History of NHL players drafted No. 8 overall, where the Capitals will …
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History of NHL players drafted No. 8 overall, where Caps pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals were rewarded the eighth overall pick in June’s 2023 NHL Entry Draft during the lottery last week, the exact spot the team projected to be before the ping pong balls were drawn.
Although Washington didn’t ultimately move up in the lottery — the Capitals had a 6% chance at the top pick and a 6.4% chance at No. 2 overall — general manager Brian MacLellan is confident the team can still land an impact player with the eighth overall selection.
“In the end, we stayed at eight. It’s still a good pick,” MacLellan told NBC Sports Washington’s Alexa Landestoy following the lottery. “Our guys are excited about the depth of this draft. I think we’ll get a good player at eight, a player that we can build around and guys are excited about.”
It’s been a long time since the Capitals had a pick as early in the draft as it does in 2023. Washington’s last top-10 selection came in 2007, when the franchise selected Karl Alzner fifth overall.
Here’s a breakdown on the history of the No. 8 overall pick…
Most Notable NHLers selected 8th overall
Unquestionably, longtime Bruins star Ray Bourque is the best NHL player to have been selected eighth overall. Drafted in 1979, Bourque played 22 NHL seasons — 21 with Boston — and finished his career with the most goals (410), assists (1,169) and points (1,579) of any defenseman in NHL history.
Besides Bourque, two other players in NHL history drafted eighth overall have topped the career 1,000-point mark: centers Jeremy Roenick and Darryl Sittler. Roenick’s 513 goals are the most of any player drafted No. 8 overall; Sittler’s 484 goals are the second most in that category.
The No. 8 pick also produced a Hall of Fame goaltender: Grant Fuhr, who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in 1981. Fuhr played 19 seasons in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup five times with the Oilers. He led the NHL in goaltender wins twice in his career and…
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