The Florida Panthers previously held the 9th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but traded it away to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Brady Tkachuk. Moreover, because of several other blockbuster trades over the past three seasons, the Panthers will not make another pick until 40th overall, near the start of the second round.
Most fans only care about the draft’s first round, where all the “future stars” are. However, Stanley Cup winners and Hall of Famers also come from deeper in the draft, including Patric Hornqvist, a two-time champion taken as the last pick in the 2005 Draft.
Florida fans might be worried about what the team’s first pick in this year’s draft could turn into, but according to this list, there’s potential for that player to score over 500 points, win a championship, and possibly end up in the Hall of Fame.
Here are the top 10 players drafted 40th overall in NHL history.
10. Glen Hanlon - Vancouver Canucks 1977
NHL Totals: 476 GP - 167-202-61 - 3.61 GAA - .884 SV%
Trophy Case: N/A
Only five goalies have ever been drafted from the 40th overall spot in an NHL Draft, with Glen Hanlon producing the longest career out of all of them. He played with the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings, advancing to the playoffs with each team at least once during his 14-year career.
9. Fedor Tyutin - New York Rangers 2001
NHL Totals: 871 GP - 55 G - 209 A - 264 PTS
Trophy Case: N/A
The New York Rangers drafted defenseman Fedor Tyutin in 2001, and he’d go on to debut with them in 2003; however, he’d go on to become a pillar on the backend for the Columbus Blue Jackets for eight seasons.
8. Mikael Renberg - Philadelphia Flyers 1990
NHL Totals: 661 GP - 190 G - 274 A - 464 PTS
Trophy Case: All-Rookie Team
Mikael Renberg may not be a household name, except in the city of Philadelphia, where he is famously remembered for his time on the Legion of Doom line with John LeClair and Eric Lindros. He played in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final but bounced around late in his career and was the 18th-highest-scoring Swedish player when he retired in 2004.
7. Dave Christian - Winnipeg Jets 1979
NHL Totals: 1,009 GP - 340 G - 433 A - 773 PTS
Trophy Case: N/A
Dave Christian’s claim to fame is that he was a member of the 1980 US Miracle on Ice team that won an Olympic Gold Medal. He’d make his NHL debut shortly after the games and would go on to become a 41-goal scorer who scored at least 20 goals in 10 seasons.
6. Yvon Lambert - Detroit Red Wings 1970
NHL Totals: 683 GP - 206 G - 273 A - 479 PTS
Trophy Case: Stanley Cup (4)
The Detroit Red Wings may have drafted Yvon Lambert, but he never skated a game with them; instead, he made his debut with the Montreal Canadiens in 1973. During his nine seasons with the iconic franchise, Lambert won four Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979. At 31, he played his final NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres.
5. Jozef Stümpel - Boston Bruins 1991
NHL Totals: 957 GP - 196 G - 481 A - 667 PTS
Trophy Case: N/A
Jozef Stümpel may have only scored 20 goals twice in a single season in the NHL, but he was a decent playmaker with more than double the assists. Quietly over 16 seasons with three teams, including the Panthers, he amassed 677 points, which ranked seventh all-time by a Slovakian player when he retired in 2008.
4. Bryan McCabe - New York Islanders 1993
NHL Totals: 1,135 GP - 145 G - 383 A - 528 PTS
Trophy Case: NHL All-Star Team
Despite being a defenseman, Bryan McCabe scored more than 15 goals on five occasions, reaching a career high of 19 in 2006 with Toronto. During his 15-year career, which included stops in New York (Islanders), Vancouver, Chicago, New York (Rangers), and Florida, he tallied 528 points, which ranks 11th amongst defenders from 1995 to 2011.
3. Michael Peca - Vancouver Canucks 1992
NHL Totals: 864 GP - 176 G - 289 A - 465 PTS
Trophy Case: Frank J. Selke Trophy (2x)
Michael Peca was one of the top defensive forwards of his era, winning two Frank J. Selke Trophies and becoming a legend in the faceoff circle. Twice in his career, he skated in the Stanley Cup Final, once with Buffalo in 1999 and again with Edmonton in 2006. From 1996 to 2000, Peca was captain of the Sabres.
2. Stan Smyl - Vancouver Canucks 1978
NHL Totals: 869 GP - 262 G - 411 A - 673 PTS
Trophy Case: N/A
Stan Smyl is the only player on this list to play his entire career with the team that drafted him. As one of the top skaters in Vancouver Canucks history, he is the only person on the list whose number is retired by the team that drafted him. When he played his last game in 1991, Smyl was the Canucks’ all-time leading scorer, but now ranks fifth all-time.
1. Chris Chelios - Montreal Canadiens 1981
NHL Totals: 1,651 GP - 185 G - 768 A - 948 PTS
Trophy Case: Stanley Cup (3), Norris Trophy (3), All-Rookie Team, Mark Messier Leadership Award, NHL 100th Anniversary Team, NHL All-Star (7), Hockey Hall of Fame (2013)
Even to the casual hockey fan, Chris Chelios doesn’t need an introduction. Not only is he one of the greatest defensemen of his era, but he ranks among hockey’s immortals thanks to a career that spanned 26 seasons. Not only was he captain of the Canadiens, but he also led the Blackhawks.
Even later in his career, Chelios logged over 15 minutes a game and won the Stanley Cup for the final time with the Red Wings at age 47. As of 2026, he is the only 40th overall pick in NHL history elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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