NHL: The 30 best draft picks in NHL history (Updated 2023)

9. Best NHL draft picks in history: Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils

When you think of the term “offensive defenseman” there are only a handful of players that come to mind. One will almost always be defenseman Scott Niedermayer who is the true definition of such a term.

It was back in the 1991 NHL Draft that the New Jersey Devils selected Niedermayer with the third overall pick and it was a franchise-changing decision. He would go on to have an amazing 13-year career with the Devils that saw him win three Stanley Cup championships with the team thanks to his ability to play tough defense and score with ease and precision.

Throughout his tenure with the Devils, Niedermayer scored 112 goals, 364 assists, and 476 points. As a 6-1 and 200lbs. defenseman, to accomplish all that on a single franchise spoke volumes about what kind of player Niedermayer was.

Needless to say, it was a no-brainer that once he hung up his skates, his name would be etched into the halls of professional hockey history for everything he achieved. Niedermayer was an easy decision to be in both the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and of course, the Hockey Hall of Fame once he was eligible.