56th overall picks from the past five NHL drafts

Photo credit:Tyler Yaremchuk

1 year ago

With the NHL Entry Draft fast approaching and the Oilers scheduled to draft someone at 56th overall with their first of only three picks, I figured that I would take a dip in the pool of league history to learn about the players that have been taken in that slot over the years to see if there are any patterns to be found. Is there anything there? Let’s find out together.

Once again, before we even get started on this first countdown, I’m readily acknowledging the obvious fact that looking back at the past five drafts won’t tell us anything about the player the Oilers may or may not select two weeks from now or how he’ll perform at the NHL level. Regardless of that admission, I know that someone will still point out in the comment section that I’m an idiot for putting this together even though I just think it’s fun to go back and see the general type of player that gets taken around that spot. Obviously, no two drafts are ever the same and we know that some of the picks taken at #56 will work out while others won’t, but since this is only the third time the Oilers have picked in the 56th slot since 1980, I thought it would be fun to dig into the past and see if there are any clues available that can help us prepare for what’s to come.

Not to mention, I needed to write something today and figured we might enjoy this little stroll through NHL history so here we are. Now that we’ve got the disclaimer out of the way, let’s bring this blog post to 88mph and head back in time.

2018 – Jacob Olofsson – C – Montreal Canadiens

Rookie Season: N/A
2022-23 Season (w/ Bjorkloven IF): 20GP – 8G, 4A = 12 points

Pre-Draft Scouting Report:

Two-way center with middle-six upside. Well-rounded player with decent skating and puck skills but hasn’t shown high-end offensive creativity.

At 23 years old, it’s tough to predict what the future holds for Jacob Olofsson even though you absolutely know that the Habs would have wanted him to be closer to cracking the NHL roster. Now five years out from his draft, an NHL career looks to be a stretch for the guy even though stranger things have happened. Needless to say, not a great start to our countdown.

2019 – Brett Leason – RW – Washington Capitals

Rookie Season (2021-22): 36GP – 3G, 3A for six points
2022-23 Season (w/ Anaheim): 54GP – 6G, 3A = 9 points

Pre-Draft Scouting Report:

Savvy with and without the puck, his hockey IQ is the backbone of his game and he loves to use his big frame in puck battles. Has an NHL caliber wrist shot, with a super quick release. He positions himself very well on the puck, and has plus hand-eye coordination.

Claimed off waivers by Anaheim in October of 2022, Brett Leason is only just starting his NHL career but looks to have a solid opportunity ahead of him with the rebuilding Ducks. While not yet an everyday player, Leason has 90 career games under his belt and will be looking to solidify his place on the Anaheim in this last year of his ELC that pays him $775K.

2020 – Tristen Robins – C – San Jose Sharks

Rookie Season: N/A
2022-23 Season (w/ San Jose Barracuda): 64GP – 17G, 21A = 38 points
2022-23 Season (w/ San Jose Sharks): 3GP – 0G, 0A

Pre-Draft Scouting Report:

He’s a gifted puck-handler, capable of blending pass receptions into detailed maneuvers and freezing his opponents with deceptive elements. He evades defenders with ease using a variety of around and triangle dekes. The way that Robins can shoot the puck, handle the puck, and support the puck in the offensive zone is pretty rare for a first-time draft-eligible skater.

Tristen Robins got his first taste of NHL action in 2022-23 after a strong rookie season with the San Jose Barracuda, and you’d have to imagine that has Sharks fans excited about his future. While there are no guarantees in pro sports, Robins’ scouting report certainly makes it seem like he has the tools to succeed at hockey’s highest level, but whether or not he can put it all together remains to be seen. Either way, it looks like the Sharks got a decent depth piece with the 56th overall pick in 2020.

2021 – Evan Nause – D – Florida Panthers

Rookie Season: N/A
2022-23 Season (w/ Quebec Remparts): 40GP – 5G, 24A = 29 points

Pre-Draft Scouting Report:

His skill as a skater lends itself exceptionally well to the breakout. Nause creates advantages for himself on every defensive zone puck retrieval, shoulder checking for options, using the environment to obstruct forecheckers, adapting his speed to the situation, and using the middle of the ice to create controlled exits.

With one more year of junior eligibility available to him, I’d imagine Evan Nause will be back with the Quebec Remparts as they look to defend their Memorial Cup win from last month. Given that Nause was drafted only two years ago, it’s no surprise that he’s not exactly close to cracking the Panthers’ lineup, but at the same point, you do have to appreciate the way he’s excelling with his junior team. We’ve still got a ways to go here.

