Every NHL Draft features a No. 1 overall pick. And yet not every No. 1 overall pick is Connor Bedard. Not even close.
Hailed by experts as a generational talent, Bedard skates into the NHL with superstar expectations. The soon-to-be Blackhawks star is rare "can't miss" type of talent.
It has been a few years since the NHL has had as much buzz around a prospect. The 17-year-old is coming off one of the great draft years in history, as he smashed his ever-growing expectations out of the water.
He has been discussed in the same conversation as former No. 1 picks like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. But where does his hype rank all-time?
The Sporting News takes a look at the most-hyped prospects in NHL history, and where Bedard lands on the list.
MORE: Ranking the top 50 most-hyped draft prospects across all sports
Top 10 most-hyped NHL draft prospects
1. Sidney Crosby, 2005
Crosby was the first prodigy in the internet era. He was on CBC broadcasts, his clips were shown all over and he had hit celebrity status as a teenager. He totaled 303 points in two seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as fans dubbed him "The Next One." The 2004-05 NHL lockout also meant all eyes in the hockey world were on "Sid the Kid", who has since delivered with three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythes and two Hart Trophies.
2. Mario Lemieux, 1984
No one had as strong of a season playing major junior than Lemieux. In his draft year, the skilled center compiled 133 goals and 282 points in 70 games with the Laval Voisins in the QMJHL, locking himself in as the top prospect in the 1984 draft. Scotty Bowman dubbed Lemieux the "greatest prospect he'd ever seen" when "Super Mario" was just 12 years old.
3. Connor McDavid, 2015
Rumblings of the next generational talent began when McDavid was just turning into a teenager. He was granted exceptional status by the OHL, allowed to join the league at 15 rather than 16. His sensational speed and hands made him must-see TV with the Erie Otters. The NHL hadn't seen a talent quite like McDavid, and years later, he's playing on a completely different level than the rest of his peers.
MORE: Who won the 2023 NHL MVP?
4. Eric Lindros, 1991
The NHL had never seen a prospect quite like Lindros, and there's a chance they don't see another like him. The towering forward was overflowing with elite skill, but he was built like a truck, and played like a bull. The Quebec Nordiques took him first overall in the 1991 draft, despite the fact that he said he would not play for them due to disagreements with ownership. It resulted in a blockbuster deal with the Flyers a year later, where he went on to dominate.
5. Wayne Gretzky, 1978
While technically undrafted, "The Great One" gets an exception to join the list. He was getting noticed at 10 years old after he put up 378 goals in a single season. Gretzky was destined for greatness, and NHL age restrictions caused him to join the World Hockey Association at the age of 17. Believe it or not, Gretzky had critics who were unsure of how well he would transition to the NHL due to his lack of size. Boy, must they feel stupid now.
6. Connor Bedard, 2023
There hasn't been a prospect put under the microscope as much as Bedard has. In today's digital age, everything the 17-year-old does is thrust into the public eye. Despite the seemingly ever-growing expectations on him, Bedard has answered the bell every time. He put up an incredible draft year between his WHL season and his record-setting performance at the World Juniors. Bedard has all the makings of a franchise player in the NHL.
MORE: Every record Connor Bedard broke at the 2023 World Juniors
7. Guy Lafleur, 1971
Montreal was going to do everything in its power to land the next-best Quebec product. After hitting a home run with Jean Beliveau in 1950, 20 years later, the Canadiens wanted so badly to land Lafleur that Habs SM Sam Pollock made a trade with the California Golden Seals to land the No. 1 pick in 1971. It worked to perfection, as Lafleur went on to produce 130 goals and 209 points in 62 games with the Quebec Remparts in his draft year, was elected No. 1 by Montreal and went on to become one of the game's best scorers.
8. Bobby Orr, 1966
Imagine being 12 years old and having 75% of the NHL already interested in your talents? That was the case with Orr. By the time he was 14, he had a deal to join the OHL's Oshawa Generals, who were affiliated with the Bruins at the time. Orr went on to become the greatest defenseman to ever play in the NHL, racking up eight Norris Trophies as the league's best blueliner.
9. Alex Ovechkin, 2004
The son of two Soviet athletes, Ovechkin was primed to be an elite athlete from birth. He lived up to it, and then some. The Russian's goal-scoring ability was immediately off the charts even as a kid, causing all eyes to be on him for the 2004 draft. Ovechkin's draft hype was so high that the Panthers tried to bend the rules and draft him a year before he was eligible, claiming that leap year days weren't factored in. While it didn't work, it's easy to see now why Florida tried to get Ovechkin before anyone else, as he's on his way to breaking Gretzky's all-time goal record.
MORE: How close is Alex Ovechkin to catching Wayne Gretzky's goal record?
10. Alexandre Daigle, 1993
Daigle is allegedly the reason why the draft lottery exists in the NHL. The Quebec-born prospect was considered such a "can't-miss" prospect, that when the Senators went 10-70-4 to get the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft, they were investigated by the NHL for purposely losing and the draft lottery was later introduced. While each of the first nine players on this list lived up to their hype and then some, that's not the case with Daigle, who played over 600 games, but never flourished into the NHL star he was touted to be.
Top 25 most hyped prospects
11. Gordie Howe, 1944
12. John Tavares, 2009
13. Vincent Lecavalier, 1998
14. Rick DiPietro, 2000
15. Bobby Hull, 1957
16. Dale Hawerchuk, 1981
17. Auston Matthews, 2016
18. Alexei Kovalev, 1991
19. Patrick Kane, 2007
20. Doug Wickenheiser, 1980
21. Dale McCourt, 1977
22. Howie Morenz, 1923
23. Steven Stamkos, 2008
24. Paul Kariya, 1993
25. Nathan MacKinnon, 2013
