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

28. Best NHL draft picks in history: Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild

It’s not easy to draft a player that fits the mold of a future leader on a team but the Minnesota Wild did just that back in the 2001 NHL Draft. Center Mikko Koivu was selected sixth overall and had leadership as his biggest attribute written all over him.

Koivu spent over 15 years on the Wild and worked his way up from top draft pick to be the team’s first-ever permanent team captain. A natural scoring machine, Koivu dominated the ice and still holds the franchise record for most points at 711.

With 1,035 NHL games under his belt and winning many medals in international play representing his country of Finland, the Wild should be very proud of drafting one of the best players to ever do it. Koivu was also team captain for Finland several times and did his part when it came to those incredible World Championship games in the 00s.

Make no mistake about it, even though Koivu tested free agency towards the end of his career in 2020, he’ll forever be remembered for his tenure on the Wild. He spent just a few months with the Colombus Blue Jackets before officially retiring. Regardless, Wild fans will always remember the impact Koivu had as an incredible draft pick.