Rarely in the NHL does a player get drafted beyond the third round and make an impact. Not just make an impact, but have a successful NHL career. With the NHL Draft this Friday and Saturday, we look back on players who were taken beyond the third round and had careers that led to successful regular seasons and even a Stanley Cup or two.
Goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne, along with forward Henrik Zetterberg are the players we look back at as having Hockey Hall of Fame careers while being drafted late in the draft.
Rangers' Lundqvist, "the King of New York"
Lundqvist was drafted in the 2000 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers with the 205th pick. A proven goaltender in Sweden, he was determined to shine in the highest hockey league and he did just that.
He would acquire 459 wins between the pipes for the Rangers, yet fail to win a Stanley Cup despite his illustrious career. Lundqvist played his entire 15-year career in New York and finished with 459 wins, 310 losses, 96 overtime losses, a 2.43 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage, and 64 shutouts.
Lundqvist's accomplishments include five All-Star Games and the 2011-12 Vezina Trophy for the league's best goaltender. His 868 games played are ninth all-time and he ranks sixth in wins, eighth in saves (23,509), and ninth in save percentage among all NHL goaltenders. He reitred on August 20, 2021, and was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.
Red Wings' Zetterberg shines in big role
Zetterberg, while not as smooth as teammate Pavel Datsyuk, was just as dangerous on the ice. Drafted by Detroit in the 1999 NHL Draft at No. 210, Zetterberg would accomplish just as much as his Red Wing teammate.
His career would last 1,082 games, producing 337 goals and 623 assists, 960 points, and an impressive +160 rating. He would win a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy for the best player in the playoffs.
He was also a warrior in the postseason, accumulating 57 goals and 63 assists for 120 points in 137 games. Zetterberg would also win the 2014-15 King Clancy Memorial Trophy as the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice while making humanitarian contributions in his community. A back injury forced Zetterberg to retire before the 2018-19 NHL season.
Rinne becomes Predators' franchise goaltender
Rinne became a fan favorite in Nashville almost immediately. Drafted by the Predators with the 258th pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, he would go on to become one of the NHL's best goaltenders over his time in the league. He would go on to post a record of 369-213-75, with a goals-against average of 2.42, and a .917 save percentage with 60 shutouts.
While he did not win a Stanley Cup, he did win the 2017-18 Vezina Trophy and the 2020-21 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. A participant in four All-Star Games, he would retire on July 13, 2021.
These three players proved throughout their careers that it does not matter where they got drafted. If a player is meant to be successful, it will happen through their own hard work and determination. Yes, higher drafted players get a better opportunity to be successful, but draft position means nothing anymore.
The player himself either makes or breaks a successful NHL career -- drafts are so deep with talented players now that skill and determination carry players to have success, even on the worst teams. This weekend, some players that are not drafted on night one could still be able to be difference-makers on an NHL roster.