Greatest NHL Drafts of all time: No. 6 – Modano, Mogilny, Selanne arrive in class of 1988

Whatever happens in the years that follow, the 2023 NHL Draft class will go down as a memorable one. It’s the year of Connor Bedard, perceived as the first generational talent since Connor McDavid; Adam Fantilli, a player so gifted that he probably would’ve gone first overall in each of the previous three drafts; and Matvei Michkov, a sublimely skilled but enigmatic prospect who may or may not be years away from playing in North America.

The last time a draft class had this much buzz, of course, was 2015, the McDavid year. It had far more than McDavid, of course. In fact, eight years removed, 2015 is starting to look like an all-time great draft class.

That inspired me to ask: Which are the greatest draft classes ever? Some years gave us multiple iconic superstars. Others yielded incredible depth and dozens of long, productive NHL careers. In naming my top five classes, I searched for the years that gave us the best combination of star power and depth.

I lied. I’ve named six classes. I couldn’t bring myself to cut any of my top six and make it a top five. Each of the classes is simply that good. With that, let’s begin.

No. 6: The 1988 Draft

Why it’s No. 6: Yielded at least half a dozen true stars but arguably just one player, if any at all, who reached the legendary tier

Top scorer: Mark Recchi, 1,533 points
Hall of Famers: Mark Recchi, Mike Modano, Teemu Selanne, Rob Blake
Other notables: Alexander Mogilny, Rod Brind’Amour, Tony Amonte, Trevor Linden

Back in 1988, American-born prospects had no U.S. National Team Development Program to compete in, so the best way to get noticed was to move north and play major junior. Mike Modano did that and ended up becoming the second American ever drafted first overall. He delivered on his promise and then some, amassing the 26^th-most points in NHL history to date and helping the Dallas Stars to their first and only Stanley Cup title in 1999.

But Modano was far from the only great find in ’88. Mark Recchi slowly, steadily accumulated points over a 22-season career in which he played the eighth-most games and tallied the 13^th-most points in league history. Rob Blake won a Norris Trophy as an L.A. King, a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche and an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada during his Hall of Fame career. Teemu Selanne was the greatest export of 1988. He was just a humble kindergarten teacher while playing for Jokerit in Finland in the first few years after being drafted, but what an arrival it was. He delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons in team sports history in 1992-93, burying 76 goals. His 684 career goals place him 12^th all time.

The class of ’88 has yielded four Hall of Famers but may one day lay claim to six or seven. Russian defector turned superstar sniper Alexander Mogilny is perennially named as one of the Hall’s top snubs; support has grown for two-time Selke Trophy winner Rod Brind’Amour in recent seasons; and Jeremy Roenick is one of several 500-goal scorers still awaiting their calls.

1988 top five picks

1. Mike Modano, Minnesota North Stars
2. Trevor Linden, Vancouver Canucks
3. Curtis Leschyshyn, Quebec Nordiques
4. Darrin Shannon, Buffalo Sabres
5. Daniel Dore, Quebec Nordiques

1998 top five, redrafted (actual spot in brackets)

1. Teemu Selanne (10^th)
2. Mike Modano (2^nd)
3. Mark Recchi (67^th)
4. Rob Blake (70^th)
5. Alexander Mogilny (89^th)