2022 – Rieger Lorenz – LW – Minnesota Wild

Rookie Season: N/A
2022-23 Season (w/ University of Denver): 37GP – 2G, 9A = 9 points

Pre-Draft Scouting Report:

He’s interesting because of his physical game and his ideas, his ability to use space with and without the puck, and the occasional flash of playmaking, like the assist he got by sliding the puck under a stick with one-hand and backhanding it to a teammate across the ice for a shot. Lorenz can link plays all over the ice.

Not much to say about a kid that only got picked up last year apart from wondering how much progress he’ll make in his second year at the University of Denver. Either way, the Wild will need some of their prospects to pick up steam in the near future as the franchise continues to battle the wild amounts of dead cap space on their books from the Parise and Suter buyouts.

MORE 56th OVERALL PICKS

Do you think that showing only the last five 56th overall picks isn’t enough? I agree with you. So here’s a list of everyone taken in this slot going back to 1980, and as you’ll soon see, it’s a real mixed bag in terms of what you may or may not get.

Year	Player	Position	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2017	Josh Brook	DEFENSE	Montreal Canadiens
2016	Dillon Dube	FORWARD	Calgary Flames	186	28	37	65	48
2015	Vince Dunn	DEFENSE	St. Louis Blues	331	39	92	131	163
2014	Ryan Donato	FORWARD	Boston Bruins	241	49	53	102	66
2013	Marco Roy	FORWARD	Edmonton Oilers
2012	Sam Kurker	FORWARD	St. Louis Blues
2011	Lucas Lessio	FORWARD	Phoenix Coyotes	41	3	4	7	12
2010	Johan Larsson	FORWARD	Minnesota Wild	475	52	74	126	244
2009	Kevin Lynch	FORWARD	Columbus Blue Jackets
2008	Danny Kristo	FORWARD	Montreal Canadiens
2007	Akim Aliu	DEFENSE	Chicago Blackhawks	7	2	1	3	26
2006	Blake Geoffrion	FORWARD	Nashville Predators	55	8	5	13	34
2005	Marc-Andre Cliche	FORWARD	New York Rangers	151	3	11	14	34
2004	Nicklas Grossmann	DEFENSE	Dallas Stars	592	13	73	86	314
2003	Patrick O’Sullivan	FORWARD	Minnesota Wild	334	58	103	161	116
2002	Vladislav Yevseyev	FORWARD	Boston Bruins
2001	Andrei Medvedev	GOALIE	Calgary Flames
2000	Alexander Suglobov	FORWARD	New Jersey Devils	18	1	0	1	4
1999	Matt Zultek	FORWARD	Boston Bruins
1998	Tomek Valtonen	FORWARD	Detroit Red Wings
1997	Vratislav Cech	DEFENSE	Florida Panthers
1996	Zdeno Chara	DEFENSE	New York Islanders	1667	207	469	676	2077
1995	Shane Willis	FORWARD	Tampa Bay Lightning	174	31	43	74	77
1994	Dorian Anneck	FORWARD	Winnipeg Jets
1993	Valeri Karpov	FORWARD	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	76	14	15	29	32
1992	Jarrett Deuling	FORWARD	New York Islanders	15	0	1	1	11
1991	George Breen	FORWARD	Edmonton Oilers
1990	Brad Bombardir	DEFENSE	New Jersey Devils	356	8	46	54	127
1989	Scott Thomas	FORWARD	Buffalo Sabres	63	6	4	10	34
1988	Craig Fisher	FORWARD	Philadelphia Flyers	12	0	0	0	2
1987	Todd Lalonde	FORWARD	Boston Bruins
1986	Kevin Kerr	FORWARD	Buffalo Sabres
1985	Keith Gretzky	FORWARD	Buffalo Sabres
1984	Alan Perry	GOALIE	St. Louis Blues
1983	Mitch Messier	FORWARD	Minnesota North Stars	20	0	2	2	11
1982	Kevin Dineen	FORWARD	Hartford Whalers	1188	355	405	760	2229
1981	Mike Vernon	GOALIE	Calgary Flames	781	0	39	39	271
1980	Sean McKenna	FORWARD	Buffalo Sabres	414	82	80	162	181

THE WRAP…

Seeing as I’ve been doing this series for the last handful of years, I’ve learned that the NHL Entry Draft is a crapshoot no matter how deep that year’s class is reported to be. Not on is the NHL’s annual prospect fishing derby like throwing darts at the best of times, but the later you get into the draft, the more time it takes for some of these kids — if at all of them — to make the show and that’s why it’s no surprise to see that only a couple of the players listed above have NHL games on their resumes. Again, I know that this is not an exact science by any stretch of the imagination, but I do find it useful in a weird way to see what flavour of player generally gets taken in our range.