Drafting hockey players is basically educated gambling. You’re looking at a 17-year-old kid from Moose Jaw or Omsk and trying to guess if his knees will hold up or if he’ll get distracted by fame before he hits twenty-five. Sometimes, a draft year is loaded with generational icons. Other times, you get the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
It was a strange time. The Nashville Predators were the new kids on the block, the "Dead Puck Era" was suffocating scoring, and scouts were still obsessed with finding the next massive defenseman who could cross-check someone into the third row. Looking back at Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo that June, nobody really knew they were about to witness one of the most polarizing talent pools in the history of the sport.
The Vincent Lecavalier "Michael Jordan" Hype
If you were around in '98, you remember the "Michael Jordan of Hockey" label. That’s what Tampa Bay Lightning owner Art Williams called Vincent Lecavalier.
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Talk about pressure.
Lecavalier was the undisputed prize of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He had the size, the reach, and that effortless skating style that made him look like he was playing at half-speed while everyone else was redlining. Did he live up to the Jordan comparison? Well, no. Nobody could. But he did become the face of a franchise, captained them to a Stanley Cup in 2004, and put up 949 points. If you’re Tampa, you make that pick every single time.
The drop-off after him, though? That’s where things get messy.
The San Jose Sharks moved up to the number two spot by trading with Florida, and they took David Legwand. Legwand was fine. Honestly, he was a very reliable, high-end "middle-six" center for a long time. But when you take a guy second overall, you’re usually hoping for a Hart Trophy candidate, not a guy who tops out at 63 points in a season. Nashville eventually landed him in a deal before they even played a game, making him the original face of the Predators.
The Massive Busts and the "What Ifs"
Every draft has its "swing and a miss" moments, but the top ten in 1998 feels particularly cursed for some teams.
Look at Vancouver. They took Bryan Allen at fourth overall. He played over 700 NHL games, which is a success by any statistical metric, but he never became the cornerstone defenseman they envisioned. Then you have the Chicago Blackhawks taking Mark Bell at eighth. Or the Islanders taking Michael Rupp at ninth.
Rupp is a great story—he scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal later for Jersey—but he didn't even sign with the Islanders. Imagine burning a top-ten pick on a guy who never even wears your jersey.
Why the Scouting Was So Off
Back then, the league was obsessed with "Heavy Hockey." If you were 6'4" and could skate in a straight line, scouts fell in love. This was before the 2005 lockout rule changes that opened up the game for smaller, skilled players. In 1998, teams were still drafting for the grind.
Take Alex Tanguay. He went 12th to Colorado. Tanguay was a wizard with the puck, finishing his career with 863 points. He was arguably the second-best forward in the entire draft, yet eleven teams passed on him because he wasn't "gritty" enough. It’s wild to think about now.
Pavel Datsyuk: The Theft of the Century
If you want to talk about the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, you have to talk about the Detroit Red Wings.
While everyone else was arguing over Canadian juniors, Håkan Andersson—the Red Wings' legendary European scout—was watching a skinny kid in Russia that nobody else noticed. Or rather, nobody else could notice. Legend has it that another scout was supposed to fly out to see Datsyuk, but his flight was canceled due to a storm.
The Red Wings waited. They waited through the first round. The second. All the way until the 6th round.
With the 171st pick, Detroit took Pavel Datsyuk.
It’s arguably the greatest late-round pick in the history of the NHL. Datsyuk didn't just play; he revolutionized the game. Two Stanley Cups, four Lady Byngs, three Selkes, and a highlight reel that still makes modern pros look like amateurs. When people call 1998 a "weak" draft, they’re usually ignoring the fact that one of the top ten players of all time was hiding in the 171st slot.
Where the Value Actually Was
It’s fascinating to see where the real longevity came from. It wasn't the top five.
- Brad Richards: Found in the 3rd round (64th overall) by Tampa. He won a Conn Smythe. He was arguably more vital to that 2004 Cup run than Lecavalier was.
- Brian Gionta: A diminutive sniper taken 82nd by New Jersey. He went on to score 48 goals in a single season later on.
- Shawn Horcoff: 4th round, 99th overall. He became the captain of the Oilers and a legitimate top-line center for years.
- Mike Fisher: 2nd round, 44th overall. Over 1,000 games played and a massive culture setter for Ottawa and Nashville.
The Defenseman Dilemma
The 1998 class was supposed to be the "Year of the Blueliner."
Vitaly Vishnevski went 5th. Rico Fata (a forward, but a high-speed bust) went 6th. Manny Malhotra went 7th.
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But the best defensemen in the draft weren't the ones being hyped on the cover of The Hockey News. You had Andrei Markov going 162nd overall to Montreal. Markov was a power-play genius who stayed in the league until 2017. Then you had François Beauchemin, who wasn't even picked until the 3rd round by Montreal (75th).
It proves that in the late 90s, NHL teams were terrible at projecting defensive mobility. They wanted "trees" like Bryan Allen, but the game was transitioning toward "movers" like Markov.
Legacy of the 1998 Class
Is the 1998 NHL Entry Draft a failure?
It depends on how you measure it. If you look at "Star Power" in the top ten, it’s one of the weakest years on record. But if you look at "Total Games Played," it’s actually surprisingly deep. There were a lot of "warriors" in this draft—guys like Chris Neil (161st overall) who played 1,000 games just by being the toughest human in the building.
It was the last draft of an old era.
Within a few years, the game would change. The trap would be (somewhat) neutralized, the two-line pass rule would disappear, and the massive, slow defensemen drafted in 1998 would find themselves obsolete.
What We Can Learn From 1998
- Don't overvalue size: The scouts who obsessed over height in '98 missed out on the skill players who dominated the 2000s.
- Regional scouting is everything: Detroit winning the Datsyuk lottery changed how every team approached Russia and Europe.
- The "Second Tier" matters: Teams like Tampa Bay and New Jersey built dynasties not just with their first pick, but by hitting on guys in rounds 3 through 6.
If you’re ever bored, go back and look at the scouting reports from that year. They’re hilarious. They talk about David Legwand like he’s the next Steve Yzerman and barely mention Datsyuk or Markov. It’s a reminder that even the experts are just guessing.
Next Steps for Hockey Fans and Collectors:
If you’re looking to invest in cards or memorabilia from this era, focus on the late-round gems. While Lecavalier "Young Guns" cards are the classic choice, the real historical value lies in the Datsyuk and Richards rookies. Also, keep an eye on the 1998 draft as a case study for why modern NHL teams now prioritize "skating transition" over "physical presence." The shift started right here, mostly because of the mistakes made at the top of this board.
Watch some old tape of Tanguay or Datsyuk from their early years. You'll see two players who were playing "2020s hockey" while everyone else was still stuck in 1985. That's the real story of 1998—the year the game started to outgrow its own scouts.