NHL Teams Ranked by No. 1 Picks

Everyone loves a good draft lottery story, but which franchises have feasted most at the top of the board over decades of NHL history? The Canadiens sit atop the list with six No. 1 overall selections, a haul that spans from the very first draft in 1963 to their recent grab of Juraj Slafkovsky. Teams like the Sabres, Oilers, and Islanders pack four apiece, while the Nordiques-Avalanche lineage matches that mark, reminding us how those early picks can define eras or haunt front offices forever.