Pasternak at 28 is a bigger surprise than McAvoy. Pasternak at 28, Bergeron in the 2nd, Marchand in the 3rd. Add an assist in there when Muckler screwed Hossa and Chara splits for Boston because of it. That's some good luck.
Also in our division you've got TB getting Kucherov at 58.
You have to be pretty damn lucky these days to get an elite player outside the top 15.
There is certainly an element of luck involved once you get past the 1st 15 picks. That said like the lottery that you can't win without a ticket, you are not going to get lucky on those picks if you have traded the pick away. Every Draft has star players and solid NHLers picked in those slots. Some teams like Tampa and more
recently Dallas have been good at finding them.
2014 - Pasta 25th, Kempe to Kings 29th, Thatcher Demko 36th, Montour 55th, Point 79th to Tampa
2015 Barzel, Conner, Chabot, Boeser, Konecny all in 2nd half of 1st round, Sebastien Aho 25th,
Roope Hintz -Dallas 49th,
2016 Chychrun 16th, Tage Thompson 26th, Kyrou 35th , Debrincat 39th, adam Fox 66
2017 Robert Thomas 20th,
Jake ottenger to Dallas 26th, Jason Robertson to dallas 39th, Batherson 121st
2019
Thomas Harley Dallas 18th, Pinto 32nd
2021 Dallas again with
Wyatt Johnston at 23 and
Logan Stankoven at 47
Dallas has drafted really well in 2nd half of 1st round and second rounds lately. Also have Maverik Bourque in late 1st in 2020 who had 77 points in 71 Ahl games last yr