You’re the gm of your favourite nhl team… which player would you take as #1?

[centipede2233]

You’re the gm of your favourite nhl team and have the #1 pick in the 2025 entry draft. The 2025 draft looks to be the best top end talent seen maybe ever boasting 18 yr olds Ovechkin, Jagr, Lindros, Sakic, Mackinnon, Drasaitl, Bourque and Lidstrom.

Who do you take knowing what you know now about these players to date?

Keep in mind this is 2025 entry draft so headshots are less prevalent then in the 90’s.

Click to read more...

 

[Duder54]

Jagr all day, every day.

 

[Else Ermine]

Lidström.
I can make an argument for any of the others over him but he's the player and the person I want on my team for twenty years.

 

[biturbo19]

Wait...am i drafting them to play for my team, or to replace me as GM of my team? I'm confused by this wording.

 

[centipede2233]

Wait...am i drafting them to play for my team, or to replace me as GM of my team? I'm confused by this wording.

No one else seems confused…

 

[norrisnick]

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[Took a pill in Sbisa]

No one else seems confused…

*Raises hand*

"knowing what you know now"

So we know that Lindros will have a career-altering injury early in his career and not drafting him on his skillset and potential?

 

[bobholly39]

*Raises hand*

"knowing what you know now"

So we know that Lindros will have a career-altering injury early in his career and not drafting him on his skillset and potential?

He did say this is 2025 so headshots less prevalent. So - up to you to risk if you think if an 18 yr old Lindros is bound to still have injuries/health issues in a re-draft or not.

I hesitated with my choice a lot to be honest. Some very close ones. I did skip Lindros. Simply put I don't trust him to stay healthy - and even if he somehow did, we never saw any type of longevity/consistency from him. We know all the other players have aged well - maybe Lindros can too, but a bit of an unknown so a risk.

The 2 I'm most torn on are Jagr or Bourque. Simply put I prefer Bourque to Lidstrom...and Jagr and Ovechkin are close'ish, but I think Jagr's stayed elite longer. And in a redraft, some outside factors like going to KHL or lockouts may not hurt Jagr as much, so he could do even better.

So in the end I choose Jagr.

Sakic, MacKinnon and Draisaitl are all great in their own right, but they are easy to skip over as they are definitely below some of the other names here.

 

[centipede2233]

No, what I meant by knowing what you know now meant how good they became. As far as injuries are concerned, in Lindros case, it’s less likely he has concussions because I’m talking about todays nhl, not the 1990’s where headshots were routine and never penalized or even looked at as a predatory hit. So Lindros health would likely be better in an nhl in todays game

 

[banks]

Ovie.

No player in history scored more goals for their franchise than AO for the Caps.

 

[gifted88]

Really close and tough to choose between Jagr, Ovie & Lidstrom. Probably lean Jagr.

 

[Love]

You could argue Lindros’ career wasn’t what it should’ve been due to bad luck. I think in today’s game that wouldn’t be the case. He’s a tempting choice for me.

For me it would be one of Bourque, Lidstrom, Sakic, or Lindros.

 

[sansabri]

in today's game? prob Bourque

 

[WhatTheDuck]

There are merits to voting for at least a couple different forwards listed (whoever went with Drai is out to lunch though), but for me I couldn't pass on starting a franchise around a perennial Norris favourite - Lidstrom

 

[Minnesota Knudsens]

Can’t go wrong here, but Lidstrom is my pick. Dude played like 30 minutes a night due to his style (magic stick and positioning), and Detroit won 4 cups. I’m not sure the team ever missed the playoffs while he was playing. Big bruisers like Todd Bertuzzi said he was the hardest guy to play against despite the fact that he never hit you. Guy was a unicorn.

 

[Voight]

If you pick Bourque you're getting 20+ years of elite play.

 

[PettersonHughes]

Probably toss-up for my team between Jagr and Lindros, with Lidstrom close behind, and Mackinnon behind them.

With how the team's currently constructed, adding an RH center with a bullish power forward game would make Vancouver hard to stop (Miller - Petey - Lindros 1 through 3 up the middle). Jagr of course is still active at 52, and even though he's in the Czech tier 2 league that's still impressive. With how his career panned out, he was NHL caliber until at least 2016-17 (46 points in 82 games), 27 seasons' worth from when he started, and he was an absolute beast with the strong base that let him drive to the net and control things. Of course, Lidstrom is an all-time great from the back end, controlling things with his cerebral play, but we have a young Quinn Hughes whose two-way play has improved while being an 80+ point guy. Mackinnon with his game-breaking speed and right handedness give him the last spot on my list. All great players though.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Jagr, hands down

He's the best players listed IMO, and he had a long ass career

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Hindsight considered?

Lidstrom. Dude was a top defenseman in the world right up until his last season where it was clear the game was too fast for him.

 

[blundluntman]

I'll take Bourque. Lidstrom would be tempting too though

Wait...am i drafting them to play for my team, or to replace me as GM of my team? I'm confused by this wording.

Might as well Draft Sakic and have him replace you as GM after you step down

 

[ManofSteel55]

It came down to Bourque, Lidstrom and Sakic for me. I'd want a D or C, and Lindros was tempting due to the game being less physical, but his speed might be an issue. Not in him succeeding, but to him reaching the levels of the other 3. I voted Bourque, as I feel he is the 2nd best defenseman ever and the best defenseman I have ever watched play the game live. I'd build my d-core around him for sure.

 

[centipede2233]

It came down to Bourque, Lidstrom and Sakic for me. I'd want a D or C, and Lindros was tempting due to the game being less physical, but his speed might be an issue. Not in him succeeding, but to him reaching the levels of the other 3. I voted Bourque, as I feel he is the 2nd best defenseman ever and the best defenseman I have ever watched play the game live. I'd build my d-core around him for sure.

I’m surprised lidstrom is heavily outvoted to bourque, but most hf posters remember lidstrom better then bourque. I think I’d go with bourque to. He was a cannon, shot 340 shots a year most years.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I’m surprised lidstrom is heavily outvoted to bourque, but most hf posters remember lidstrom better then bourque. I think I’d go with bourque to. He was a cannon, shot 340 shots a year most years.

One of the most accurate shots ever as well.

 

[centipede2233]

One of the most accurate shots ever as well.

I know plus minus isn’t the all and be all, but bourque had a +493 over his career and lidstrom +450. To me bourque is the answer…no slight on lidstrom, but bourque can have a better career plus minus on weaker teams then lidstrom and shoot 50% more, I’ll take bourque

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Crazy to see Lidstrom with 3x the votes of Bourque. Do people think he drafted all his HOF teammates too?