw the NHL pull away from the WHL as the premier hockey league in the world. Who were the best first overall NHL Draft picks from the decade?
In the final article of this series, I will be going over the top three first overall NHL Draft picks of the 1970’s. Although this wasn’t as challenging as the 1980’s top three, there were still many fantastic players that were considered.
There was also one of the biggest busts in NHL history in Greg Joly. Here are the top three first overall picks during the 1970s.
3. Gilbert Perrault
1970, Buffalo Sabres
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The Buffalo Sabres made a tremendous choice selecting center Gilbert Perrault first overall at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. The Victoriaville Quebec native became an NHL superstar right away, putting up 38 goals and 72 points during his rookie season. Those numbers captured him the Calder Trophy for the 1970-71 season.
His numbers continued to be impressive over the years, including a career high 44 goals and 113 points in 80 games played during the 1975-76 season. That was one of two seasons in Perrault’s career that he hit triple digits in points, the other coming during 1979-80 when he put up 106.
He spent his entire 17-year career with the Sabres, and while he had some great personal seasons, he was never able to win a Stanley Cup due to the Sabres often struggling as a team over his career.
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By the time he retired, he had played in 1,191 regular season games, posting 512 goals and adding 814 assists for 1,326 points. He also appeared in 90 playoff games putting up 33 goals and 103 points. Perrault was rewarded for his outstanding career in 1990 when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
2. Denis Potvin
1973, New York Islanders
Much like the Sabres three years prior, the New York Islanders selected a great player in Denis Potvin with their first overall pick in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. Not only was he great during his time in the league, but he is still widely regarded as one of the best defensemen to ever play the game and has four Stanley Cups to his name to back that up.
His 1,052 career points rank seventh all time amongst defensemen, while his 310 goals rank fifth. Like Perrault, he quickly adjusted to the NHL, putting up 54 points in 77 games during his rookie season which earned him the Calder Trophy during the 1973-74 season.
He also racked up three Norris Trophies during his career, including the 1978-79 where he posted a career high 101 points and tied his career high in goals with 31. That season was his only in which he hit triple digits in points.
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Potvin was also had a mean streak to his game, as he finished his career with 1,356 penalty minutes. That included seven seasons of 100 penalty minutes or higher. The Hull, Quebec native was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
1. Guy Lafleur
1971, Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens knew they wanted Guy Lafleur years in advance of the 1971 Amateur Draft. They had to get creative to get him in a series of trades, but they couldn’t have ever imagined that Lafleur, would become one of the franchises most iconic players. Through his first three seasons in the league, posting 50 or more points in all three. However, it was the fourth year that he really took off. Lafleur put up 53 goals and 119 points that season (1974-75).
That marked the first of six straight seasons where Lafleur recorded over 100 points, including a career high 136 during the 1976-77 season. He went on to have many incredible seasons for the Habs until 1984-85. That season saw Lafleur start off very poorly with just five points through the teams first 19 games. Unhappy with the head coach Jacques Lemaire, he asked to be traded. The trade never came, and Lafleur ended up announcing his retirement that season.
Lafleur was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, however decided to return to the NHL for the 1988-89 season with the New York Rangers after a three-year hiatus. Though he was still productive, he was not the same superstar forward he had been before, posting 45 points in 67 games. He then decided to sign with the Quebec Nordiques, where he played his final two seasons before retiring for good.
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When it was all said and done, Lafleur had posted 560 goals and added 793 points in 1,126 games. His trophy case was simply outstanding, with three Art Ross Trophies, three Lester B. Pearson Trophies, two Hart Trophies, five Stanley Cups, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. He is one of the greatest Montreal Canadiens of all time, and will forever be known as such.