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

22. Best NHL draft picks in history: Bernie Nicholls, Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings tend to have luck when it comes to finding late-round draft picks that can turn out to be hidden gems. Such is the case with center Bernie Nicholls as he was selected 73rd overall in the 1980 NHL Draft.

Nicholls blossomed over the years as he was a smart player that never needed to be coached on something more than twice. It took time for him to prove he deserved more playing time and it wasn’t until the Kings made one of the biggest trades in NHL history for Wayne Gretzky back in 1988 with the Edmonton Oilers that he took the next step.

Not only was he able to prove his worth by scoring a ton of points that season with Gretzky in the mix but he finally earned first line minutes on the ice. In 1989, Nicholls totaled 27 goals, 48 assists, and 150 points. Unfortunately, Nicholls never earned a Stanley Cup during his playing days, even after being able to call Gretzky a teammate for two seasons.

He was traded and didn’t return to the Kings until 2012 but in a coaching role and ironically enough, he finally earned a championship that year. Either way, throughout his career he scored 1,209 points and came back full circle to finish what he started. At least he can say he headed back home at the most perfect time to the team that originally drafted him to help the cause.